Happy Labor Day (U.S.)*

[gordonzola]

So in my Weather Underground post, a good conversation got going about trashing vs. criticizing of the Left by the Left. Since it’s Labor Day weekend in this country, what do you folks think?. What’s the Left’s biggest problem right now?

Too much infighting? Too many wingnuts with "responsibility"? Failure to support the correct tenets of scientific socialism? Nader? The fact that no one is following the sectarian party you belong to? Lack of any coherence or relevance whatsoever?

This isn’t a poll, so write about whatever you want. Hell, it doesn't even have to be the biggest problem, it can just be your biggest peeve. Don’t post your unpublished manifestos though, please. No right-wing trolls either.

(I include anarchists on the Left, btw, so answer accordingly)

*I tend to recognize May 1st as Labor Day myself, but this is a convenient excuse.

Comments

[naturalborn.livejournal.com]

Rampant anti-intellectualism, fueled by infiltration by post-modernists.

But then, the anti-intellectuals aren't really on my side, they just coincidentally happen to have a few similar opinions on a few specific issues.

[gordonzola.livejournal.com]

hmmmm, to me post modernists are uber-intellectuals, not anti-intellectuals.

[naturalborn.livejournal.com]

They sucker a lot of people with that claim.

For a good exposition of their quasi-intellectual verbiage, check out how to deconstruct almost anything (http://www.fudco.com/chip/deconstr.html).

[cherrifying.livejournal.com]

Locally, it seems like all the folks in power on are side are too exhausted from campaigning with small funds and fighting to defeat the proposals of the right (Care Not Cash, etc.) to start any new legislation on their own agendas. I guess what I'm saying is we need more bodies & more cash.

[lth.livejournal.com]

Amen.

[gordonzola.livejournal.com]

but I guess my question is why aren't there more bodies?

[nickyludd.livejournal.com]

LJ 03-08-29 gordon repl

I am not a leftist, I am a communist.

There has been a fundamental tension in The Left and Leftism since at least Marx and Engels: that between reforming capitalism and overcoming it. This point is obvious, I know, inasmuch as it applies to the Left of the likes of the British Labour Party, and the classic example was the SDP of Kautsky’s time.

It goes further than that. The tension applies to the core tradition which began with Engels (I would argue that Engels was actually the first anti-marxist). The fact is that the bulk of the communist movement never believed in a world beyond wage-labour. It believed in a managed, bureaucratised form of that. When those states which embodied that tradition collapsed that vision went with them, leaving nothing. The fundamental impulse of much of leftist culture is summed up by a Doris Lessing character: ‘most people in the Communist Party are not really interested in politics, they want to help people’. The tension between a rhetoric of communism and a practice and gut-belief of ‘humanising’ capitalism has crippled the Left.

Most of Leftism has been a variant of Fabian do-goodery. It has supported ‘the people’ only is sofar as they have conformed to its own ‘progressivist’ ideals – hence the way in which the Leftist tradition has opposed the impulses of most people on such matters as the death penalty.

The tragedy of our situation is that when there was some vision of a world beyond class-society it was objectively impossible. That vision now has no significant political presence at the time in history when its realisation is becoming possible. What I mean by that is:

Scarcity is the premise – in practice and theory – of political economy. Nanotechnology promises an end to that. It opens the possibility of abundance.

The fundamental problem of any society is the management of labour-time. This can be accomplished by the market, by central direction, or by negotiation between the producers. The last was only possible on a very small scale; but with IT (still in its infancy and used for the banalisation of everyday life) this becomes possible globally.

The nature of exchange-value itself (socially necessary labour time) is being dissolved by automation. This is the deepest contradiction of capitalism – the highest form of class society.

Communism - defined as the producers freely associating to produce for need and working because creativity is basic to human nature – is, for the first time objectively possible.

The realisation that there can be a world beyond wage-labour is the premiss for overcoming the despotism of capital over human needs.

There is no way forward without utterly breaking with all varieties of ‘market socialism’ and fighting the notion that the market is the only possible form of managing total social labour.

[incendiarymind.livejournal.com]

The biggest problem amongst the left right now is that it still has no central mouthpiece. Even though the right has a chimpanzee doing its bully pulpit work, that monkey is still on television every night hammering home the platform of the Republicans. The Democrats don't have that centralized (although that's probably a bad word to use since Bush is hardly a centrist) voice. Once there's actually a Democratic candidate for President (although they tend to articulate the center and not the left), hopefully that will be better.

The other problem is those on the liberal and socialist wing are still debating amongst themselves who even the candidate of the left of the party will be. I've heard more debate of Dean v. Kucinich (still spelling his name horribly wrong) than knocking the messed up policies of George Bush.

