CPUSA 08 Elections Blog - Latest Comments in Should the left celebrate the 4th of July?

Re: Should the left celebrate the 4th of July?

happy_slappy — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 02:04:56 -0000

Everyone DOESN'T get paid whether they work or not. Rather than pasting this comment into every single article's discussion forum like an idiot, try getting your facts straight first.

Re: Should the left celebrate the 4th of July?

BraneMatter — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 12:33:20 -0000

This is a good discussion to have. I can really see both sides of the issue. Philanon makes some good points, and so does the author of the post.

I would agree that U.S. workers have not developed a revolutionary consciousness due to their priviledged position relative to workers in the rest of the world. As long as "the American Dream" was still seen as within reach of the white male majority, then there was enough contentment to not seek drastic change. For Blacks, Latinos, Native Americans, and other oppressed groups, however, it was a different story altogether.

After many years of rule mostly by the right wing in recent decades , the CPUSA has adopted different tactics, it seems, aimed at reworking its image to offset all the years of anti-Communist hysteria and propaganda that began with the McCarthy era. Most Americans still have a knee-jerk hysterical reaction even at the mention of the name "socialist" or "communist."

I don't think we should fight and divide ourselves over these tactical questions, as we have the same overall goals, but are taking different approaches to reaching them.

If we always are saying, "I'm more pure," or "I'm the true revolutionary here, and you're not," then that is not helpful in the end. We can agree to disagree on tactics, and still keep our eyes on the prize.

Re: Should the left celebrate the 4th of July?

BraneMatter — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 11:49:59 -0000

[You're still not getting it: there are no "oppressed working poor" in the US.]

Tell that to my wife, who died at age 43 because we couldn't afford health insurance. Maybe she lived a little better than someone in the poorer third world, but she's still just as dead, and it was totally preventable and unnecessary.

As for poverty in America, it's on the increase, and we may ourselves be "third world" in a few more decades.

I'm not defending the slavery, or the imperialism, exploitation both at home and abroad, or any of the ugly parts of U.S. history. The communist goal is transformation and change, but if things continue as they are, the U.S. will likely destroy itself eventually.

Re: Should the left celebrate the 4th of July?

sharkinbondage — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 21:30:43 -0000

As a Communist and a lover of the ideals of Communism I don't think the question should merit an answer. I strongly believe that the celebration of the fourth of july (all lower cased on purpose) would be a way to legitimize americas imperialism. I believe any thought or desire to celebrate or take into notion a celebration based on the united states is in direct violation of Communist principals. The fourth of july is not the birth of independance or freedom for the u.s. It is the birth of imperialism, capitalism, and the downfall of the true act of freedom that is supposed to be every americans right. I always take a more direct, strict-line approach to the ideals of Communism and I can only hope that others do to because it is about time for Communists to take themselves seriously and achieve what we need to for success. We are Communists and proud of it. I just hope that others can follow me and agree with a more strict doctrine. Thank you

Re: Should the left celebrate the 4th of July?

happy — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 02:36:02 -0000

if everyone get's paid whether you work or not, why should i work?

Re: Should the left celebrate the 4th of July?

Philanon — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 12:37:54 -0000

*shrug* It seems perfectly obvious to me. The capitalist system is built upon imperialist oppression. America is the dominant capitalist economy. Thus, America is the dominant imperialist oppressor. And since the overwhelming majority of Americans participate in the American economy, they are complicit in that imperialist oppression. Exceptions would include innocent children, subsistence farmers and the homeless.

