Re: Replying to Martin

["Martin Zehr" <m_zehr@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Gary,

   One truly has to wonder if the only thing that can "raise" the
consciousness of the masses is an economic or ecological catastrophe. We've
seen throughout history that it's harder to establish new structures on the
ashes of the old than to create the seeds of change and nurture the birth of
new life, even as the beast devours itself and its children. It really is a
swim upstream to get people to even acknowledge the impact of their
lifestyles on the world as a whole, let alone what the impact of their
nation's air force is on other nations. That's why I said that we've got to
work with each other in pointing the finger.

   As far as whether to be an optimist or a pessimist, I don't take either
of those outlooks very seriously. The fact is: let's make sure we look at
things objectively and that whether it looks good or bad we have the
fortitude to stand on the side of humanity and to promote the interests of
the oppressed, no matter the cost.


>From: Gary MacLennan <g.maclennan@xxxxxxxxxx>
>Reply-To: marxism@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>To: marxism@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>Subject: Replying to Martin
>Date: Mon, 11 Dec 2000 08:01:01 +1000
>
>Hi Martin,
>
>I too have bouts of that kind of pessimism (or realism). Thus I have often
>talked of how Australia will need to be invaded by a Red Army before we
>have socialism here.
>
>At the moment things look unbelievably grim. Still the truth remains that
>you never can tell where change is  going to come from. It is now a quarter
>of a century since the collapse of the Long Boom and the beginning of the
>erosion of the Keynesian Social compromise that was dialectically related
>to it.
>
>My understanding of economics is a good deal below basic but trying to read
>the clever people I think we are being driven towards a massive crisis of
>demand.  We are also doing enormous damage in terms of the ecology.  That's
>all the bad news.  The last thing I want to see is a Depression or a major
>ecological disaster.
>
>Nevertheless that is what is on the cards.
>
>The good news is that the capitalist system is running down its
>credit.  For instance someone on the radio here talked of how we still
>didn't know who the "leader of the Free World" was.  That phrase struck me
>as a genuine whiff from the past; a true piece of hoary old Cold War left
>overs.  Moreover I am not the only one that thinks that way.
>
>Young people now openly boast about being 'anti-capitalist'.  Of course I
>am aware that the ending of the Cold War has opened up a space for a safe
>kind of oppositionalism, but opposition it is.
>
>Our task as Leftists is to take part in this embryonic movement.  We have a
>lot to offer if we can only get over our Zinoviest fantasies of
>"intervening".
>
>regards
>
>Gary
>

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