I think that, like in boxing, the Left has received a big blow and is groggy, not knowing where to go (Boaventura de Souza Santos)
15. The history of political ideas teaches us that ‘radicals’ of years-gone-by (those who attacked the problems at their roots without diverting to the branches) refused to go into spurious political alliances with political organizations clearly defending the mode of production of the dominant political system and the conservation of the hegemonic power structure. This is hardly what we see today…
The contemporary Left is playing the hand it was/is being dealt
16. Mainstream leftists are simply not championing the alternative(s) needed to tackle the burning current social, environmental and HR problems by reformulating their strategy. Such an alternative must be created providing a clarity that has been lost. There are actually people that, in our current crisis, feel that there is no distinction between the Left and the Right –that we have to find other forms of political organization. …No! The Left has always been crucial, now more than ever because, if we are after the redistribution of wealth and of power, a deep political reform is needed. Moreover, the Left thus ought to acknowledge that the struggle cannot only be against the forces of capitalism, but also against colonialism, racism, xenophobia, islamophobia, patriarchy, homophobia and against other forms of discrimination and sexual segregation. (B. de Souza Santos)
17. If you accept Gramsci’s assessment, then the ideological struggle is a material necessity. For generations of workers, trade unions, left political parties, and left-wing cultural formations provided the ‘schools’ to sow and to influence the consciousness of the workers and their rights. This, on top of providing a powerful understanding of the world and of people’s rights –i.e,. the clarity to see the chains that had to be broken. And? …Over the course of the past forty years, trade union membership has declined as has membership in left-wing political parties. (Vijay Prashad)
18. After so many years of ideological petrification, of swallowing things whole, the Right already knows all the Left’s tactics. One can justifiably ask: Are those in that camp really using their imagination? Or has the cause been that the divisions in the Left has been eternal in debates about what means of struggle ought to be used? (adapted from Gabriel Garcia Marquez)
19. By the way (an important way…), indigenous people have always provided us with a great lesson. They are the ones that best tell us which future we must choose. After having been harassed and even exterminated by modernity, the future that we have left will come from the hands of these first nations. They are the ones that maintain alive the idea of a more just society and living in harmony with Mother Nature. They are the ones that can help us reinvent our social emancipation through their ideas of buen vivir. We have to look for a convergence with these ideas so as to develop common policies directed at improving the lives of the many. This will only be possible if we put aside the dogmatism and sectarianism that has divided the forces of the Left. This is needed to, once and for all, organize our struggles –together and united. (B. de Souza Santos)
Do we find ourselves at a stage where, as Marx predicted, we have to choose between barbarism and socialism?
20. As French journalist Régis Debray put it, referring to socialist governments vis-a-vis capitalist elites, “the path from polite hatred to open hostilities is shorter than either side had thought them to be.”*
*: An example?: We have already seen years of polite hatred for Bernie Sanders and his supporters. We would better prepare for open hostilities. (Ben Beckett)
21. Given the widely perceived prospect of an unbearable future, the idea of socialism and of human rights (HR) has been re-discovered by a layer of activists struggling for the needed radical changes –especially young people. But what is socialism and how is it related to HR? If we are disillusioned with capitalism, what do we stand for? Is the socialism we have in mind compatible with HR? At least we share the notion that building a socialist/HR-fair society will be a protracted process –as opposed to a single revolutionary rupture. It will involve building a mass movement, including a renewed labor movement, a strong commitment to the rule of law, to civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights, not least, respecting the freedoms of speech and assembly. In both cases, it is about creating a society in which all individuals are free to develop their full potential. (Andrew Jackson)
22. In an ideal scenario, an openly HR-friendly socialist presidential candidacy would be the culmination of an intensive decades-long political project. The candidate would rise organically through the ranks of a dynamic and powerful organized Left. That Left would consist of, among other things, strong left-wing unions, innumerable community groups knitted into tight coalitions, and a mass political party with a democratic membership structure and credible means of candidate discipline. The candidate would emerge as the leader of a substantial movement made up of rock-solid working-class institutions. (Meagan Day)
Bottom line
23. We can indeed construct a political coalition in which all oppressed people can make HR gains, even though some people are going to make less gains than others based on their relative social and economic position beforehand. We need to neutralize those on the Right, keeping them where they are, i.e., as the minority authoritarian movement the Right actually is, but understanding that they are going to be around for a long time. So, yes, we have got to keep them where they are and concentrate on winning over the rest! (Bhaskar Sunkara)
24. The people who want to start a revolution, unfortunately are duped to accept the idea that a revolution is apocalyptic, catastrophic and bloody. We need to, once and for all, grasp the fact that it is the forces of status-quo that are apocalyptic, catastrophic and bloody. So, get rid of your prejudices, take off your masks and start promoting your ideas and disruptive solutions for change; you do not need to become a martyr. (We also thus need to put an end to the idea that revolution is a martyrology). “My mother does not understand how I can be a revolutionary if I cannot even kill a fly –and I tell her that is precisely why I am one”. (G. Garcia Marquez)
Claudio Schuftan, Ho Chi Minh City
Your comments are welcome at schuftan@gmail.com
All Readers up to 500+ are available at www.claudioschuftan.com
Postscript/Marginalia
A ten minutes lesson on political activism:
1. Gatecrash election events and debates
This is the option that requires least organization and it can be super effective. Take a look at what is going on during the election campaign in your country and just turn up. Almost always there will be some kind of question and answer session that gives you an opportunity to challenge the candidates to make the desired pledge! But if you are going to do this, you need to be well prepared. Here are some key things to remember:
Be clear and concise. You will only have a few seconds to make your case. And anyway, everyone hates people who take up too much time. So make every word count. Prepare what you are going to say carefully.
