Re: [Marxism] Frank Furedi on the Left: the Left is Right

[Einde O'Callaghan <einde@xxxxxx>]

Jurriaan Bendien wrote:
> FF "I find it difficult these days to give myself a publicly defined
> political/ideological label. Why? First because many of the 19th century
> labels have lost much of their meaning in our era. Secondly, and more
> importantly, I find the conventional terms quite confusing. Many of the
> ideas associated with contemporary leftism - worship of the state, its
> addiction to conspiracy theories, its dislike of experimentation, its
> instrumental approach towards free speech and knowledge, its ambivalence
> towards the ideas of progress and development, its paternalistic
> orientation towards the public - are ones that one classically
> associates with conservatism. So being leftwing today is often
> associated with the absence of a transformative impulse and on the
> history making potential of humanity. Whether we like it or not, we are
> living through a pre-political era. As a result if one wants to be
> relevant one can have political sensibilities but not clearly defined
> world-views. For a variety of reasons, communism has little content
> today - so I would not call myself one. Even in the old days I never
> called myself a revolutionary - that's always for history decide.

A remarkable statement from a former leader of an organisation called
the REVOLUTIONARY COMMUNIST Party. Perhaps he's suffering from political
amnesia.

Einde O'Callaghan


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