Socialism finito, sez Nation

[Doug Henwood <dhenwood@xxxxxxxxx>]

In my role as providing advance warning of Nation articles to PEN-Lers, I
regret to inform you that the new ish (in NYC mailboxes today, in the rest
of the country sometime before year-end) has a cover piece (complete with
a Sorel drawing of the author next to a bust of a very sad looking Marx)
by the novelist Norman Rush, called "What was Socialism....: And Why We
Will All Miss It So Much." Nugget sentence: "The truth is that *wherever*
it has achieved practical expression, socialism is finished."

The author's note says "We invite readers' comments on this article." I
hope PEN-Lers rise to the challenge once they've read the piece. It's
funny that a mag that has published virtually nothing on socialism in
living memory (with the exception of the Pollin-Cockburn piece sometime
back) decided to give such prominence to an obituary.

Yours in Lazarus-like solidarity,

Doug

Doug Henwood [dhenwood@xxxxxxxxx]
Left Business Observer
212-874-4020