Formulate your point as a question. It is very annoying when people make statements instead of questions at politicians’ Q&A events. You won’t win any friends by annoying people. It is easy to do this. Just make your point and add on the “will you pledge?” question on the end.
Bring a pledge placard for candidates to pose with. Politicians love photo opportunities. Make sure you bring a placard (you can download a simple one).
Try and talk to politicians in the sidelines after the event. Sometimes despite your best efforts you fail to ask a question. Or the answer isn’t 100% conclusive. Don’t give up! Try and talk to the friendliest ones afterwards and ask them if they will pledge! There’s usually no point trying to convince the ones who do not agree with you though.
Contact friendly politicians before the event. If your politicians are expecting you to come and they already support you they will be more likely to publicly support you at the meeting.
Bring your friends. The more of you there are, the stronger the message! If politicians hear similar messages from different people, it’s stronger. You can then do a stall or small action outside too. Maybe one of you can ask about Investor-State Dispute Settlements (ISDS) and the other about the UN Binding Treaty on TNCs. Don’t go too far though. You don’t want it to look too staged.
Register the pledge after the event. This is very important. If you do not do this, we will not know about it.
2. Talk to them directly
If you want more than one minute to talk to your candidates, then you might be better off trying to communicate with them directly. You could even try and organize a meeting yourself. Here are some tips to help you:
Pitch a meeting as a petition hand-in. You can say: “We have over 50,000 signatures already”. Use the popularity of the campaign to get a foot in the door. Call the office of the politician up and say you want to deliver the petition.
Target only candidates likely to be friendly. There is no point wasting time with politicians you know will reject your arguments. Focus on the ones you think will be sympathetic.
Do your research. Parliamentary candidates are not used to as much attention as national politicians are. If you show you are wanting to talk to them for a reason (rather than writing a template letter to everyone running for office) you are most likely to be heard. For example, if you know the politician you want to meet is interested in climate change, focus on that.
Try and get other groups involved. For example, if you are talking to a social democratic candidate, getting local union representatives on board will help secure more attention. For others, farmers or church groups may work better.
Praise any positive track record. If the person you are trying to reach is already a member of parliament, then drawing attention to when they have voted against ISDS, bilateral free trade agreements or corporate impunity before will make it more likely they will agree to make the pledge.
3. Protest
If they won’t listen when you ask nicely –sometimes it is good to ask less nicely. Protests can be an effective way of getting your message across to the general public and the media.
Tell the local press. If you have a photogenic protest (which you should), it is of little use unless people hear about it. A good way to make that happen is to issue a press release to the local media. Often they will send a photographer to take a picture of your protest.
Use social media. Same as with normal media –you need to get this out on social media. Getting your protest tweeted out by people with big followings can really put your action on the map. Don’t forget to mention the social media accounts of politicians you are trying to target.
Make it visually interesting. People love a spectacle. So try out your creative ideas. It doesn’t need to be labor intensive. Sometimes the simplest thing can have a huge effect. Take for example the Gilets Jaunes (yellow vests) in France – it’s just a yellow jacket, yet everyone now instantly recognizes this as a symbol of that movement.
Use humor and embarrassment. These can be powerful weapons against politicians who do not want to listen and will help you get people’s attention.
Tell any supportive politicians about it. If they are parliamentary candidates, then you can also turn it into an opportunity to get their pledge.
4. Set up a stall
A stall can also be a good way of talking to people on the street in your community. You can use them to get extra signatures for the petition and talk to people about the campaign and recruit new supporters.
Stalls even more effective when they are near or at a key event. Is there any local election campaign event in your area? A protest about a related issue (like for example on climate change)? Then use it. Setting up a stall where likeminded people are likely to congregate will maximize your results.
Make it look nice. Seems obvious but a nice looking stall will attract more people. But don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good. The most important thing is to get out there.
5. Write a letter
Often writing to candidates can be surprisingly effective. Parliamentary candidates are not as used to grassroots public pressure as national candidates.
It doesn’t have to be long. Do not worry about writing the perfect letter with all the nuances of what you want to say. Even a few sentences can be effective enough
Make the key points only. For example, our campaign can have two key demands –stop ISDS and demanding an end to corporate impunity. Keep yourself to the main points of what you want to say as a simple message can be a more effective message.
Remember to ask that they support the pledge. We need as many friends as possible in the next election. If you get a response saying they support you, make it public.