[Marxism] Nader and Cobb - equal in the eye of the ultralefts

[Dbachmozart@xxxxxxx]

Carlos A Rivera writes -

In my opinion the great problem of the Green Party is the  total lack of any
kind of cohesion at a national level. Yeah, Cobb might  have stolen the
primary, but it shows just the kind of opportunist narcisist  Nader is that
he didn't accept the result, and then vigorously campaing for  Cobb, in spite
of himself, as a way to strengthen the Green Party. Instead,  Nader accepted
with open hands the support of Republicans out to turn Nader  into a spoiler.

Nader and Cobb are both equally responsible for the  debacle, and the
membership of the green party is responsible for not  choosing better leaders
and having a real organization that can win instead  of a debate club for the
disaffected birkenstock set.

1 - Nader is blamed for not accepting the result? This  "result" was the
aborting of an independent, antiwar candidacy and hitching  the Greens to ABB,
thus putting the movement against an imperialist war into  hibernation. There 
was
widespread dissatisfaction and anger by the  Democrat activists over having a
prowar standard bearer like Kerry. Having  a well-known candidate as the only
antiwar voice could have attracted a sizeable  number away and possibly
started a hemorrhage of the Democrat left.To prevent  this was the Cobb 
campaign's
raison d'etre. Nader has his political  shortcomings, but his refusal to go
along with the betrayal of the Green raison  d'etre - independence from the
Democrats - was his shining moment. Thanks to  the Cobb campaign the Greens 
today
are in critical condition. For Nader to  have campaigned for this betrayal /
scabbing on the antiwar movement would have  killed them off.
2 - As long as there is no quid pro quo, I say take as much $$  from the
Republicans as he can get his hands on! If they want to finance a  movement that
opposes and seeks to destroy an invaluable weapon of the ruling  class for over
a century - the Democrats as "lesser evil" safety valve for the  oppressed
and exploited sections of the population - that's their contradiction,  not
Nader's. Lenin accepted German imperialism's free train ticket  back to Russia 
in
April 1917, and he was vilified by the Mensheviks as a German  agent.Was he
wrong? Hell no!
3 - So one faction of the Greens capitulates to the Democrats  and runs a non
campaign, while the other, representing the great majority of the  ranks
wants to take on the accomplices of Bush-Cheney, and they're both  equally
responsible for the debacle? And the membership is responsible for a  minority
pulling off a coup? Talk about blaming the victim. Yes there is a lack  of 
political
and organizational cohesion in the Greens, and the majority was  naive in
being unprepared for the undemocratic machinations of the ABB faction.  So do we
wash our hands of them and walk away with a condescending " pox on both
factions" haughtiness, or do we dive in and fight to bring about that  cohesion?
The purists are waiting for something better - I say that until that  something
comes around, the Greens are the only game in town. Batter  up!

                                                 Xxxxxx Xxxxxx

P.S. As for the gratuitous and snide aside of  "the  Birkenstock set", many
of us on this list have had the experience of being  berated by one who fancies
him/herself as super -prole. My comradely advice -  shove it!


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