Re: Should the left celebrate the 4th of July?

classconscious — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 16:53:58 -0000

I'm not against Philanon's ideas, just to clarify, but since they're more radical sounding than anything the CPUSA would put out there, I was curious to hear what the CPUSA would think about the idea that all americans are responsible imperialists. That's your main idea right Philanon? And of course I love the entire movement for ending opprssion, which is why I don't dissaggree with you, but those ideological details are a big deal to me. I've been thinking kind of critically about the CPUSA lately, wondering if it's really the best instrument for the proletariat. For example the World Socialist Party of Great Britain doesn't put candidates out to run for office..ever, because they say that no socialist can run capitalism better than the capitalists. The point is to bring in the next system, so I don't know if the CPUSA is doing it the most effective way. Also I believe it's in the FAQ section of the YCL site that says that after a socialist revolution nobody would be allowed to spread capitalist literature/ideas. That sounds like a limit on free speach, and I don't support it. you may want to check www.worldsocialism.org I like them because they seem very dedicated to preserving individual freedom/democracy...though they neer use the word Communist or Marxist, and call everything Socialism.

Re: Should the left celebrate the 4th of July?

classconscious — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 16:43:17 -0000

Well I thought the Philanon's idea that there is no American proletariat was news to the members of the CPUSA, considering we feel that our struggles are supporting the proletarian movement. I always assumed the proletariat was international, and I've never heard the argument that American's are all oppressors. By chance, are any of you familiar with Antonio Gramsci's work on Cultural Hegemony? The idea that there's not been revolution in the "first world" because our culture is dominated by bourgeois ideology that justifies it. The working class soaks this all up, and even considers themselves capitalists (democrats or republicans), so they don't even know about the Marxist alternative. How can they be held responsible for the living standard in the third world? Am I missing something? Maybe traditional Marxism was not challenged, but the ideas on this forum are completely new to me, and I do know a bit on Marxism.

Re: Should the left celebrate the 4th of July?

P17 — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 09:11:53 -0000

Very funny, Phil -- you have a sense of humor after all! :) Nice!

Twarn't my post! If it was, it probably would have ended with one of my dreary pleas to get you to elaborate on your emigration research (again).

I'd also like to know exactly where (and how) basic Marxist ideas were necessarily "challenged".

Re: Should the left celebrate the 4th of July?

Philanon — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 21:54:44 -0000

Welcome back, P17. ;-)

I'm curious: where do you think Marxist ideas were challenged? Do you mean inconsequential little ideological details, or the underlying premise that oppression sucks and must be snuffed out?

Re: Should the left celebrate the 4th of July?

classconscious — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 20:56:01 -0000

Can anybody do anything to get a CPUSA authority to comment regarding this discussion? Is the Moderator able to bring this to anyone's attention? These are great themes that challenge some traditional marxist ideas, and that's what Marxism is all about right? I hope a party official can comment regarding their position.

Re: Should the left celebrate the 4th of July?

P17 — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 10:39:42 -0000

..."Hey now, that was unfair. You admit they have a certain connotation, then suggest I should have known you weren't using it."...

Point taken. Sarcasm doesn't come off well in print. You think I would have learned that by now! My apologies.

I really liked your America-bashing rants -- they've given us all something to think about. I just didn't want you to use one to answer ALL of my questions. And I STILL want to know about your emigration research (out of pure curiosity)!

Re: Should the left celebrate the 4th of July?

Anthony — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 00:34:54 -0000

"No. It's a Democratic Party blog."

No my friend, this is a blog for, quote, "Marxist analysis of the '08 Elections from the Communist Party USA leadership." Marxist analysis hosted by the Communist Party itself. Though one could argue that the CPUSA is inherently democratic, there is no denying it is Communist and Marxist/Leninist. ;)

Take care!

Re: Should the left celebrate the 4th of July?

Philanon — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 20:28:43 -0000

"I'm using the words without their traditionally negative connotation... Now which one of us is reacting defensively?"

Hey now, that was unfair. You admit they have a certain connotation, then suggest I should have known you weren't using it.

"You might find this hard to believe, but I am genuinely interested in what you have to say!"

Well then, I apologize for jumping to conclusions.

Re: Should the left celebrate the 4th of July?

Philanon — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 20:28:07 -0000

"I don't believe you are 'standing back and gazing at the forest' simply because your views are much too simplistic and convenient."

The saying "can't see the forest for the trees" means you're focused on the details, or on a smaller segment of the whole. I'm stepping back to look at the broader picture. It's simplified by design: why focus on a multitude of intranational squabbles when the real problem is international?

