File spoon-archives/aut-op-sy.archive/aut-op-sy_2001/aut-op-sy.0106, message 218


Date: Fri, 15 Jun 2001 20:25:50 -0700
Subject: Re: AUT: Re: wheee... nationalism  ...
From: Sharon Vance <canito3-AT-earthlink.net>





I think in our analysis we have to constantly go back and forth between
looking at what is, and trying to figure out why it is, and what we think
ought to be, but we need to not confuse the two types of analyses. A lot of
us think that nationalism is back, some of think that certain parts of it
are bad -- that is probably closer to my stand, actually. But we can not
deny that among both groups who belong to the dominant category and those
who belong to the subordinate category nationalism is strong, in many cases
stronger than class consciousness.

For me the crucial question is, why? I think there are a number of reasons.
Some are institutional and practical. How many class based organizations are
there in any given society? Isn't class consciousness not suppressed in one
form or another in almost all capitalist societies. The US is a perfect
example. But race, religion and ethnic identities are often accepted and
encouraged, as long as they don't upset the status quo. If you go into any
working class neighborhood, except for the local bar (which is still often
gender segregated), how many working places and meeting halls are there? How
many churches are there? People are simply not given any incentive to
identify as working class, and every incentive to NOT identify as such. This
is also true in countries like Morocco, which are even more economically
divided, and have an even greater % of the population on the bottom. I'm not
saying that people can not overcome these obstacles, and some people are.
But what would it take for most people to do so?
Sharon



     --- from list aut-op-sy-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu ---

   

Driftline Main Page

 

Display software: ArchTracker © Malgosia Askanas, 2000-2005