[gordonzola.livejournal.com]

I heard Kuchinich is a vegan so I couldn't possibly support him. ;)

I was definately not thinking Democratic Party when I wrote "Left". (hence the Weather Underground link) I think one could make a lefty arguement for why working with/in the Democratic party is the most important thing. I wouldn't believe it, but one could argue it.

I was thinking more activist/organizer/grass roots/ist-type left.

[epanastatis.livejournal.com]

Five words: the grossly self-inflated middle strata.

[slit.livejournal.com]

Say more.

[gordonzola.livejournal.com]

as in: people being able to live beyond their actual means through credit card debt etc.?

[epanastatis.livejournal.com]

More as in, people who think that radical politics is the "smart man's burden," and arrogate that status to their Ivy-educated, secretly-trust-funded selves. What you said about disdain for people who actually have to work for a living captures it too.

[lemon-says.livejournal.com]

Lack of any form of cohesive structure. There are what, nine Democratic candidates for President duking it out? Same reason they lost so many seats in the last general election--it comes across as infighting and lack of any kind of CAUSE.

Several of the current Democratic candidates are trashing each other pretty badly, so it seems like if they ever get down to ONE, why would anyone vote for him when all we've heard is bad? They've got to be more cautious if they want to regain their seats.

And since there seems to be such a lack of structure, there's a lack of direction. (I'm not a right-wing troll, by the way. I'm a populist, but we don't have a candidate. I hate being "represented" by Ivy League elitists of either party.) Right-wingers have often come across as hysterical, but the lefties are rather taking that over because there's so much to be distressed about that they can't focus.

[gordonzola.livejournal.com]

Oh, I'd never consider you a troll, Lyzosy. and this LJ will always be a safe space for Democrat-bashers. ;)

[walktheplank.livejournal.com]

What’s the Left’s biggest problem right now?

1. "Triangulation," the DLC, and the power of the Democratic National Committee.

"I was on a phone call once with a pollster and a DSCC official (Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee) and [U.S. Senate primary candidate] Mike Ciresi. First off they wanted him to raise a lot of soft money for the party. I told him, don't be fooled--they're not going to put any of that money back into your race unless you toe the party line and it looks very winnable." -Bill Hillsman

2. The growing political power of the suburbs.

The fact that physical barriers separating suburbanites from their neighbors (freeways, lack of sidewalks, gated communities, etc.) -- together with white flight and the fear of crime -- have led to a decline of community values and the rise of an ideology best symbolized by Rush Limbaugh.

("Here in Pleasant Prairie, we don't pay for government services, and we like it that way. I worked hard for my money, and I don't see why I should have to share it with anybody."))

3. The Left seems to think that "tolerance" means letting wingnuts speak on your behalf. If members of the Christian Coalition showed up at a conference, they'd be thrown out of the building. But for some reason, wackos spouting "pro-life" animal rights propaganda, or raving about the evils of modern medicine and birth control ("Anarchists should use the rhythm method, 'cause it's NATURAL...") are treated with kid-gloves and "tolerance".

4. Letting wingnuts organize major demonstrations.

5. Tokenism. Also: Fear of confronting people who are being disruptive or violent for fear of being labeled racist/sexist/classist/etc.

6. Lack of a coherent strategy (make that ANY strategy) for dealing with violent crime.

Nader?

Only if he tries to run again in 2004. That would be a total disaster for the Green Party, and would serve no purpose other than to stoke Ralph Nader's ego.

Nader squandered the opportunity to run a serious campaign during the 1996 election. Clinton and Dole were virtually indistinguishable from one-another, and this would have been a great time to make the case that the Two Party system is politically bankrupt.

The problem with 2000, is that even though Gore is a conservative asshole, Bush is far more radical than anyone gave him credit for. Nader's campaign still served an important role in that it helped to galvanize the national Green Party, and inspired people to make successful runs for local office, but having done that, he should stay out of the race, and focus on actually WINNING more local elections.

Which brings us to...

7. The Green Party has its head up its ass.

For example: in Minnesota the Green Party receives matching campaign funds from the state. Instead of using those funds to mount strong campaigns for local offices that no one ever votes for --like State Auditor-- the Greens wasted a lot of money running Guy Smiley for governor, and trying to unseat Paul Wellstone. That was stupid.

[lemon-says.livejournal.com]

And please don't get Georgians started on the Green Party's support of Cynthia McKinney--she single-handedly can destroy the party's legitimacy.

[gordonzola.livejournal.com]

I put in the Nader thing as a joke, actually. can one be any less self-examining than to blame Nader for the problems of the left?

I agree with 3 and 4 a lot. 6 is interesting. "after the revolution we won't worry about violent crime because everyone will have what they need" is not a compelling arguement. 5 is true often because of real diversity in existing organizations.

