First of all, "a movement" is a bit misleading, in that without
specification if may seem to imply the existence of a hegemonic party
constituting it. ("Hegemonic Party" here does _not_ refer to an M-L party;
e.g., though the SPD pre ww1 was not a disciplined party it _was_ pretty
much a hegemonic party.) I have sometimes called "The '60s" a Movement of
Movements, & I suspect some such 'movement' will also constitute the
future. Hence, also, it is misleading to speak of such a movement
"maintaining" its principles, for 'it' will be characterized by some
heterogeneity of principles. As to maintaining its militancy, this is
correct but misleading: the militancy _is_ the movement.
Now, with these qualifications, I agree with Jim that such a Movement of
Movements, during its years of militancy, can push the U.S. government! And
it can push a Republican Administration as easily as it can a DP
Administration. After all, it was a racist shit who gave us the Civil Rights
acts - Republican Senator Dirksen of Illinois. And it was that reactionary
shithead R Nixon who gave us OSHA & the disability rights act. And that was
after the actual momentum of 'the '60s' had been exhausted.
We need to push the Capitalist Class, not some particular bourgeois party.
And _pushing_ the Capitalist Class, as we did in the '60s is not
incompatible with, should the possibility emerge, of overthrowing that
class. Some of its ideologues actually feared that latter possibility. They
overestimated our strength, underestimated our own, but they were no stupid
to so feel - the possibility was in the air.
But no kind of movement can push the DP to be other than it is: it will
never, as a party, support radical change. It would be easier to overthrow
the state than to change the DP.
Carrol
Sabri wrote:
Jim: But if a movement maintains its independence, principles, and
militancy, it can push the DP in the left direction.
In your dreams.
Tell me about objectivity :)
Best, Sabri
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