Re: Bill Tabb is gone: A new direction??

[Yoshie Furuhashi <furuhashi.1@xxxxxxx>]

Ian:

>  2.  Will Americans be really more receptive of left ideas in the
>   event of recession?  If so, which kind of left ideas?  Given the main
>   currents of Seattle & like movements as well as the Nader/Green
>   campaign, is the likely winner -- *if* left-wing ideas gain more
>   currency at all -- a protectionist America-First politics in the name
>   of "social-clause, fair-trade" high-mindedness, with or without more
>   China bashing?
> ************
>
> Whoa! Let's back up for a second. Post-Seattle was hijacked by all the
> policy wonks and NGO's that flew out from DC. They neither solicited or paid
> attention to grassroots organizers opinions  as to what to do next. They
> f****d it up big time. See the Elaine Bernard/Ken Wong piece below for their
> backtracking. In their perpetual arrogance they will probably continue to
> suffer the illusion the Bretton Woods Institutions can be reformed. Thea Lee
> stated that the AFL-CIO won't work with groups that seek to abolish the WTO
> because it's "part of" US law; that is, it's recognized by the state and
> they accept that. She has yet to answer the common rejoinder "does that mean
> you accept the CIA and NSA given what they've done to and with you over the
> last 50+ years?" Clearly, they have a long way to go with their
> internationalisms. "Fair Trade" was merely a term of coalition building
> convenience; the WTO is the ultimate social clause as it regulates the
> ability of governments to regulate commerce, the currently ultimate form of
> social activity on the planet.

I'm saying that we who disagree with respectable policy wonks, NGOs,
& the AFL-CIO, as of now, do not appear to have enough power to
benefit from hypothetical receptivity to left-wing ideas in the event
of recession.  In other words, the fix-it camp (wonks, NGOs, & the
AFL-CIO) seems stronger than the nix-it camp (much of PEN-l,
anarchists, etc.), to say nothing of the anti-capitalist camp (a
subset of the nix-it camp).  What is to be done?

Can -- or rather should -- we form a left-wing "coalition" by
focusing on "trade"?  Was "Fair Trade" really a term of
"convenience"?  From our point of view, wasn't it more like a term of
inconvenience, imposed by the wonks, NGOs, & the AFL-CIO?

Yoshie