Re: [A-List] democracy

[Waistline2@xxxxxxx]

In a message dated 10/8/03 10:34:06 AM Pacific Daylight Time, 
menecraj@shaw.ca writes:


>I can't believe you folks are getting into such petty discussion when the 
Middle East is blowing apart.  The whole bloody ship is going down, and this is 
all you can muster?? < 

Reply 

We can always talk about "real issues," but it is not my preference. We have 
been waging the struggle around water for a solid two years, with a 
demonstration about one a month even in the winter. The demonstration is a little as 
five to fifty people. In Detroit about 40,000 people had their water shut off and 
concessions were forced from the administration. In Highland Park, the lace 
of the local demonstrations it is bad with water bills running an average of 
$300-$400 every 90 days. The hardest problem is breaking the "Wall of Silence" 
and discovering/creating the new forms of resistance and struggle. 

What was called the feminization of poverty has revealed itself for what it 
always was, poverty stricken proletarians - women, at the bottom of the social 
ladder. The figure are staggering and the poverty is entrenched, but this 
configuration of the proletariat has never had a coherent voice or training in the 
social struggle. 

Two years ago - and the battle continues, the social movement in the schools 
and against the abolition of the Detroit Board of Education became extremely 
violent with police attacks against the crowds of 100-200 peoples. A year ago 
the "Hip Hop" Sambo Mayor of Detroit was force to compelled the attackers to 
stand down. The struggle continues. 

The unions are still passive and bracing themselves for the coming lay-offs 
and cutbacks. McGraw Glass is set to close its doors perhaps this year. The 
current contract in the auto industry will reduce no less than 50,000 workers 
from the workforce with a language change in the absentee program that will 
eliminate no less than 10,000 workers at the Chrysler Group alone. 

The Middle East and Iraq has a sharp impact in our area given the high 
concentration of immigrants.  Several demonstration have been held included one 
against Bush Jr. speech in Dearborn earlier this year. 

The groundwork is being laid for an "anyone but Bush campaign in spring." 

My point is that I think stuff like this is very inappropriate for the 
Internet. EXTREMELY INAPPROPRIATE. 

On the other hand the history of the Communist Movement in the USNA and the 
origins of the debate on the national question as well as Soviet history 
strikes me as indispensable. More is involved than simply debate. The ability to 
"externalize" theory debate means that no "radical group" or socialist group has 
to have within its structure debates on theory or the theory aspect of the 
moment. The current debate on Marxline about the California election is great. 

A lot of material bequeathed to us from Mark Jones on the Soviet Union and 
the Soviet system merits discussion, in my opinion. What was the Soviet Union 
and what describes its industrial infrastructure? What are property relations? 
What is a value producing system and what stage of history are we at? How does 
the national colonial question pose itself today and in history?  What is the 
structural character of the dominant sector of capital that writes the 
political agenda for the world total social capital  (super imperialism)? What is the 
meaning of Empire? What is the meaning of Empire from the standpoint of the 
curve of development in the American Union? What are the Russians - Putin, 
doing and what is this new military alliance between them, China and France about? 
 What is happening with monetary policy and the shift to the Euro to 
undermine the US dollar as petrol-dollar?  What is fiat money and why is this 
different from specifies money? Is the law of value important to understand the curve 
of development in the mode of production? What are we face with in the world? 

Reports on the world are great. Is Canada a nation or multi-national state 
system? What does this mean? 

Yes, the Middle East is very important. The ship is not going down but being 
reconfigured in the curve of history according to a certain class logic. In 
the American context the recent social protest - the last 15 days, remind me of 
the curve of our history that produced 1963 Birmingham Alabama - riots, before 
the proletarian character of the movement expresses itself as a form or 
program. These unemployed proletarians are waging an evolving battle on the basis 
of their history. This is not a national liberation struggle as defined 
previously. Anyone that wants to know where Saddam is need look no further than the 
White House. 

It's tricky. One cannot look at the events with their eyes. Look with your 
mind. 


Melvin P.