Right but it isn’t that easy. MLs and Trotskyists were taught things a certain way, a way that developed contrary to each other. Trotskyists and anarchists were purged ruthlessly and that has an effect on our politics. It would be nice to just dispense with it, but its not that easy. As long as people learn organizing from more experienced organizers, we will carry baggage from the past into the future. It takes an enormous amount of work and reflection to overcome, and I argue that most leftists regardless of ideology lack the tools that are needed, because many of us also carry the baggage of philosophical liberalism by default, either we don’t know how it affects us or when we do know we act contrary to it, which is still a source of heavy influence.
This isn’t being doomer about it, the solution is praxis, but the problems caused by history do actually exist, and have to be reckoned with
An easy thing we can all do, is refrain from sniping at one another online. I don’t mean serious discussion in good faith, but throwing barbs and shit.
Right but it isn’t that easy. MLs and Trotskyists were taught things a certain way, a way that developed contrary to each other. Trotskyists and anarchists were purged ruthlessly and that has an effect on our politics. It would be nice to just dispense with it, but its not that easy. As long as people learn organizing from more experienced organizers, we will carry baggage from the past into the future. It takes an enormous amount of work and reflection to overcome, and I argue that most leftists regardless of ideology lack the tools that are needed, because many of us also carry the baggage of philosophical liberalism by default, either we don’t know how it affects us or when we do know we act contrary to it, which is still a source of heavy influence.
This isn’t being doomer about it, the solution is praxis, but the problems caused by history do actually exist, and have to be reckoned with
An easy thing we can all do, is refrain from sniping at one another online. I don’t mean serious discussion in good faith, but throwing barbs and shit.
I wish.