Re: Antiwar Effort Emphasizes Civility Over Confrontation

[Craig Brozefsky <craig@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

"lvnadal" <lvnadal@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> writes:

> 1. At core, linking peace with patriotism fundamentally obscures the
> nature of this war and the requirements for organization against
> this war.  All"patriotic" blather is simply an attempt to make
> protest acceptable to those who would like to see a more democratic,
> international, exploitation and destruction of the less developed
> world.

This characterization of it misses something important.  That slogan
is a defensive one that some feel a need to express in the face of the
harrasment they get in their workplace, the ludicrous bullshit they
see on their television, and the alienation from the concept of their
own country.  The working class in the US has not IMO reached a level
of consciousness where this slogan can be taken as you characterize
it.  If we take it that way, then how are we going to relate to these
people and bring them futher along?

I understand you are addressing your analysis to a marxist forum and
are not likely to address these people the same way.  However, I feel
compelled to bring this up because of the failure of many marxist
parties in the US to communicate well with workers.  Part of that
failure, IMO, is rooted in a refusal to listen to the language and
concepts the workers are using themselves.  I see it like a parent who
chastises a child for something they say, without understanding the
world view of a child is radically different than an adult.


--
Sincerely, Craig Brozefsky <craig@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
No war! No racist scapegoating! No attacks on civil liberties!
Chicago Coalition Against War & Racism: www.chicagoantiwar.org
Free Scheme/Lisp Software:  http://www.red-bean.com/~craig

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