This is a free floating informal 39-minute radical/revolutionary communist talk from me on some of the bad slogans, maxims, and terms that are commonly used on "the left": "Speak Truth to Power;" "Pessimism of the Mind, Optimism of the Will;" "The People United Will Never Be Defeated;" "This s What Democracy Looks Like;" "Whose Streets? Our Streets!;" "The One Percent" and "the 99 Percent;" "Black Lives Matter;" "Defund the Police;" "It'll be a Nice Day When the Pentagon Has to Have a Bake Sale to Pay for a B-2 Stealth Bomber;" "Fund Schools, Not the War Machine;" "Fight the Rich Not Their Wars;" "Direct Action Gets the Goods;" "Abortion is Health Care, Health Care is a Right;" "Supreme Court Go Away, Abortion Pills are Here to Stay." Please do not comment adversely on this "podcast" (talk) if you haven't actually listened to it.
Love this! Your takedown of the foolhardy "The People United Will Never Be Defeated!" slogan reminded me of this piece by Bob Avakian, where he makes a similar critique of that slogan, saying the following: "Like another slogan that came out (mainly I think this slogan was—at least it was certainly taken up, if it wasn’t initiated it was certainly taken up by a lot of revisionist forces): 'The people united will never be defeated.' Well, that’s unscientific. First of all, people have been united and defeated many times, especially when they haven’t had correct leadership, but even sometimes when they have, but the balance of forces was against them in the short term. This doesn’t mean that the leadership—that doesn’t mean you’re incorrect—sometimes you can be correct and lose, and sometimes you lose because you’re incorrect. But, first of all, people have been 'united,' and defeated many times, sometimes because they’re united around the wrong thing, and sometimes because the other forces they’re up against are more powerful at the given time."
I think it relates also to Avakian's statement about wanting to take state power...yes we want state power, damn right, ffs. My favorite ones to take down in this talk were "this is what democracy looks like" (uh no, more commonly it's what a fashy police state looks like) and "abortion is health care" (umm, abortion is freedom for women and girls and transgender folks with unwanted pregnances, okay people? Hello? --- and the war on abortion is about oppressing women). The critique of the "bake sale" "butter not guns" line is of course also straight up revcom. It's a dead-on criticism. I resisted it the first time I heard this critique but then I actually thought about it. and yes the national chauvinism reeks as does the cluelessness about why the war machine exists and is required by capitalism-imperialism
Right On, Paul. I don't know what I can do and I don't belong to any progressive groups but in my heart I am and always have been a revolutionary, but...I'm elderly, somewhat handicapped and I don't do so-called social media. But I would be willing to risk my life if there was a whisper of pushback and I knew where to show up! So please keep it up (excuse the expression and the above used up expressions) and Wake Up The People Sleepwalking Toward Their, Our END
I already watch it, thanks, and agree wholeheartedly. Apparently things are going to have to get a lot worse before the majority wakes up to out/their plight.
Excellent. Need to think! Can't allow ourselves to slide into rhymes, rhythms, and simplicities. I see so many seemingly appealing rationales that just obscure genuine issues.
I like it, seemed like we were talking over coffee someplace. But can I get anyone else to listen? Of course that’s always the issue, just because I tell someone they need to listen, doesn’t mean they will.
Ya, read you a lot. Ya, probably paranoid. Yes, I take my placard out on Sundays and stand in public square in Falmouth, MA.
Your criticisms of slogans rubbed me the wrong way. Why? It's difficult enough to get folks our their to protest peacefully with placards. Do you think criticizing these slogans and chats help the -get out there and protest- folk.
How do you think that might be considered politically uncorrect by me? Seriously. Your comments are tinged by a hint of paranoia. Since you comment a fair bit on my posts let me ask: have you not noticed that I am a radical critic of the US-Russia proxy war in Ukraine and that I advocate "talks, not tanks"? Two other questions: have you made that (I think) good slogan into a placard and displayed it in public, possibly in a peace demonstration with other human beings? (I hope so.) Do you take my criticisms of the slogans discussed in this essay to mean that I think everyone should run their slogans through me as censor? I claim the right to reflect critically on slogans without it being suggested that I think I'm Big Brother!
