Re: [sixties-l] Who Will Lead? (fwd)

From: ARON KAY (pieman@pieman.org)
Date: Mon Nov 18 2002 - 19:11:47 EST

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    workers world is heavily into assaulting anyone who dissents from their
    version of the "correct line"....-especially those who espouse anarchism
    ARON KAY-
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    ----- Original Message -----
    From: "jeffrey blankfort" <jab@tucradio.org>
    To: <sixties-l@lists.village.virginia.edu>
    Sent: Sunday, November 10, 2002 3:45 PM
    Subject: Re: [sixties-l] Who Will Lead? (fwd)

    > It's a fair analysis, that the bulk of those who become attracted to
    radical movements and swell its ranks, tend to
    > drift away when the goals of the movement appear to have been reached.
    That certainly was true of the anti-Vietnam
    > movement and began to show itself when the draft was ended.
    >
    > I wouldn't compare the present day Workers World Party, All People's
    Congress, International Action Center which seems,
    > sadly, to be the only game in town, with the old Communist Party which
    warts and all, and its illusions/delusions about
    > the Soviet Union and the East Bloc notwithstanding, was involved in making
    some important social and political gains
    > which benefited the public at large, something that the WWP with all its
    alias can not even begin to claim. The old CP
    > was involved in all sorts of community struggles which its defense of the
    USSR and its transgressions has made this
    > generation forget. The WWP on other other hand, or at least from what I
    have seen of its operations in the SF Bay Area,
    > keep at arms lengths from struggles which any group claiming to be radical
    or revolutionary could expect to be involved
    > in. The group's support of SF Mayor Willie Brown whose reign has alienated
    significant sectors of the city's black
    > community is just one aspect of that. Among serious activists, the
    organization is not taken seriously. That they are
    > the only game in town is more than depressing.
    >
    > Jeff Blankfort
    >
    > Bill Mandel wrote:
    >
    > >
    > > Jeff: The role of the Workers' World Party in the present peace
    > > movement, of Socialist Action in the Save Mumia efforts at their height
    > > a few years ago, of the Socialist Workers Party in the Mobilization
    > > against the Vietnam War, and of the Communist Party in a variety of
    > > domestic and foreign-affairs activities from the Great Depression
    > > through 1951 add up to a different picture of the relationship of these
    > > radical organizations to mass movement than I had most of my life.
    > > What it looks like is that, when a real crisis arises, a
    > > substantial portion of the American people will rally behind whatever
    > > organization takes the necessary initiative. When the particular problem
    > > has come to an end, in whatever way, the vast bulk of those Americans
    > > will return to their daily-life interests, and the particular political
    > > party will fade into the woodwork.
    > > As I see it now, the experience of the Communist Party was no
    > > different. Although it attained a membership of 100,000 toward the end
    > > of World War II, vastly more than any of these other organizations ever
    > > remotely approached, another number, which I knew but to which I paid
    > > little attention, takes on meaning. It is the fact that roughly a
    > > million people passed through the Communist Party during those twenty
    > > years when it counted for something. This means that 90% of those who
    > > thought well enough of it to sign membership applications, pay dues,
    > > attend meetings, fairly quickly lost interest when their particular
    > > needs -- unemployment insurance, public housing, old-age pensions,
    > > government support for culture (theater, etc.), an end to lynching,
    > > freedom for the Scottsboro Boys, support for the Spanish Republic
    > > against Franco -- were met and the organization's objective of socialism
    > > became the focus of its attention.
    > > What do you think of this new theory of mine on the history of the
    > > Left?
    > > Bill Mandel
    > >
    > >
    > > jeffrey blankfort wrote:
    > > >
    > > I share Gitlin's criticisms of the ANSWER coalition which is the latest
    > > outgrowth of the International Action Center which was/is a front for
    > > the Workers World Party/All People's Congress.... Ramsey Clark....
    > > seems to have been caught up in the same mindset,
    > > >
    > > > We do need new leadership in the antiwar movement. Where the ANSWER
    folks and Gitlin will have no role to play..
    > > >
    > > > Jeff Blankfort
    >



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