[Marxism] Political Affairs Interview with Alan Wald

[Walter Lippmann <walterlx@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Just read this most interesting interview with Alan Wald, who
belongs to Solidarity, with Political Affairs, the magazine of
the Communist Party, USA. I always enjoy reading the work
of, and talking with, Alan Wald whom I met during my days
in the Socialist Workers Party. The second paragraph here is
particularly relevent to some discussions on Marxmail.


Walter Lippmann
=======================================

The Legacy of the Cultural Front: an Interview with Alan Wald

By Political Affairs
http://www.politicalaffairs.net/article/view/3887/

PA: There have been a number of recent attacks on academics on the
left for opposing the Bush administration, for being Marxists, or
whatever. Why do you think universities reflect such a sharp point of
conflict? What are some ways to protect political freedom on
campuses?

AW: You may have seen the recent piece by Ellen Schrecker, â??Worse
than McCarthy,â?? where she talks about how, during McCarthyism,
professors were fired and blacklisted â?? which seems much worse than
today. But Schrecker then observes that, at present, state
legislatures are looking at who is being hired and whatâ??s being
taught â?? something more far-reaching than party affiliation. In that
sense, it is not a repeat of McCarthyism. What is going on now is
broader. My impression, from reading the charges of people like David
Horowitz, who claims to identify the 100 most dangerous professors,
is that the ideologists of the right are primarily concerned about
gays and lesbians, or else people who are currently attacking US
foreign policy, or just people who may have crossed swords with David
Horowitz in the past. I see it as part of the general development of
a right wing that is looking for ways to discredit liberalism
wherever it can find an opening, not narrowly Marxism and Communism.

One reason the universities make a good target is that a segment of
scholars in the humanities give the impression of being elitists,
even if they imagine that they are the opposite. Part of this is the
appearance of indulging in esoteric vocabularies and theories, and a
self-righteousness about oneâ??s political correctness. The best way to
fight back is to set a good example of actively creating a humane
culture at the university, a democratic culture that tolerates a
diversity of ideas â?? including ideas with which we disagree. As a
socialist, I favor university intellectuals finding a way to relate
to working people, especially rank-and-file labor organizations. At
the least, intellectuals might be involved in community organizations
â?? but as learners as much as teachers. When one works along side
someone in a common project, trust is built. We should try to talk
language that can have some resonance among ordinary people. In these
last respects, Communist intellectuals and cultural workers set a
good example â?? yet another reason to study them!




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