Re: [Marxism] Another example of a person who does not want to grow and change for the better.

["John Obrien" <causecollector@xxxxxxx>]

Fred Feldman's opening remark - placing sexism and homophobia - again as joking 
matters - shows his actual indifference, to really wanting to grow and become a 
better revolutionary.  Instead of identifying with those oppressed, he prefers 
his privileges and aids in putting down those, that have legitimate struggle 
against sexism.

His earlier response a week ago, implying that he would stand by those, such as 
myself, who fight against sexism and homophobia, rings hollow, to then send 
these remarks out.   Words do matter - and the intent here was to undermine and 
make fun of legitimate concerns.  Could we see some real attempts to become a 
better revolutionary comrade - or at least try.  

I would rather spend time on discussing and proposing necessary strategy for 
what we can do next after the November 2nd U. S. election, to energize and 
bring more people to the Left.
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Fred Feldman 
  To: 'mxmail' 
  Sent: Saturday, October 30, 2004 6:44 AM
  Subject: [Marxism] The Cuban people are not trying to intimidate us in 
theelection


  I'm going to be "sexist" and "homophobic" again, and suggest that the
  discussion about Walter's reports from Cuba should calm down.  I know
  that us fighting cocks and dogs are deeply offended by that kind of
  advice.  It just makes us snarl and fuss and fume all the more.  
   
  Does anyone doubt that Walter's reports from Cuba about the mood there
  are accurate.  All over the world people are trying to figure out their
  percentages in this election, and most of them are betting that they
  have a better shot with Kerry.
   
  The Cubans in particular may be right.  My read is that the next
  administration is going to have to cut its losses somewhere.  If Bush
  wins and tries to resume the full court press of the period around the
  invasion of Iraq ("Hey, world -- you're next!") the administration's
  collapse will come to completion not very long after the election.  The
  rulers are going to have to cut their losses elsewhere.
   
  The Caribbean may be a place the rulers decide to cool it a bit.  And
  the Kerry camp has carefully avoided hard commitments to anti-Cuba
  action, unlike their stance on Iraq.  If they win, it will be without
  the backing of the anti-Cuba mad dogs in Miami.  It is even possible
  they will win Florida without them, which would free their hands even
  more.
   
  Despite the troops going to Colombia (which shows that the basic policy
  direction is being maintained) it is quite likely that the Venezuelan
  industrialists had an okay from Washington for their offer of an
  alliance with Chavez -- at least from the State Department, possibly
  including even Roger Noriega. What's their alternative? Invade
  Venezuela? And hold Iraq? And deal with Iran? And Sudan? And whatever
  else pops open?
   
  Any Kerry softening on Cuba will aim at softening up Cuba and Venezuela
  will be aimed at softening them up of course.  And if the Cubans and
  Venezuelans maintain the same basic course, the softening will be
  reversed as happened under Carter when the Nicaraguan revolution
  occurred. But a few months or a year or two of eased travel and trade
  for Cuba is obviously something the Cubans would and should want?  So
  they place their bet.  They, like everybody else in the world, including
  ourselves, have to live within the reality of the two party monopoly.
   
  The Cubans would prefer to be demoted as a US target.  Their feelings
  would not be hurt. Okay, sounds reasonable to me. These choices are
  endemic to the capitalist world.  At least the Cubans are not crying
  like Orwell's Winston Smith when he realized the only way out: "Do it to
  Julia! Do it to Julia!" like US union bureaucrats urging Kerry to "save
  American jobs."
   
  In voting, however, I will not vote for the candidate who will go easier
  on Cuba because he wants to put everything into saving the situation in
  Iraq, and maybe a credibly -- in the imperialist homelands --
  "humanitarian" drive to establish a protectorate over oil and gas-rich
  Sudan. I'm a Cuban patriot.  But that kiind of choice -- which is
  inevitably also guesswork -- goes against the grain of the process of
  buidling a revolutionary movement in this country.  And even though we
  are starting from scratch, that's my game.
   
  I am also opposed to the idea that people who vote for Kerry or Bush are
  "voting for war."  That question is absolutely not being presented to
  them for decision, regardless of what they think of it.  One thing this
  election is not is a referendum on the war.  That matter is being
  decided entirely elsewhere.  The two party system is about preserving
  and deepening that situation.  Workers or others who vote for Kerry or
  Bush are not voting for war because they have no choice in the matter. I
  don't believe anyone is committing an unforgivable political crime by
  voting for one of the imperialist parties.  The next few years will be a
  valuable learning experience for all of us (actually, especially if
  Kerry wins -- I admit I have grown a bit weary of the stereotyped form
  that left politics has taken in the Bush years.
   
  The crime is not voting for Bush or Kerry.  The crime is the election --
  the choice we are offered.  The crime is the character of imperialist
  democracy, the two party system and all that.
   
  Another fact: the Nader campaign has not measured up to the challenge of
  his decision to stand up to the two parties.  As a propaganda campaign,
  it has fallen short, as Cockburn and others have pointed out.  This
  makes it harder for people to understand why he is running.  It is also
  a fact that the Cobb campaign, while hewing to the pro-Kerry safe states
  line (and since there are no completely safe states -- I expect
  surprises in this election -- that means vote Kerry everywhere), has
  moved to the left in the campaign, calling for immediate withdrawal from
  Iraq and taking other left positions, often in clearer language than
  Nader.
   
  One thing I've learned in this campaign is that the vice-presidential
  candidate cannot fill the gap left by the presidential candidate,
  although Camejo has run a useful campaign.  Nader's weakness naturally
  increases the tendency  for his supporters to yield to the reality of
  the actual two-party "choice" in this election.
   
  Back to the Cubans.  I am troubled by Louis experiencing the viewpoint
  of the Cubans as "social pressure" to vote for Kerry, and comparing it
  to the kind of social pressure that is exerted by the ABB liberal cops
  for the ruling class, or (on a totally different plane, I am sure we
  realize) the SWP's sectarian social pressure on members and supporters
  to "homogenize." 
   
  The Cubans are quite clearly not demanding that any pro-Cuban in the
  United States follow their inclinations in the election.  There is
  absolutely no Cuban "intervention" or "Cominternism" on this matter.
  They will work with the SWP (which still seems to have a slight
  preference for Bush and Rumsfeld, despite the fact that it has correctly
  called for dumping both and for a labor party -- abandoning the rather
  openly pro-Republican line they seemed to me to be pushing for some
  months.  They will work with everyone who supported Kerry and everyone
  who supported Nader.  They will work with Bush supporters too.  The
  basis will be as always, agreement on common action on something or
  other that the Cubans view as worth fighting for.  NOONE IS BEING
  THREATENED BY THE CUBANS FOR HOW THEY PLAN TO VOTE, AND NOONE WILL BE
  PUNISHED BY THEM.
   
  The Cubans do as James P. Cannon said: they view internationalism as
  international collaboration, not as the imposition of a line determined
  by a single center.
   
  And of course, they have a right to their opinion and so do all of us.
    
  _______________________________________________
  Marxism mailing list
  Marxism@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
  http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/listinfo/marxism
_______________________________________________
Marxism mailing list
Marxism@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/listinfo/marxism