[Marxism] Stan Goff, Bill Fletcher and the 2-party system

[Austin, Andrew]

-----Original Message-----
From: marxism-bounces at lists.econ.utah.edu
[mailto:marxism-bounces at lists.econ.utah.edu] On Behalf Of Mike Friedman
Sent: Tuesday, October 31, 2006 3:58 PM
To: marxism at lists.econ.utah.edu
Subject: RE: [Marxism] Stan Goff, Bill Fletcher and the 2-party system

Uhhh... Andrew, I think the times, they have a-changed since the 1860s.
Marx considered the Civil War to be an extension of the bourgeois
revolution, a last gasp of the revolutionary bourgeoisie. 

* * *

Again, for the third time, for my purposes, it doesn't matter what Marx
thought.  It matters what he did.  And what he did proves that it is not
the position of historical materialism to automatically avoid supporting
bourgeois politicians.

Marx supported a bourgeois party when it was determined to advance the
interests of workers on both sides of the Atlantic. 

I am going to support a bourgeois party in this election because I have
determined that it will advance the interests of workers on both sides
of the Atlantic.  

How?  By weakening the power of a regime that is murdering and torturing
people around the world, failing to do anything about the pending
ecological holocaust, and dismantling legal and social protections for
the most vulnerable groups in the United States.

I could vote for a party that doesn't stand a chance of winning.  In
that case, I would weaken the opportunity of the party that does stand
this chance, and, if that party should lose, I will have consciously
failed to act in such a manner as to possibily save people around the
world from more needless suffering.  

I choose not to vote that way.  It's more than a waste of my vote.
Given this moment in history, it's actually a vote for the worst
possible choice.  I will vote for the party that has a chance of
standing between Bush and the people of the world. And if that party is
successful, it is likely going to lead to improved conditions for people
currently under the thumb of US imperialism.

I may be wrong about that.  But I think we all know that if Republicans
remain in power, the situation for people around the world will not
improve.  I cannot be a party to that.  That wouldn't be right.  So I
will accept the risk and vote for Democrats.

Andrew