Re: [Marxism] Camejo to speak at CCNY

[Octob1917@xxxxxxx]

In a message dated 9/25/2004 11:37:58 AM Pacific Daylight Time,
mr.feldman@xxxxxxxxx writes:
Marxist activism
is about engaging working people starting from their current level of
consciousness in such a way as to push them forward on the road towards
organizing themselves as an independent political force."


No, this is your own interpretation of Marxist activism. Again, it reveals a
condescension which I refute and reject towards 'working people.' Even the way
you use that term suggests that you consider yourself above them, as if
working people are stupid and incapable of being trusted with the truth.

The way to help people interpret the sense of alienation and hopelessness is
not by lying to them that if they were to vote for a certain candidate and
pour all their energies into reform then they will see progress.

Marxist activism is about pointing out the contradictions which are inherent
in a capitalist system and explaining why that system must be replaced and
with what; not in preaching a message of reform and belief in that system as a
way forward. Socialists should only ever enter into bourgeois politics in order
to gain a platform from which to promote socialism and attack capitalism.
Nothing in what Camejo or Nader are saying does that. They may be attacking its
excesses, but that's a world away from attacking it root and branch and offering
socialism as an alternative.

Where does it come from, this idea that to openly talk socialism to people
who are not yet socialists is a betrayal of socialism?

We're not some weird cult which should hide our true beliefs behind a veneer
of neatly packaged, inoffensive policies. We are marxists (at least I hope we
are), socialists, with a collective vision for a better world than the one we
inhabit now. Just because the objective and material conditions are not yet
right for our message to reach as many as we would like is no reason to abandon
our principles or to dilute them.

JoeD
_______________________________________________
Marxism mailing list
Marxism@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/listinfo/marxism