"...it is impossible to point at America as a whole and say, 'Every one of you is guilty of oppressing the international proletariat.' Especially so when it is those owners of industry and economic forces that are the only ones capable of doing the oppressing."

I'm not going to repeat myself again after this because you are clearly trying not to understand. For the last time: If you benefit from imperialism, you are an imperialist. How can a person participating in an imperialist economy claim to be a non-imperialist? It's like suggesting that a member of CPUSA is a practicing communist, simply because that's their ideology, rather than the capitalist that they are by definition as Americans. To be American is to be a capitalist, imperialist oppressor. Not because you want to be, necessarily, but because that's part of what it means to be American.

"To say that the proletariat, working class or whatever phrase you'd rather use is agreeing to the capitalist oppression is ignoring the fact that most of the proletariat in this country is blisfully unaware of the negative aspects of capitalism, their role in society, and the role of the bourgeoisie in the devastation of the third world nations."

Ha! They need not have read Marx to be perfectly aware of their relative opulence, or to understand that the flood of Mexicans is an example of poor people scrambling for the lowest rung of jobs. Americans aren't the sharpest knives in the drawer, but they can put two and two together; they know what time it is; they know how the machine operates.

"...unless they are the owners of the majority of capital and are part of the elite who actually run the machinery of industry which profits from their exploitation, they can't be said to be responsible for it."

We still have the vote in this country, don't we? When people keep voting for the same old Republicans and Democrats, that's an endorsement of the status quo. People are quite happy, indeed, to continue sucking the blood of the third world.

"It's like advocating the idea that the slaves who belong to the richest master are actually part of the elite slaveowners simply because they live in better conditions than some of the other slaves."

Terrible analogy. Slaves were regarded as little more than beasts of burden with opposable thumbs and the ability to follow more complicated commands than "Giddyup!" and "Whoa!" They weren't actively participating in and benefiting from the imperialist system.

"What is this, a Communist blog or something? LOL"

No. It's a Democratic Party blog.

"You have your views (which are actually hypocritical and a bit annoying since you're likewise American and, by your definition, an oppressor)..."

I am not hypocritical. Go back and read the thread: nowhere did I exclude myself from the oppressor class. I condemn myself with the same force as everyone else. The difference is that I am aware of it, able to admit it, and bothered by it. Small consolation to be sure, but I'm working on a better one.

"Let's simply agree to disagree and go our separate ways in trying to doing our part to try to bring about a more just world in which wealth is more evenly and fairly distributed."

Agreed! And good luck in your efforts!

Re: Should the left celebrate the 4th of July?

P17 — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 17:47:35 -0000

..."If you don't disagree, then why are you mocking me with words like "diatribe," "rant" and "manifesto"? Why not just say: "Right on!"?"...

I thought I did. You assume that my words are somehow "mocking" you. They are not, nor have they ever been. I'm using the words without their traditionally negative connotation -- I LOVE a good rant! Now which one of us is reacting defensively? I have a tremendous amount of respect for anyone who can completely and concisely defend their opinions (whether I agree with them or not).

..."I really don't understand why you'd be reacting negatively or defensively to my comments unless they offend you somehow. All I'm doing is speaking my mind honestly and describing the situation as I see it. So what if I am "America bashing"? Does that bother you? If so, why? Do you identify yourself with America no matter what it does? I sure don't. You can take a dump on the flag and set it on fire in the middle of the street for all I care."...

Again with the psychoanalysis!!! You read WAY too much into what I'm saying. What gives you the impression that I'm reacting defensively or negatively to what you said? Why would you assume that I'm offended by America-bashing? I've burned many a flag, and defended many a flag-burner in my life! I'm merely collecting opinions (which is why I wanted the CPUSA to chime in, and why I keep asking you for more opinions/clarification of your ideas). Who here couldn't use a good kick in the ol' complacency?

