Re: Re: Marx at Seattle

[Chris Burford <cburford@xxxxxxxxxx>]

At 05/12/99  Doug wrote:
>Chris Burford wrote:
>
>>Despite the openly declared attacks on world capitalism, I have heard no
>>reports yet of pictures of Marx among the demonstrators at Seattle.
>
>Didn't see it, but I heard there was a giant one at a demo on Thursday.



So Marx was there at Seattle. The old mole was there.



Doug will not mind me quoting from his introduction way back on 19th June
on LBO-talk to the Guardian summary of June 18th in London:-


>Date: Sat, 19 Jun 1999 11:37:33 -0400
>To: lbo-talk@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>From: Doug Henwood <dhenwood@xxxxxxxxx>
>Subject: London riot
>Sender: owner-lbo-talk@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>Reply-To: lbo-talk@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>
>[We Americans have so much to learn...]
>
>Guardian (London) - June 19, 1999
>
>DAY THE CITY TURNED INTO A BATTLEGROUND


Well, you Americans learn pretty fast!

The day we hear of the resignation of the Seattle police chief is as good a
day as any to applaud the tremendous spirit of tens of thousands of north
Americans, shaking off the corruptions of imperialism, to challenge, as
Doug said, not just globalisation, but capitalism itself.

>From his daily reports:-

"large, varied, imaginative, and spirited movement"

"One of the many amazing things about this week is how things have kept
evolving, growing, surprising."


"The movement itself should be seen as part of a worldwide mobilization
which is increasingly positioning itself as anti-capitalist rather than
merely anti-globalization"

On at least one occasion according to Doug, Marx was named to applause.
Speakers denounced capitalism by name.

This movement is now irreversible.

No matter that the bravest were anarchists. They often are. No matter that
those brave attacks require more detailed reforming campaigns to sustain
their credibility. Others will also carry that forward. No matter that the
actions were not all totally logically coherent and in full logical
consciousness. Revolutions are a process, not a mathematical formula.

The agencies of world capitalism are in disarray. A new global alignment of
forces has emerged that is specifically anti-capitalist.

The editorial in this week's sober New Scientist confirms the depth of the
challenge to world capitalism in a way that complements the gut
anti-capitalism of the protestors.


Capitalism Kills! That appears to be the core agitational position that
will be the slogan for the new socialist world revolution. That phrase, or
phrases around it, are comarable to Land! Peace! Bread! for the Russian
revolution.

Just ten years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, we have a new alignment
in world politics.

Chris Burford

London