Re: [Pen-l] Going Dutch

[Jim Devine <jdevine03@xxxxxxxxx>]

Carrol Cox wrote:
> I don't understand the political theory driving this thread. Most
> posters seem to be assuming that a program will not be instituted or
> kept unless all 300 million residents, including those born this a.m.,
> are "argued" into submission to a rather tame and obvious liberal (not
> radical) point. Why design arguments that will never be heard anyway by
> those who (theoretically) could be persuaded by them.
>
> Politcal change is brought about by mobilizing those who already more or
> less agree. The "conservative" argument (and it isn't an argument but
> rather a visceral response) cannot be refuted, because those who hold it
> aren't interested in hearing your arguments.

Consciousness cannot be changed at all via agitation or propaganda?
All we can do is mobilize those who already agree with us due to the
objective workings of the historical process? I know he's in bad odor
these days (since his revolution ended in failure), but Lenin would
disagree. He might see this perspective as being a variant of
Bernstein's view: "the movement of history is everything, all we can
do is use the weapons that history gives us."

In any event, the political context that we face is not that where we
have a Leninist or Kautskyite Political Party that mobilizes the
masses, deploying them to the front to fight the bourgeoisie. (Aux
barricades mes amis!) Most of the pen-pals, I would guess, work as
individuals and do not belong to political parties. Instead, they are
in jobs (office jobs, teaching jobs) where they are often in arguments
with peers or students about political issues. In that case, it's
always good to be able to convince people. More factual and/or
theoretical knowledge is always helpful.
-- 
Jim Devine / "Speech is conveniently located midway between thought
and action, where it often substitutes for both." -- John Andrew
Holmes [who?]
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