[Marxism] AGITPROP NEWS: Socialists & Social-lites
Mike Alewitz
Alewitz at comcast.net
Sun May 24 12:10:18 MDT 2009
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LaBOR aRT & MuRAL PRoJECT
AGITPROP NEWS: Socialists & Social-lites
In this issue:
Owed an Apology
Guide to Socialists/ Social-lites
_______________________________
1. Owed an Apology
It’s been over 100 days. I am now prepared to accept the apologies of
those who worked to put Obama in the White House.
Remember your effusive praise, how you touted him as being different
than Bush? You accused people of being a sectarian, and out of touch
with reality, if they refused to vote for him. You said he was
leading a progressive movement - the beginning of a bright new era of
politics.
You owe an apology to me and everyone else that spoke the truth about
Obama. We said he would continue the Bush policies. We told you so.
More importantly, you need to express remorse to the millions of
working people in this country and around the world that you helped
convince to vote for him. Unlike you, they have nothing to apologize
for. They made a mistake, but they did it for the right reasons - they
hated what Bush stood for and wanted to express their solidarity as a
class – they voted to reject war and racism.
They did not understand that the elections are a charade - but you did.
So let me make it clear who I am addressing this to: the union
officials, peace activists, staff people for progressive organizations
and others who have argued and fought against independent political
action – all the longtime activists that have supported one lying,
miserable Democratic politician after another as the lesser of two
evils – Obama, Kerry, Clinton, Carter, Johnson, ad nausea.
I’ve now been listening to your equivocations and apologies for over
40 years. You cannot see beyond your own little milieu of self-
absorbed radicals. You have learned nothing.
Let’s review what your man Obama has accomplished in his first hundred
days: revived the military tribunals; refused to address himself to
the don’t ask don’t tell policy; decided to keep prisoners in
Guantánamo; maintained troops in Iraq; refused to release the pictures
of torture; supported the Israeli devastation of Gaza; maintained the
US embargo of Cuba; named Cheney’s chief interrogator to head up the
war in Afghanistan; refused to bring criminal action against
widespread torture; expanded the war in Afghanistan to bomb civilians
in Pakistan; given hundreds of billions of dollars to his Wall Street
backers; given billions of dollars to the auto industry as a reward
for massive layoffs; support for doctor’s refusing a women’s right to
abortion.
And as a special bonus: preventive detention.
You groveled at the feet of the democrats, begging for the Employee
Free Choice Act, (a wimpy substitute for organizing for working-class
power) – he’s not even going to give you that. He’s not giving you a
damn thing. Not even the jobs you coveted.
I’ve probably forgotten some of the rotten things he’s done, but this
is just the first hundred days. Obama has years to promote the Bush
program, which is and always has been, the program of the ruling class
- regardless of who sits in the White House. Like we told you, time
and again.
Obama has proven himself the faithful servant of imperialism. He was
selected to derail the antiwar movement and stifle social unrest
emerging from the economic crisis. And you wagged your little poodle
tails and helped him herd workers off the streets and into the voting
booth. You helped mislead millions of anti-war people into supporting
a militarist president. You covered up for him. You apologized for
him. You fawned over him and gushed over his election victory.
Obama is being loyal to the class he represents – the employers. Obama
didn’t betray his class – you betrayed yours. Now you should stand up
and take responsibility for your actions.
If you still support Obama, you are supporting the ruling class
against your fellow workers. You cannot be a progressive for Obama.
You can either be a progressive, or you can be for Obama.
Please don’t take this personally. Some of you are friends. These
comments are not directed at the many well-meaning people who got
suckered in. They will learn from the experience and move on.
I’m talking about the pie-cards that have been hustling votes for the
Democrats for years. I’m particularly talking about the most wretched,
gutless, class collaborationist union bureaucracy that has ever
existed. What a cesspool. At a time of growing economic crisis, when
millions of workers would be willing to go into action and fight, you
are hustling votes for the bosses and waging war with each other over
dues money.
I’m not just referring to the millionaire pork-choppers like Stern,
Gettlefinger, Wilhelm, etc – I’m including all the thousands of cogs
in the bloated bureaucratic machinery that justify, apologize for, or
remain silent about this dues money feeding frenzy. I don’t care
whether you’re a hardened business unionist that’s been sucking our
blood for decades or a pretentious young nitwit that hires out to lead
the poor workers - you should all be ashamed of yourselves.
