Re: Milosevic out?

[Yoshie Furuhashi <furuhashi.1@xxxxxxx>]

Jim D. wrote:

> I wrote:
> > > It's true that the ascension of neoliberalism in (and "Western"
> > > dominance of) Serbia will rule out the realization of the
> > > potential of state ownership.
>
> Yoshie replies:
> > This is the main point we should focus on, since there has been no
> > existing socialist alternative to the Milosevic government in
> > Serbia. Economically speaking, the lot of common people in Serbia
> > is likely to go downhill.  The Western Left should unite on the
> > basis of this lowest common denominator (opposition to neoliberal &
> > humanitarian imperialism), instead of fighting amongst us.
>
> It's a mistake to focus simply on what's happening _now_ (when the
> left is very weak). We also have to think about building the left up
> for the future. That involves being very clear about what we're in
> favor of, along with the strategies we use to attain those goals.

Yes, and I'm saying that the opposition to neoliberal & humanitarian
imperialism is the key to the future of the Left at the core and the
periphery.

> > > To repeat, Ceaucescu, Milosevic, and their ilk make the capitalist
> > > job easier. It's a socialist's job to prevent this from happening,
> > > if possible. (It's an obvious point, but it should be stressed
> > > that this does _not_ mean allying with the imperialists.)
> >
> > Easier said than done.  No one in the world has figured out -- in
> > practice -- how to make "permanent revolution" whilst being
> > attacked by imperialists.  Hence the current triumph of capitalism.
>
> It's hard. But one thing I know is that if done right, a country
> that's being attacked can do better if it mobilizes and empowers --
> rather than depoliticizes -- its own working population. The
> military model of top-down rule works in a crisis, but over the long
> haul, the depoliticization and disempowerment of the workers
> undermines the socialist potential.

In theory I agree with you, and in fact that's the reason I
recommended Michael Munk's "Socialism in Czechoslovakia: What Went
Wrong?" _Science & Society_ 64.2 (Summer 2000) in another post.  In
practice, however, this is the hardest thing to do.  I urge leftists
at the core to focus on anti-imperialism so that peoples on the
periphery can have _more space_ for organizing from below.

Yoshie