Re: Gary Trudeau, Iraq and Nader

[Carrol Cox <cbcox@xxxxxxxxx>]

This discussion has focused on leaders and opinion makers (or at least
would-be opinion makers), and in doing so ignores those millions out
there whose opinions we want to influence or who we wish to join our
actions. And the bulk of those who can be reached by the left (in fact
the bulk of those who can also participate in reaching more) call
themselves liberals. Of perhaps 40 or so core people in left activity in
Bloomington/Normal, probably all but four or five would call themselves
liberals. And of the few hundred who at this time we could get out for a
demo almost all would also call themselves liberals.

In other words, even from a communist perpsective, most of our comrades
are not marxists or even radicals; they all call themselves liberals.

If we focus on the opinion makers (would-be and actual), I think there
is a good deal to be said for Lou's quoting of Phil Ochs. But it is a
deadend, at present, so far as mobilizing forces is concerned.

How would one define "liberal" as I have used it in this post?

Carrol