I'm really not the semantic pugilist that you seem to think I am, and I would never claim to be at the current state of knowledge of most everyone else here. I'm just a garden-variety dullard sticking a toe in the red water here. You might find this hard to believe, but I am genuinely interested in what you have to say! I'm very sorry to hear that many people have reacted negatively to your ideas/views in the past (as indicated in your eariler postings). I assure you -- your "paranoia" isn't warranted (at least not with me). You assume I have an ego when it comes to discussing these ideas -- I don't. If I "needle" you with the occasional strong word, it's (usually) only to get you elaborate -- there's no malice or ulterior motive involved. If I were truly offended or annoyed by anything you said, I probably would have left this thread a LONG time ago.

And I'm not trying to lead you down the "comparing country X to the good ol' USA" path, either. Honestly, that never even dawned on me (until you brought it up)! I actually want to hear what you've learned in the course of your "research" in this area. I'd love a postcard, too! :)

Re: Should the left celebrate the 4th of July?

Anthony — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 17:46:13 -0000

I don't believe you are "standing back and gazing at the forest" simply because your views are much too simplistic and convenient. Your first mistake (as you're so fond of saying) is that you view America as an artificial whole, as an individual, whereas it is exceedingly obvious to most here that America is a State which is composed of a variety of different nations, each of which are composed of differing social classes. Thus it is impossible to point at America as a whole and say, "Every one of you is guilty of oppressing the international proletariat." Especially so when it is those owners of industry and economic forces that are the only ones capable of doing the oppressing. To say that the proletariat, working class or whatever phrase you'd rather use is agreeing to the capitalist oppression is ignoring the fact that most of the proletariat in this country is blisfully unaware of the negative aspects of capitalism, their role in society, and the role of the bourgeoisie in the devastation of the third world nations. Those who do know about it and still refrain from speaking out against it and trying to find solutions for it are indeed arrogant and despicable; but unless they are the owners of the majority of capital and are part of the elite who actually run the machinery of industry which profits from their exploitation, they can't be said to be responsible for it. It is a contradiction in terms. It's like advocating the idea that the slaves who belong to the richest master are actually part of the elite slaveowners simply because they live in better conditions than some of the other slaves. Regardless of their material condition, their social standing and economic role still applies.

As for me spewing Marxism and the like... excuse me. What was I thinking, advocating Marxist and at times Trotskyist ideas? What is this, a Communist blog or something? LOL

You have your views (which are actually hypocritical and a bit annoying since you're likewise American and, by your definition, an oppressor), and I have mine. Let's simply agree to disagree and go our separate ways in trying to doing our part to try to bring about a more just world in which wealth is more evenly and fairly distributed.

Re: Should the left celebrate the 4th of July?

Philanon — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 16:52:42 -0000

If you don't disagree, then why are you mocking me with words like "diatribe," "rant" and "manifesto"? Why not just say: "Right on!"?

I really don't understand why you'd be reacting negatively or defensively to my comments unless they offend you somehow. All I'm doing is speaking my mind honestly and describing the situation as I see it. So what if I am "America bashing"? Does that bother you? If so, why? Do you identify yourself with America no matter what it does? I sure don't. You can take a dump on the flag and set it on fire in the middle of the street for all I care.

Forgive my paranoia, but I get the feeling you're asking for the CPUSA to chime in because you think I might be intimidated into falling in line if they disagree with me. I've never been a lackey for any party, so that won't happen. I'm paradoxically a radical individualist on matters of expression.

Anyway, it's not just me saying it, it's the CPUSA themselves. Watch their YouTube videos; they openly admit that endorsing Democrats is a means to an end. OK, so be it. I don't even disagree with it, since it is clearly their only realistic option. But that doesn't change the nature of what they're doing: going along to get along. It's not so much an insult, as a sad observation of where we find ourselves.

I'm going to duck the emigration question again, because I don't want to go where I suspect you want to lead me (into a comparison of Nation X vs the good ol' USA). I'm well aware that there are negatives no matter where you go; I'm not interested in being thrust into the position of defending actions and policies that I'm not responsible for and don't support. Maybe I'll send you postcard someday, and you can check the postmark.

Re: Should the left celebrate the 4th of July?

