Re: [Pen-l] Michael Heinrich versus the crisis-mongerers

[Louis Proyect <lnp3@xxxxxxxxx>]

Carrol Cox wrote:
 > That fits most of the posts on left-lists which proclaim various bad
> things about capitalism or predict future  catastrophes of this or that
> kinnd (e.g., global warming). All true, and all pretty much irrelevant
> politically since there is no way to embed any of them in a concrete
> mass movement. I'm at a loss as to strategy also, but this or that
> catastrophe is not going to create a strategy for us. Economic
> collapses, when they do occur, tend to dampen left activity because
> everyone scurries for personal safety.

I wouldn't generalize along these lines. The economic collapse in 
Argentina around 9 years ago created a massive radicalization and the 
possibilities for socialist revolution, which was hampered by ultraleft 
problems. I am also afraid that Carrol is too eager to reduce everything 
to strategy and tactics. Marxists write about global warming and the 
dynamics of the current economic crisis for the same reason that Thomas 
Friedman or Charles Krauthammer does. People might be interested in what 
we have to say. To cede the ideological terrain to our adversaries 
because our ideas are not reducible to something that can be written on 
a leaflet or a banner is short-sighted if not anti-intellectual.
_______________________________________________
pen-l mailing list
pen-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
https://lists.csuchico.edu/mailman/listinfo/pen-l