Your behavior is a dishonor to the proud history of the militant
working class of this country – to the women and men of the Knights of
Labor, the IWW, the CIO, the anti-war GIs, the millions of
undocumented workers that took to the streets in fearless action on
Mayday just three years ago.
Any union staff person with an ounce of self-respect should get up
from their desk right now and in a loud voice proclaim that you will
no longer be a part of this travesty. Tell them that you are no
longer willing to participate in raiding operations and jurisdictional
squabbles. Tell them you are unwilling to impose contracts that sell
out the next generations of workers. Tell them that you are no longer
going to crawl to the bosses offering concessions. Tell them you will
not apologize for Obama and you will never, never, ever again support
the candidates of the employers.
Then announce that you are going out to look for a job so you can help
organize your class. If you do that, we would all be proud of you.
OK – so why my sudden outburst? After all, none of this is new. I
guess the quantitative just became the qualitative. There was the
straw that broke the camel’s back, the spark that led to this
undisciplined outpouring and my years of self-control going down the
tubes. This is what did it:
Basking in the glow of the ruling class electoral victory, some of you
have begun to strut around, coming out as socialists. What’s more,
having rediscovered socialism, you are redefining it. We are being re-
imagined. Lucky us.
This is much like the European discovery of America. In both cases,
there were indigenous people that had little in common with the recent
arrivals. Many of us have been socialists all along and I can say
without qualification: you are not one of us. If you support Obama you
are not any kind of revolutionary - you can hardly be considered a
reformer.
You are not socialists; you are what I will call social-lites. Posers.
Pretenders.
The rapidity with which your leader has revealed his real agenda has
put you in an awkward position. Having helped deliver the working
class vote to the bosses, you will now try to pose as the socialist
opposition to Obama. You’ll put on a Marxist patina to hide your
rotten deeds. Being shrewd careerists, you’ll start back peddling,
distancing yourself from Obama’s atrocities. (Until you’re right back
doing it again in the next elections.)
But we know what you are: frightened functionaries living off our
labor. You didn’t believe us about Obama and you won’t believe me
about this, but I’ll tell it plain: The workers that you have robbed
and kept fettered in the face of the bosses offensive are going to
rise up and roll right over you. When workers understand the depth of
your duplicity, you are going to be booted so far that you will never
be able to crawl back into your padded chairs.
Lest these words seem harsh, there is always room to change - it’s
never to late. Big fights are coming. As the illusions in Obama
disappear, there will be new upsurges in the anti-war movement, for
immigrant rights and economic justice. We could use your help.
Break with Obama, apologize, promise not to do it again, and we will
embrace you as comrades.
Otherwise, just get the fuck out of our way.
- Mike Alewitz/ 5.23.9
_______________________________
2. How to Tell Socialists from Social-lites:
I have composed the following guide to help recognize the difference
between socialists and social-lites. (Not all of these characteristics
may apply at all times.)
Social-lites get paid jobs with unions to organize workers;
Socialists are workers that organize unions.
Social-lites work in industry for a couple of years and then spend the
rest of their life writing about it;
Socialists work in industry their whole life and then spend a couple
years writing about it.
Social-lites have framed photos of themselves with Fidel Castro or
Nelson Mandela;
Socialists don’t need such photos.
Social-lites speak at movement banquets and leave to get some decent
food;
Socialists are glad to get some decent food at a banquet, despite
having to listen to the boring social-lite.
Social-lites have titles that include the word executive;
Socialists have titles that include the word head.
Social-lites organize meetings that try to keep out the wackos, so
things don’t get out of control;
Socialists are the wackos.
Social-lites try to get arrested at demonstrations to display their
militancy;
Socialists try to stay out of jail so they won’t get fired.
Social-lites enjoy successful careers writing books or making art
about workers;
Socialists write leaflets and paint banners with workers.
Social-lites speak at rallies that they didn’t organize;
Socialists organize rallies that they are not allowed to speak at.
Social-lites are invited to Danny Glover’s or Sean Penn’s for
receptions;
Socialists go door-to-door selling papers.
Social-lites spend time lobbying, urging diplomatic initiatives and
promoting time schedules;
Socialists stay in the streets and demand stuff now.
Social-lites support progressive legislation and courts;
Socialists tear up injunctions.
Social-lites receive awards from groups because of their activism;
Socialists get expelled from groups because of their activism.
Social-lites want to get the country back on track;
Socialists want to make a revolution.
---------------------------------------------------------------
“I am not blaming those who are resolved to rule, only
those who show an even greater readiness to submit.”
~Thucydides
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