on Effective Progressivism

1996-05-09

Richard Moore

I sent the following message to the-alliance list.  I'm sharing it with you
as well, and hope you find it of interest.

-rkm

________________________________________________________________

Dear the-alliance,

        You haven't heard from me much recently, and I just wanted to
explain why.  I think this list is one of the more interesting political
chat groups on the net, but I'm afraid it has little relevance to
progressive organizing, or even to The Alliance -- note that the latest ISC
report doesn't even mention the list.  As we've seen, the list has been
invaded by prolific posters whose mission seems to be to prevent agreement
and to move attention away from the focus stated in The Call.  This should
be taken as a sign that The Call is in fact on-target.

        I've unsubscribed, but will continue to receive Ed's digest as a
way of (more or less) tracking the dialog.  I'd like to continue my efforts
on behalf of the Alliance off-list, and would welcome private messages from
anyone interested in working in smaller, more focused groups, in pursuit of
developing platform or other projects for the Alliance, and progressive
organizing in general.  (But be patient re/ replies -- holiday starts
tomorrow.)

        I'd like to take this opportunity to make a "final statement" on
some of the threads on the list, and the status of progressive dialog in
the larger society.

        Recognition of corporatism, and its New-World-Order globalism, as
being the core "enemy of the people" -- the destroyer of prosperity and
democracy -- is rapidly growing in the general global awareness.  Ronnie's
"Call" was one of the more articulate statements, but by no means a lone
voice.  The corporate/covert-community propaganda campaign against this
awareness is in full swing.  Among the tactics of this disinformation
campaign are:

        1)  The attempt to identify anti-corporatist feeling with xenophobic
            nationalism.  This is the purpose of the Buchanan campaign, and
            the reason the Militia is getting the kind of press it is.

        2)  The attempt to switch attention from corporations to the wealthy.
            This is the propaganda thrust most prevalent on this list, by
            witting or unwitting accomplices, and its effect is to fritter
            away progressive energy into ineffective revisions of the tax code,
            leaving the corporate behemoth unchecked.

        3)  The attempt to identify anti-corporate-elite sentiment with
            a socialist or anti-business agenda, thereby rendering it
            impotent in today's American political context.

        4)  The attempt to seduce people to submit to the globalist agenda,
            by encouraging them to focus on some new "global egalitarian
            movement".  This would be a fatal distraction, for it moves the
            battleground to where the corporate elite has the most power.
            Any effective progressive movement must defend national
            sovereignty as a first priority.

        5)  The attempt to characterize corporations as "groups of people
            working together for common aims", there being no such thing as
            corporate intention or culpability.  This is of course absurd,
            for all but the smallest corporations.  When given employment,
            you support corporate objectives, and pretend to believe in
            them, or you lose your job.

        6)  The attempt to promulgate a revisionist version of history,
            claiming that the nineteenth century robber barons (Rockefeller,
            Carnegie, et al) were actually good for society.


        Let me just add a few thoughts to this summation.  It is indeed
true in the larger historical context that the issue is class conflict
between the people and the wealthy elite.  But it is the _instruments_ of
the people and of the elite that are relevant to political action.  The
strongest instruments of the people are the Enlightment-inspired nation
states, with their (unfortunately corrupted) representative structures and
their (decreasing) enshrined civil liberties.  The stongest instruments of
the elite are corporations -- amoral money-machines which increasingly ARE
the government.

        The only "fortress" which provides a credible defense to the people
is that nation states -- that is where they must take their stand and fight
to realize the democracies which are promised them on paper.  The
"fortress" which the elite have constructed for themselves are the
corporations, and the globalist institutions which represent elite
corporate interests and are aimed at destroying national sovereignty.
Already corporations are bigger than many nation states, but we have a
brief window of opportunty where the western democracies could still
prevail over the elite plans for a feudal/fascist, corporate-dominated,
world government.

        In terms of Alliance strategy -- the goal MUST be to form a massive
progressive coalition and seek to win elections ASAP.  Reform CANNOT come
first, because government is currently in the hands of the elite.  Until we
elect our own representatives, any attempt at significant reform will
either be prevented or else subverted to counter-progressive purposes.

        I can already anticipate the responses you'll see to this posting,
in fact I could list the individuals and outline the points they'll make.
After those salvos are posted, I recommend you re-read this message, and
judge for yourself whether the rebuttals hold water.

        Thanks for your attention, and in

Solidarity,
Richard Moore
•••@••.•••


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    Posted by Richard K. Moore  -  •••@••.•••  -  Wexford, Ireland
     Cyberlib:  www | ftp --> ftp://ftp.iol.ie/users/rkmoore/cyberlib
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