Philanon — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 16:46:51 -0000

The poor, pitiful, innocent, victimized common American is cheerfully supporting what that "elite(r) minority" does, as evidenced by their rabid, slathering, hyena-like grabs for a bigger slice of the American pie. They are fighting for a bigger share of imperialist blood money. Why is this so difficult to understand?

Let's try this: for the sake of argument, I'll grant you that the average American is a wretched, oppressed little worm, crawling on his belly through the discarded scraps of third world flesh and bone from his elitist oppressors' table, but taking no part in the feast whatsoever. Now tell me how that pitiable worm is not exacerbating the misery of his third world worm comrades when he fights for a seat at the table where their bones are ground to dust to make imperialist bread?

You see, it doesn't really make any difference whether there's an American "proletariat" or not; what's important to understand is that to rise up in America means to stand on the backs of the truly wretched poor of the world. The solution is not to squabble over our ill-gotten gains, but to bring the whole system down around our ears.

Now: how can I be "excessively viewing [the world] from outside the American box and within another"? The America box is artificially drawn on a map. When you step outside a national box, you're left with the only box that matters: the global box. That's the only real box, unless you know something I don't (have they colonized Mars already?).

"You're missing the entire point that a Socialist system can only be instituted within a fully developed capitalist and democratic system..."

"...am I just 'spewing Marxist 101 texts' ...?"

Yes.

There's no need to trot out the same old lines over and over. We've all read them. What matters is the reality all around you. Who gives a toss about "communism" or "socialism" anyway? It isn't about chest pins, it's about observing reality and recognizing that it sucks. Frankly, I think it's about time some political genius repackaged communism so we can drop that damned conversation-killer. Face it: McCarthy won. Say the "C-word" in America, and you're dead in the water. People's eyes glaze over. Go ahead, read the texts, they're brilliant, I'm not coming down on them. But if you can't say what you mean in everyday language then you're just another boring ideologue.

"You're missing the forest for the trees..."

This is simply farcical. I'm the one standing back and gazing at the forest. Remember when I stepped outside the box earlier? Yeah, that was the forest. Now I'm out here. Come join me, let's talk about global oppression and what we can do to end it, instead of how we can further benefit from it.

Re: Should the left celebrate the 4th of July?

P17 — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 11:10:19 -0000

I suppose I asked for that diatribe, didn't I? When I said "and why", I wasn't really expecting another anti-American rant (which are a dime a dozen, especially on the internet, although yours is better than most I've read). Your ham-handed, amateur psychoanalysis of some of what I said aside, I find little to disagree with in your "manifesto" here.

But I'd still like to know if you've found a country(ies) that might be a good candidate to which to emigrate. What places do you dislike least? What other sorts of solutions do you have (other than to emigrate)? Can nothing be done "from the inside"?

And I'd also like to know how you (the leadership of the CPUSA) respond to Phil's assertion that you're all just "going along to get along".

Re: Should the left celebrate the 4th of July?

Anthony — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 10:59:31 -0000

It is indeed true that America is the top exploiter of the impoverished workers and their nations the world-over; and it is also true that America is not a nation ruled by the majority, but rather the elite minority which holds its means of production and the heights of the economy. It is this elite minority that is subjugating the world, not the American worker which indirectly "benefits" by having their exploitation come at a higher price. If I am excessively viewing the world from "inside the American box," you are excessively viewing it from outside the American box and within another. You're missing the entire point that a Socialist system can only be instituted within a fully developed capitalist and democratic system; otherwise the result is toward either a new ruling class or a bureaucratic caste which holds power tyrannically, resulting in what Trotsky described as a "deformed workers' state" in such republics as Cuba, and a "degenerated workers' state" in the former USSR. Such changes toward Socialism and perhaps eventually Communism are impossible if one consistently points the finger at the higher-paid yet none-the-less proletariat upon which the capitalists make their profits and exploit the rest of the world mercilessly.

