Re: [Marxism] A good epidemic

[Carrol Cox <cbcox@xxxxxxxxx>]

"Derek S." wrote:
>
> Poll Shows U.S. Distrust of Politicians 'Epidemic'
> By Gail Appleson
> Reuters, Sept. 29, 2004
>
> NEW YORK (Reuters) - Americans' distrust of
> politicians and business leaders has reached an
> "epidemic" level,

Unfortunately, this is not necessarily a _good_ epidemic. Many of us in
the '70s noted in our organizing work that the Watergate scandal had
hurt us too, for the distrust it generated was in fact a general
cynicism, and included distrust of political activity as such, including
left politics and union organizing. Watergate-inspired cynicism was one
of the big problems my wife had in attempting to create a clerical
workers union at Illinois State in the mid-'70s.

In fact, distrust of "politicians" is one of the barriers to left
organizing, sometimes a major barrier. The attitude it leads to is not,
"Let's get some politicians we can trust" but, rather, "fuck politicis.
What's the use." WE may know that WE are not the kind of 'politician'
the poll asks about, but the bulk of the population does not know the
difference.

Carrol


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