Date: Thu, 20 Feb 1997 22:39:11 -0500
From: Furuhashi.1-AT-osu.edu (Yoshie Furuhashi)
Subject: RE: M-I: Marxists in Unions (Was: Young Workers and Walmart)


I have two questions for Paul.

1) In the "academic marxism" thread, there was a question as to whether
college teachers can be properly called workers, and as I remember, you
unequivocally answered that we are. I think this scepticism toward college
teachers embracing their working class status is a widely shared one, even
beyond this list. Have you had to fight this perception (ground in real
differences in working conditions, hours, etc.) in your union activities?
Do your members still think that they are "professionals" rather than
workers? Or do they share your conviction in this regard? How about other
kinds of workers with whom you need to work together? Do they treat you as
just "fellow workers"?

>When the time comes, I'd expect people to come to me and ask questions and
>learn more about Marxism--from example.  In my view, that is the
>only way to have serious Marxists--workers must come to it for themselves,
>not because they have been preached to or because "Marxism is so obviously
>correct how come you not get it" or whatever.

2) I don't believe in preaching Marxism to anybody, if that means behaving
as though I have a special access to Truth. But do workers come to Marxism
spontaneously? When the time is right? For that to happen, isn't it
necessary for Marxism to be at least "in the air," so to speak? I mean, if
nobody ever heard about it, if Marxism and histories of workers' struggles
became a forgotten tradition, how would workers rediscover them?

yoshie furuhashi




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