[Marxism] Re: French elections

["Fred Feldman" <ffeldman@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Sukla Sen wrote: 
 
Let's take a hypothetical case, when they're three
 contenders - A, B and C. A is the worse of the first
 two. The third one is ideal in terms of
 policy/ideology but does not have the remotest chance
 of winning and would definitely damage the prospect of
 B and help out A in a way.
 
Lueko Willms replied:
   When follow the search for the lesser evil, you will get the worst. 
We should not look for the slave master who would be less bad than 
another, but should strive to become our own masters.
 
Fred Feldman comments:
Neither of these generalities seems useful to me as a guideline for this
situation.  The LCR is certainly the best of the far-left campaigns, as far
as I can see, and my instinct is to support them in the first round.
 
But I wonder: How much headway has the LCR made in the banlieues?  How
central have they made campaigning there to their campaign. Have they
changed their position on requiring Muslim women to remove their scarfs in
order to get a public-school education?  Do they consider it the duty of
Progressive French Education to directly oppose their parents' religious
beliefs which, of course, tend to affect what they wear to school.
 
In my opinion, from afar I admit, if there is a strong trend in the second
round in the banlieues to vote for Royal as a way to deal a blow to
Sarkozy's proclaimed enmity, I think the left - and especially the LCR,
which is the most promising component - should support Segoulene in the
second round and seek to root their organization more in the banlieues by
campaigning around their Marxist approach to doing so, as a preparation for
future defensive struggles, whoever is elected.
 
Although I think that the LCR was basically right in the debate with the CP,
I think their treatment of the SP as untouchable doesn't quite work as an
absolute - and especially not for the party that tilted toward Chirac
against LePen in the second round last time. Generally I am more flexible on
the issue of the SPs and bourgeois labor parties than seems to be the
average today.
 
If there is going to be a real socialist movement in France the near future
- and I am not convinced that France is qualitatively closer to this today
than the United States - it will be centered in the banlieues.  Simply a
base in the trade unions will not cut it for an orientation toward the
oppressed and exploited in France today.
Fred Feldman
 
 
 

 

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