Re: [Marxism] Re: [Left Hook] Latest Release of Left Hook Online (incl. Chomsky interview)

[Craig Brozefsky <craig@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Polyapplications@xxxxxxx writes:

Removed lefthook from CC list, as I have no intention of getting into
a crosspost flamewar.

> I'm not too surprised he would say something like that, really.
> He's at his best when exposing empirically the inconsistencies of
> our govt.  But when it comes to developing a program or a guide for
> action. . .well, he leaves little to be desired, just a few vague
> references and platitudes regarding democratic channels.

I don't think that is a valid critique of Chomsky.  We cannot do
everything, and most of us have a hard time doing any one thing well.

> In reality, voting for the democratic candidate--which appears to
> Kerry at the moment, the man who backed the illegal invasion of Iraq
> and voted for the Patriot Act--means validating and thus
> legitimizing the democratic faction of imperialism.

We are in no danger of validating anyone with our vote.  Nor will we
legitimize any faction of imperialism with a ballot.  What are
"validating" and "legitimizing" anyways?  If the vote rolls are too
high, corporate media is going to run stories legitimizing the
electoral process and the great bastion of democracy we have in the
U.S.  Any vote for DemX could be the one which breathes new life into
the simpering "good cop" and they will unleash a fury upon the world?
Only the true believers on either side of the cults of lesser evilism
are blind to the farce this election is, and no news story can dress
that up.  Noone is going to be getting a "mandate" from the people out
of this.

> It means tailing people like John Kerry and Bill Clinton (whom Kerry
> himself deeply admires!)--two of the biggest neo-liberals [read
> imperialists] alive!  This is not like voting for either the Social
> Democrats or the National Socialist Party in pre-fascist Germany;
> his analysis is faulty and leads him to "hold his nose" and cast a
> vote for Empire.  This will not do!

Name-calling and flaming about who is voting for, endorsing, funding,
whom; provide a set of social cues for self definition.  Yet, it can
become an obstacle.  Elections are IMO, not worth the smoke and stink
they are generating in activist circles these days.

--
Sincerely, Craig Brozefsky <craig@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
No war! No racist scapegoating! No attacks on civil liberties!
Chicago Coalition Against War & Racism: www.chicagoantiwar.org

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