[halfjack.livejournal.com]

The biggest problem with the Left is the unpopularity of its essential tenet that other people are worth ones time, money, courtesy, and energy. That is, I don't think *they* are the problem at all.

[gordonzola.livejournal.com]

wait, who's "they" in this sentence?

[halfjack.livejournal.com]

They is the Lefty representatives of a public that doesn't really care about humans any more.

[halfjack.livejournal.com]

Also I think it's a problem that the Left represents a large number of people who think it's cool not to vote. Yes folks, sometimes it *is* the lesser of two evils, but if you don't vote you probably won't get the lesser one.

am I out of touch?

[slit.livejournal.com]

Am I the only one who never, ever associates the words "left" and "Democrat"?

I'm not even anti-Democrat. I think I'm a member of the Democratic party. I vote straight ticket Democrat a lot of the time. And yet it's still jarring to hear someone talk about "the Left" and see the conversation shift immediately to electoral politics.

(More later; I have to go to work.)

Re: am I out of touch?

[nickyludd.livejournal.com]

Yeah,I was somewhat surprised by the number who made that 'association'- but then, given what I writ, I shouldnae be.

Re: am I out of touch?

[walktheplank.livejournal.com]

The idea that the Democratic Party is an any way "left" is truly laughable. However, in the minds of most Americans, "the Left" *IS* the Democratic Party, and anything outside of that isn't even a blip on their radar screens. And so you have the rather curious situation in which Hillary Clinton was being accused of "Marxist social engineering" at the same time that her husband was signing the NAFTA agreement into law.

Since the Democrats have historically acted as an impediment to social change, it is important to address their role within "the Left".

Whether-or-not you personally believe in electoral politics, the Democrats are going to have a major impact on any left-leaning political movement... And they will probably set you back at least several years.

Re: am I out of touch?

[gordonzola.livejournal.com]

all of which, of course, points out the glaring weaknes of a real left in this country.

Re: am I out of touch?

[epanastatis.livejournal.com]

Anytime somebody starts talking about Democrats when the left comes up, I assume they've never had the pleasure of a lengthy conversation with the likes of me.

Re: am I out of touch?

[gordonzola.livejournal.com]

can I hire you for parties? (small p)

Re: am I out of touch?

[gordonzola.livejournal.com]

no, no. I'm with you. Except in a very specific Social Democratic way (hi dcart!) it would never occur to me to mention the Democratic wing of the Capitalist Party as the "left".

Re: am I out of touch?

[slit.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I explicitly exempt the likes of dcart because, well, he's just a wanker about this stuff, and he's obviously aware that The Democratic Party (big t, big d, big p) is not the be-all and end-all of "politics."

(Remind me to tell you about being at his house until 4 a.m. the night Bush was "elected." Every time new data from Ohio or Florida would come in he'd be like "that reminds me of the time in 1948...")

The Left

[torgo-x.livejournal.com]

I think the Left's biggest problem, in the US at least, is the broken US electoral system.

[akki.livejournal.com]

I think the main problem is the stereotype of being a lefty, hence not being taken seriously. I consider myself a lefty, but I am not vegan, I do not look for riot cops to antagonize at protests, I want to learn how to shoot a gun (but not own one), do not have my hair in dreads, do not wear strictly organic cotton/ hemp clothing, do not believe in "save/ protect the children because they're the future," and I will listen to the opposing argument (even though I know I probably won't agree).

[qthebrave.livejournal.com]

Shame. We don't handle failure very well. We have a hard time picking up and learning from our mistakes. We're sensitive to how we are perceived. We want to be right; not just to win. Wrongness is moral, not tactical. Maybe? These are initial thoughts.

[goodbadgirl.livejournal.com]

My pops who is 76 still works a full time job as a security guard. For most of his life he's worked more than one - often more than two full-time jobs. Recently, Vassar convinced their younger security staff to vote to disband their union - my father was the only one who voted against them. He said: "Look, you're being fooled. I've been a union man all of my life and I don't care what you say I'm voting for the union. If we don't stick together as workers we have less power. So I don't care what you do but I'm voting for the union."

My father is republican. Has been a republican all of his life. Here, a supremely "liberal" institution -the same folks who bring you the 'Homo Hop' for upwards of 32k a year- are openly screwing their workers. What possible reason would my father have to trust people on the left? (For the record his union was a piece of shit who did little to protect them and much to prevent them from accessing their medical benefits.)

Of course we all know he has no reason to trust the right but they like to screw him over in sneakier, less overt way.

Sorry this is so long g. I don't know what our problem is - but I'm fairly sure an enormous part of the solution is reaching out to people like my dad in meaningful ways.

The secret has always been the workers - in my opinion the left fails to inspire them.