Re: Proactivity
Recurring waves of civil unrest. Protesting one affront after another. Some justice is attained. Not much changes fundamentally.
A leftist regime comes in for a while, then the right is ascendant for a while, back to the left . . . for a while.
Are we or are we not getting somewhere?
Well, it does seem that some of the world is more or less moving in a “progressive” direction in the sense of:
* transcending autocracy
* abnegating discrimination
* labor rights
* social safety net
* ecological consciousness and policy
So a case can be made for a general and gradual kind of enlightenment. But in regard to fundamental social transformation, I’ve become convinced that the Leviathan of modern complex mass society is not conducive to the achievement of the signature ultimate desideratum of the left: a classless society based on social ownership and democratic control of society’s productive assets, i.e., the full traditional socialist vision.
It ain’t happening.
Leftist protesting, striking, rebelling, struggling against The System can gain reforms (good), but it’s a delusion to think in terms of revolution. Instead, we should be focusing on building the new society within the shell of the old . . . an incremental project of generations requiring the “Three P’s” . . . patience, perspective, positivity.
We should participate in the electoral arena (because that’s what most people relate to when they think in terms of “social change”), we should promote enlightened legislation, engage in direct action (including civil disobedience) and all manner of mutual aid efforts, etc . . . movement work and electoral work and consciousness raising. But the proactive work that goes under the heading of building the new society within the shell of the old should be the priority.
That had started to be the perspective during the 1960s, if you remember:
. communes, housing cooperatives, ecovillages
. medical clinics
. legal clinics
. accounting/finance clinics
. tech clinics
. CSA’s
. free universities
. independent media/printing co-ops
. renewable energy co-ops
. childcare co-ops
. food co-ops/food banks
. yoga/exercise co-ops
. psychotherapy co-ops and crisis centers
. family planning co-ops
. consumer information co-ops
. cooperative production and services of all kinds
. labor rights and solidarity organizing
. democratic schools/community-based home-schooling
. progressive spiritual congregations
. timebanks/alternative currencies
. transportation alternatives
. coffeehouse-type cultural centers
. alternative political parties
