Re: [Marxism] Antiwar "leaders" can't break reformist habits

["Eli Stephens" <elishastephens@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

I wrote that Medea Benjamin's statement: "It was easier to mobilize people
before the war. Now, many people have fallen into thinking that we can't
just cut and run." was a factual observation, and Louis responds with a poll
(that he says he is leery of!) which says that 50% of Americans want to
"reduce troop levels." Even if true, a significant percentage of that 50%
doesn't have an "out now" position, they have an "out gradually in a year or
two" position. But regardless of the polls, the facts remain the same. There
HAVE been demonstrations after the invasion, I've been involved with putting
them together, and I'm sure many others on the list have too. We've tried
our best, and they haven't come CLOSE to the size of the pre-invasion
demonstrations. In other words, "it was easier to mobilize people before the
war." There are many reasons for that. One is the "we can't cut and run"
position, another was the election. In my opinion, and it's only an opinion,
the biggest reason is the "feeling of accomplishment." Before the invasion,
people REALLY THOUGHT the invasion could be stopped. That had a tremendous
motivating effect in mobilizing people. Now, even people who really want the
war to stop today don't see any chance at all that is going to happen. And
that is a DEmobilizing factor, which we have to face up to, not ignore.

That doesn't mean we have to despair, or stop organizing and demonstrating.
But don't shoot the messenger who dares to speak the truth, even if you
don't like the political orientation of that messenger.

Eli Stephens
 Left I on the News
 http://lefti.blogspot.com



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