From: cbcox-AT-rs6000.cmp.ilstu.edu (Carrol Cox)
Subject: Re: Fascism and "lesser evil" politics. Local Elections.
Date: Thu, 15 Feb 1996 15:07:33 -0600 (CST)


    On the "Lesser Evil": those who extend this argument to defend Clinton
are pretty hopeless. See Cockburn in the current *Nation* and David
Finkel in *New Politics* 20 for cogent criticisms of lesser evilism.

    My problem is arguing against those who claim that this, that, or the
other local congressional candidate is "different." (Cockburn notes that
the Democrat who won in Oregon was in fact not all that different.) Our
local instance here is a woman (running against a fairly extreme case of
Republican slime for congress) who has a good record on women's issues,
labor, etc. She also (her progressive supporters !boast!) has a recordcord
for fiscal responsibility. (Their boast, I guess, is intended to indicate
that we should chip in bucks because that fiscal responsibility enhances
her chances for election!) My current feeling is that "Fiscal responsibility"
is on a par with Right to Life, Family Values, and Willy Horton, and that
any one who makes that claim is directly contributing to the savaging of the
U.S. working class.

    Any comments?

    Carrol


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