Date: Wed, 30 Aug 2000 16:42:58 -0500
From: "Jon George" <Jgeorge-AT-gw.hamline.edu>
Subject: Re: Goodbye Leftism!


     I don't know - psychological analysis is usually worth squat, but this reminds of something I'd have written in my younger days.  When you look at the impact of Seattle, and how it just seemed like this spontaneous expression of activism pointing towards anarchism, I can see where some would expect the protests to keep building, becoming more radical, and then exploding at the conventions.  Instead, in the face of a heavy police presence, liberal/left groups (who, after all, have some sanity) decided this wasn't the time or place to put their heads on the line.  
     Of course this is going to be seen as betrayal by anarchist street fighters heady with visions of LA under siege as the black-clad forces of freedom and their allies shut down - dig it - the HQ of the Democratic Party, holders of Presidential Office and therefore rulers of Amerikkka the Beast 666.  Its only natural now to point fingers, cut yourself off, and urge on the remaining faithful to ever more apocalyptic acts of rebellion.
     Its the rage of a minority that thought they were on the verge of change, now suddenly powerless and hoping to bring about the revolution by sheer force of will.  I don't think it's self-consciously vanguardist.  It's just the 5 stage of post-revolutionary grief.
     Give them a year or so and when nobody answers their call to tear up the streets they'll sulk for a while but eventually come around to your way of thinking and realize it's going to take all of us, working in many different ways, a very long time to usher in a new society, so let's not be so hasty to be martyrs or so quick to criticize those who aren't.

Anyway, that's the way I felt after the last big LA brouhaha in 1992.

And though I may come off as a patronizing old fool in the above comments, I still admire the energy and the rage in the Eugene essay and wish them all the best.

Imp '00

>>> Chuck0 <chuck-AT-tao.ca> 08/30/00 03:33PM >>>
"As much as I support the anarchists in Eugene, Oregon, it sounds like a
few of them are getting a bit cocky. A shame, because they have been
doing so many good things. The person who wrote this article sounds like
a Maoist, with their smug denunciation of puppets and other anarchists
tactics that have successfully challenged the state of "Leftism as
Usual." 

I've been pretty tolerant and supportive of the Eugene anarchists, but
this post gives me pause to reconsider that support. It smacks of
vanguardism and an attitude that "Green Anarchy" is the one true faith.

I hate to diss this writer in such strong terms, since there are many
good ideas and analysis in this article. But I'm really, really
disappointed with the ahistorical confusion in this piece. 

This ahistorical celebration of rioting in the streets also displays an
increbile naivete of what it will take to win big victories down the
road. The riot at the Rage concert may have been cool, but it hardly
means that a general insurrection is around the corner. If you want that
to happen, you'd better figure out how to work with other people,
instead of dismissing them as "puppet-making" Leftists."