Date: Fri, 21 Nov 1997 17:03:05 -0500
From: Doug Henwood <dhenwood-AT-panix.com>
Subject: Re: M-I: when things get BAD


Louis R Godena wrote:

>The answer, I think, lies in the vastly different social traditions
>prevailing in the Anglo trade union movement. and the Protestant
>nonconformist background embedded in its tradition.

...not to mention the deeply individualistic nature of American culture. I
also wouldn't underestimate legal strictures on unions in the U.S., which
is related to a constitutional structure that is scientifically designed to
inhibit radical social change and the power of the masses to encroach upon
property relations. James Madison knew exactly what he was doing. Laws
matter a lot; the Employment Contracting Act (I think that's it name) in
New Zealand, passed a few years ago, has had a tremendous effect on union
density; I don't remember the exact numbers, but they've dropped like a
rock in the last 3-5 years.

>True, this initially
>gave it a missionary zeal and fervor in the cause of the oppressed, but this
>same tradition also accomodated a respect for a liberal society, property
>rights and the rule of law.  The prospect of winning concessions for the
>workers within that society, and through its procedures, still seemed real
>up til the other day.  And there is nothing here of the anarchist strain
>which is a common ingredient of the revolutionary spirit elsewhere.

Lots of popular radicalism in the U.S. is anarchist, at least in
self-definition. Pick up a copy of Factsheet Five, the periodic catalog of
the zine world, or get a copy of Steve Duncombe's fine new book, Zines,
just out from Verso (another good use of all that MI5 cash!). Our pop
radical-anarchists share the deeply individualistic bias of mainstream
American culture, and many of them would define themselves as
anti-political. Theirs is an anarchism of disengagement, not of
transformation. Or as the character in Slacker says, "Withdrawal in disgust
is not the same as apathy." They're trying to ignore the world, not change
it.

Doug





     --- from list marxism-international-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu ---