insurgent
13th February 2007, 01:21
DiggerII and I have been talking about why the left is so unorganized, or at least seems that way.
I see a lot of talking going on, but when it comes to action I see very little. I'm not saying that they never put their words into action, there have been countless examples of the left coming together and putting words into action, but the things that I have been involved in are very unorganized.
Zinn said it well in A Peoples History,
These rebellions, so far, have been contained. The American system is the most ingenious system of control in world history. With a country so rich in natural resources, talent, and labor power the system can afford to distribute just enough wealth to just enough people to limit discontent to a troublesome minority. It is a country so powerful, so big, so pleasing to so many of its citizens that it can afford to give freedom of dissent to the small number who are not pleased.
There is no system...that disperses its controls more complexley through the voting system, the work situation, the church, the family, the school, the mass media - none more successful in mollyfying opposition with reforms, isolating people from one another, creating patriotic loyalty.
One percent of the nation owns a third of the wealth. The rest of the wealth is distributed in such a way as to turn those 99 percent against one another: small property owners against the propertyless, black against white, native-born against foreign-born, intellectuals and professionals against the uneducated and unskilled. These groups have resented one another and warred against one another with such vehemence and violence as to obscure their common position as sharers of leftovers in a very wealthy country.
At my high school for instance, we have an amnesty club and they have not done anything since it first started at the school. I'm also in the green club, and they have not done much either. I realize that the school is very conservative and there are only a handful of left minded thinkers (student body and administration), but every time we get together to organize something, nothing happens.
I see all sorts of stuff on the internet about things one can do, but never actually see anyone doing them. I agree with what Zinn said though, we are pitted against each other purposfully so that we are never able to actually come together as a majority and get something done.
Zinn...
To emphasize the commonality of the 99 percent, to declare deep enmity of the interest with the one percent, is to do exactly what the governments of the United States, and the wealthy elite allied to them - from the founding fathers to now - have tried their best to prevent. Madison feared a "majority faction" and hoped the new constitution would control it. He and his colleagues began the preamble to the constitution with the words "we the people..." pretending that the new government stood for everyone, and hoping that this myth, accepted as fact, would ensure "domestic tranquility."
I'm just curious about all of your thoughts on the matter.
I see a lot of talking going on, but when it comes to action I see very little. I'm not saying that they never put their words into action, there have been countless examples of the left coming together and putting words into action, but the things that I have been involved in are very unorganized.
Zinn said it well in A Peoples History,
These rebellions, so far, have been contained. The American system is the most ingenious system of control in world history. With a country so rich in natural resources, talent, and labor power the system can afford to distribute just enough wealth to just enough people to limit discontent to a troublesome minority. It is a country so powerful, so big, so pleasing to so many of its citizens that it can afford to give freedom of dissent to the small number who are not pleased.
There is no system...that disperses its controls more complexley through the voting system, the work situation, the church, the family, the school, the mass media - none more successful in mollyfying opposition with reforms, isolating people from one another, creating patriotic loyalty.
One percent of the nation owns a third of the wealth. The rest of the wealth is distributed in such a way as to turn those 99 percent against one another: small property owners against the propertyless, black against white, native-born against foreign-born, intellectuals and professionals against the uneducated and unskilled. These groups have resented one another and warred against one another with such vehemence and violence as to obscure their common position as sharers of leftovers in a very wealthy country.
At my high school for instance, we have an amnesty club and they have not done anything since it first started at the school. I'm also in the green club, and they have not done much either. I realize that the school is very conservative and there are only a handful of left minded thinkers (student body and administration), but every time we get together to organize something, nothing happens.
I see all sorts of stuff on the internet about things one can do, but never actually see anyone doing them. I agree with what Zinn said though, we are pitted against each other purposfully so that we are never able to actually come together as a majority and get something done.
Zinn...
To emphasize the commonality of the 99 percent, to declare deep enmity of the interest with the one percent, is to do exactly what the governments of the United States, and the wealthy elite allied to them - from the founding fathers to now - have tried their best to prevent. Madison feared a "majority faction" and hoped the new constitution would control it. He and his colleagues began the preamble to the constitution with the words "we the people..." pretending that the new government stood for everyone, and hoping that this myth, accepted as fact, would ensure "domestic tranquility."
I'm just curious about all of your thoughts on the matter.