This is a free floating informal 39-minute radical/revolutionary communist talk from me on some of the bad slogans, maxims, and terms that are commonly used on "the left": "Speak Truth to Power;" "Pessimism of the Mind, Optimism of the Will;" "The People United Will Never Be Defeated;" "This s What Democracy Looks Like;" "Whose Streets? Our Streets!;" "The One Percent" and "the 99 Percent;" "Black Lives Matter;" "Defund the Police;" "It'll be a Nice Day When the Pentagon Has to Have a Bake Sale to Pay for a B-2 Stealth Bomber;" "Fund Schools, Not the War Machine;" "Fight the Rich Not Their Wars;" "Direct Action Gets the Goods;" "Abortion is Health Care, Health Care is a Right;" "Supreme Court Go Away, Abortion Pills are Here to Stay." Please do not comment adversely on this "podcast" (talk) if you haven't actually listened to it.
Love this! Your takedown of the foolhardy "The People United Will Never Be Defeated!" slogan reminded me of this piece by Bob Avakian, where he makes a similar critique of that slogan, saying the following: "Like another slogan that came out (mainly I think this slogan was—at least it was certainly taken up, if it wasn’t initiated it was certainly taken up by a lot of revisionist forces): 'The people united will never be defeated.' Well, that’s unscientific. First of all, people have been united and defeated many times, especially when they haven’t had correct leadership, but even sometimes when they have, but the balance of forces was against them in the short term. This doesn’t mean that the leadership—that doesn’t mean you’re incorrect—sometimes you can be correct and lose, and sometimes you lose because you’re incorrect. But, first of all, people have been 'united,' and defeated many times, sometimes because they’re united around the wrong thing, and sometimes because the other forces they’re up against are more powerful at the given time."
https://revcom.us/en/avakian/material-basis/the-material-basis-and-the-method-for-making-revolution-en.html
I think it relates also to Avakian's statement about wanting to take state power...yes we want state power, damn right, ffs. My favorite ones to take down in this talk were "this is what democracy looks like" (uh no, more commonly it's what a fashy police state looks like) and "abortion is health care" (umm, abortion is freedom for women and girls and transgender folks with unwanted pregnances, okay people? Hello? --- and the war on abortion is about oppressing women). The critique of the "bake sale" "butter not guns" line is of course also straight up revcom. It's a dead-on criticism. I resisted it the first time I heard this critique but then I actually thought about it. and yes the national chauvinism reeks as does the cluelessness about why the war machine exists and is required by capitalism-imperialism
Right On, Paul. I don't know what I can do and I don't belong to any progressive groups but in my heart I am and always have been a revolutionary, but...I'm elderly, somewhat handicapped and I don't do so-called social media. But I would be willing to risk my life if there was a whisper of pushback and I knew where to show up! So please keep it up (excuse the expression and the above used up expressions) and Wake Up The People Sleepwalking Toward Their, Our END
I second Peter's recommendation. I expect to expire on the front lines of a revolution one day. What better way to go! :)
Watch “The RNL, Revolution Nothing Less Show” on YouTube!
I already watch it, thanks, and agree wholeheartedly. Apparently things are going to have to get a lot worse before the majority wakes up to out/their plight.
Excellent. Need to think! Can't allow ourselves to slide into rhymes, rhythms, and simplicities. I see so many seemingly appealing rationales that just obscure genuine issues.
I like it, seemed like we were talking over coffee someplace. But can I get anyone else to listen? Of course that’s always the issue, just because I tell someone they need to listen, doesn’t mean they will.
Ya, read you a lot. Ya, probably paranoid. Yes, I take my placard out on Sundays and stand in public square in Falmouth, MA.
Your criticisms of slogans rubbed me the wrong way. Why? It's difficult enough to get folks our their to protest peacefully with placards. Do you think criticizing these slogans and chats help the -get out there and protest- folk.
Reading you lastes book. Liken it.
Cheers
Yes, maybe got to rethink slogans but kinda sounds like your criticism is criticizing the critics.
Enjoyed your thoughts.
Cheers
Suggesting the critics aren't so critical I am
I'll run my protest slogans by you for political correctness.
My latest placard:
TALKS
NOT
TANKS
IN
UKRAINE
Please, I'm open to critical criticism
Cheers
How do you think that might be considered politically uncorrect by me? Seriously. Your comments are tinged by a hint of paranoia. Since you comment a fair bit on my posts let me ask: have you not noticed that I am a radical critic of the US-Russia proxy war in Ukraine and that I advocate "talks, not tanks"? Two other questions: have you made that (I think) good slogan into a placard and displayed it in public, possibly in a peace demonstration with other human beings? (I hope so.) Do you take my criticisms of the slogans discussed in this essay to mean that I think everyone should run their slogans through me as censor? I claim the right to reflect critically on slogans without it being suggested that I think I'm Big Brother!