You're missing the forest for the trees, and you're not taking into account that within each class there may be many levels or sub-classes which, however you cut it, still compose that same class: the international proletariat. Regardless of how well the American worker is doing in relation to other nations, they are still not doing nearly as well as the bourgeoisie to which they sell their labor-power. Furthermore, to confuse the two classes on the basis of material benefits is missing the entire point, as the American proletariat is the proletariat by virtue (or ill luck?) of the fact that THEY DO NOT CONTROL THE MEANS OF PRODUCTION OR THE COMMANDING HEIGHTS OF THE ECONOMY, which is the very reality that makes the class what it is. The exploitation of others in foreign nations may be worse; but in such a system, exploitation by means of unpaid labor is still the reality.

Or am I just "spewing Marxist 101 texts" if I happen to disagree with your opinions?

Re: Should the left celebrate the 4th of July?

Philanon — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 01:53:04 -0000

The "third world" must sell its labor to the American bourgeoisie. They are being exploited in exactly the manner you describe -- by the US. Everyone who benefits from it (which is all Americans) is complicit in it. We are the elite minority, pocketing the profits of the unpaid labor of the "third world." We are the exploiters. We are all bourgeoisie on this bus, my friend.

You're looking at it from inside the America box, rather than stepping outside that box and looking at the world as a whole. When you look at it from the proper perspective, you immediately see that America is a member of the global exploiter class.

Think of nations as individuals: America is a bully who beats up brown kids and takes their lunch money.

Your second paragraph is just you parroting back the Marxism 101 texts you've read.

Let me rephrase your last paragraph, in the voice of the "third world":

"To America, we are all the same: commodities to be exploited when convenient, and we all will share a similar fate in their system."

Understand yet?

Re: Should the left celebrate the 4th of July?

Philanon — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 01:28:28 -0000

I'll break the indent since this will be a long one.

I haven't been to the movies in over 20 years, and I don't own a TV, but I'm familiar with the story. Schindler didn't set out to free Jews, but to get rich on their backs. I'm glad he had a change of heart, and I admire the clever way he manipulated what he understood -- business -- to do some good. Are you equating giving back a portion of the money one has extracted from the "third world" with saving Jews from gas chambers?

You refuse to buy my premise that most Americans are oppressors because you don't like being called an oppressor. But if you step back and look at the big picture with an objective eye, you can come to no other conclusion. Not because you go around intentionally oppressing people, but because you participate in an oppressive enterprise. The only Americans I can think of who don't have bloody hands are children, homeless people and subsistence farmers. Once you grow up and get a "real job" in America, you become an oppressor.

You're right: when I condemn the US, it's because that's what I'm most familiar with, but the same can be said of all of "the West," and most of the "first world." That leaves the "second" and "third" worlds, which are more dangerous neighborhoods, but I've taken nothing off the table except theocracies or places where I'd be killed on sight (which tend to be one and the same). I don't have a short list yet, as this is a fairly recent decision (in case you couldn't tell, I've lost the optimism I once had for America).

What I'm looking for is a country...

...where the people actually choose their government.

...where the government obeys the people, not the other way around.

...where if the government launched a war of aggression, the people would literally storm the capital and drag the perpetrators out of their offices and into the courts.

...where they refuse to trade with oppressors, even if that means going without until they can produce a product themselves in a humane and equitable manner.

...where they understand that wealth only exists because society exists, so they impose a "decency ceiling" on just how rich you can become before the rest gets repossessed by society and used to oil the squeakier cogs in that machine.

...where birthright privilege (monarchy, inheritance, etc.) has been abolished, because there's no such thing as "royal" blood, and because nobody should be allowed to give their children an upper hand from birth so that they succeed while less fortunate children fail.

...where they have gotten over their primitive superstitions and state funds are not wasted on supporting official religious institutions.

...where more people "believe" in science than in bronze age myths and this is reflected in government.

...where they understand that people are a product of their environment, which is often a matter of dumb luck rather than choice, so they focus on prevention of crime by improving conditions rather than punishment.

...where they understand that a life where more than half your waking hours must be spent as a wage slave in order to feed yourself is no life at all.

