On 2013-07-20, at 3:10 PM, Carrol Cox wrote:
> Marv Gandall
>>
>> On 2013-07-19, at 4:17 PM, Wojtek S wrote: [clip]
>>
> MG: Actually, polls consistently show a majority of Americans - a bare
> majority,
>> admittedly - have a favourable view of unions. This is quite remarkable in
>> view of the constant drumbeat of propaganda directed against trade
>> unionism, [CLIP]
>
> The problem for left activists is not the lack of many who agree with them;
> it lies deeper in lack of confidence that anything can be done.
>
> On the eve of Gulf War One, of Afghanistan, & of the Iraq invasion there was
> a tremendous turnout against those wars; that turnout disappeared almost
> immediately after the wars began. There was a similar turnout immediately
> after Wisconsin, which also faded.
>
> If a third of the people who agree with left views would turn out, there
> would be millions in the streets. But there is no "quick" way (as must be
> the case with agitation) to evoke such confidence..
>
> And no one really knows how this passivity can be altered. And that brings
> us back to plugging along, hoping the spark will come from somewhere.
>
> Occupy did a lot -- but apparently more is needed.
I agree with all of the above.
The reason these movements fade is that there are no longer any social democratic or Marxist parties firmly anchored in the working class to sustain them and to serve as a pole of attraction for radicalizing young people. Previous generations of young workers and students engaging in their first strikes and demonstrations were frequently recruited into these parties, which provided them with regular political activity and political education. The internet, while greatly facilitating communication, can't provide a framework to foster the same kind of ongoing organized commitment.
Things could change. This is the first generation of well-educated young people, certainly since the Great Depression, which is having difficulty finding work suited to their qualifications. You can already see the effects of their frustrated ambitions in the prominent role they've played in the mass demonstrations and occupations of public spaces in the Middle East, Europe, and North America in recent years.
Anarchist influences are still strong among the radical youth, but there have also been some tentative steps to construct new left-wing parties. Syriza in Greece is the most notable example of a new mass party of the left. It is the sole left-wing party today which is vying for power as the old ones once did. Whether it is a forerunner of developments elsewhere remains to be seen. The conditions which contributed to Syriza's rise are particularly desperate in Greece. But the conditions of working people everywhere are continuing to deteriorate despite optimistic talk by politicians, economists, and central bankers that the crisis has bottomed out and a recovery is about to take hold.