Re: [Marxism] Answer to an ISO'er,

["Eli Stephens" <elishastephens@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

dwalters writes about the slogan "US out of the Middle-East" (in a certain
context): "In my view, it was a totally parasitic demand meant to elevate
their own groups little egos."

The basic orientation and main and subsidiary slogans of any particular
demonstration are certainly topics for debate. But to describe one side as
making "parasitic demands" meant to elevate a "groups little egos" is not
only divisive, it's absurd. There no doubt are some people on the left with
very large egos. But the vast majority of activists AND leaders are
extraordinary people, devoting their lives not to their own individual
happiness and betterment, like 99.9% of Americans, but to the betterment of
humanity. In return they get to live their lives in "luxury" approximating
that of the average graduate student, if that. The suggestion that a demand
like "US out of the Middle East," in ANY context, is meant to elevate
someone's ego, rather than to help in some small way to lift the yolk of
oppression from the Palestinian (and Iraqi and other) people, is deeply
offensive.

And, as a minor point, to Carrol Cox, who says "Any given group at any given
time is working on one and only one issue," I say, "balderdash." Not only
political parties (PSL, WWP, SWP, RCP, ISO, etc) routinely work on multiple
issues simultaneously, but as well local activist groups (just to name the
two in my area, South Bay Mobilization and Peninsula Peace and Justice).

Wouldn't it be nice if we had the luxury to only work on "one and only one
issue" at a time.

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



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