...where they refuse to allow one segment of their society to spend generation after generation toiling away in hopelessness while another segment is enriched by it and gets to enjoy their one shot at life.

...where those who merely shuffle money around with computers are not allowed to pocket the billions they skim from that manipulation.

...where they have big, bold dreams for the future: dreams of using technology to provide people with their basic needs free of charge, rather than using it to more efficiently extract profits from wage slaves.

...where they aren't inculcated with propagandistic mantras like "work ethic" to make them believe that they are only valuable if they are producing wealth for their wage slavemasters.

...where they value leisure time above yoke time and don't mock people who choose not to drive themselves like beasts of burden in order to pay their "fair share" to the war machine.

...where they are encouraged to engage in creative leisure activities where they might benefit society, rather than idle, brain-rotting "activities" like spectator sports, celebrity worship, compulsive shopping, flag waving and club-hopping.

...where they don't just talk about the children being the future, but they act on those words by making children the absolute top priority in every decision they make and show as much concern for their neighbor's children as their own.

...where they don't maintain the class system by ending free education after high school while making it impossible to do anything but menial work without an expensive college degree.

...where wealth is not an indicator of health.

...where gonads are not an indicator of income.

...where melanin is not an indicator of incarceration rate.

...where all of the negatives I've listed above are not cheered as virtues.

...where I'm free to say all this and more without fear.

I could go on, but I'll spare you. There is no utopia; I know this. I used to think the US was the least worst place, but I've finally broken free of that cycle of denial. America is a terrible, shameful, nightmare of a country. And it's actually getting worse, not better. I want to escape this sinking ship before I go down with it. This is a very real risk: I have recently found myself almost wanting to give up and accept the situation -- go along to get along -- CPUSA-style. This is only natural; I'm as human as the next person. I suffer from the same burnout and desire not to be hated every time I open my mouth, as any other person with a fringe ideology. As you can probably tell, I'm fighting that weakness with renewed vigor in my critique of this hellhole.

Re: Should the left celebrate the 4th of July?

Anthony — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 21:57:14 -0000

There is indeed an American proletariat, regardless of how high their standard of living is in comparison with the proletariat in other countries. Any class that must sell their labor-power to the bourgeoisie in order to live is by definition proletarian; and also, by definition, they are being exploited in that the products of their labor are being sold for a higher value than what they receive in terms of their wages; that "profit" which goes into the pockets of an elite minority is unpaid labor and, despite being higher than in other countries, constitutes exploitation. The United States is currently one of the greatest centers for capitalist imperialism, the higher wages resulting from a higher gross national product is merely an opiate keeping the bourgeois' "commodities" (the worker) from achieving class consciousness and seeking a social revolution. What they failed to take into account is that the capitalist system is prone to crises such as recessions, depressions and other shocking events which is the stimulus for the workers to awaken to their condition, throw off the shackles of profiteering repression and establish a socialist "Dictatorship of the Proletariat."

Conditions are ripe for a revolution/evolution in the United States due to its advanced system of democracy, capitalism and its final stage, imperialism which is prerequisite for the socialist revolution to take place.

We may be the "elite proletariat," but to the bourgeoisie, we are all the same: commodities to be exploited when convenient, and we all will share a similar fate in their system.

Re: Should the left celebrate the 4th of July?

P17 — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 20:27:21 -0000

I'd be interested to hear what you thought of the movie "Schindler's List". By your logic, he shouldn't have done what he did (or at least not the way he did it). I actually have heard people make the case that he shouldn't have, using the logic that you did in your second paragraph.

I'm still not sold on your premise that we are ALL (or even most of us, simply by virtue of being American citizens) part of a global oppressor class, and that there really aren't truly oppressed workers (i.e. a proletariat) in the USA, but I laud your desire (both in thought and practice) to live simply and free of the desire to maximize your consumption.

And best of luck finding a country (to which to emigrate) that isn't imperialist in at least some regard! I don't think you'll find what you're really looking for (although I would not presume to know exactly what it is you're looking for, so I'll digress), but I'd be interested to hear what countries are on your short-list (and why).