In this episode of Caleb Maupin informal YouTube series on socialism, its history, tendencies, tactics, strategies, problems of construction, and victories and defeats, he interviews Joti Brar, Vice Chair of Britain Communist Party (ML), and in a separate exchange, Al Suarez, a committed Trotskyist.
JEFF J. BROWN—The Achilles heel for any movement in the United States, which might permanently bring social and economic justice to the 99%, always has been and still is its Marlboro Man ethic. Me-Myself-I-Go-It-Alone is glorified, admired and exalted. Sorry to say, but outside groups like the Black Panthers, 95% of US citizens would not know the meaning of solidarity if it slapped them in the face, which is Us-Ourselves-We-Sacrifice-Together.
JOHN AVERY—Leopold’s private army of 90,000 men were issued ammunition, and to make sure that they used it in the proper way, the army was ordered to cut off the hands of their victims and send them back as proof that the bullets had not been wasted. Human hands became a kind of currency, and hands were cut off from living men, women and children when rubber quotas were not fulfilled. Sometimes more than a thousand human hands were gathered in a single day. During the rule of Leopold, roughly 10,000,000 Congolese were killed, which was approximately half the population of the region.
BRUCE LERRO—Who developed revolutionary theory? For the Old Left, revolutionary theory was developed by professional revolutionaries inside the Communist Party or by members of trade unions. At least hypothetically if not actually, Leninist theory should be informed by political practice in organizing the working class and its struggles. On the other hand, led by the Frankfurt school, New Leftist theory was developed not within a party or a union but within the academy. Most New Leftist theory after 1970 came out of universities, whether structuralism, Foucault, post-structuralist or postmodernist.
PEPE ESCOBAR—The Asian-wide collectivist spirit and discipline – especially in Confucianist-influenced societies – works irrespective of the political system. At least Byung-Chul Han admits, “all these Asian particularities are systemic advantages to contain the epidemic.” The point is not that Asian disciplinary society should be seen as a model for the West. We already live in a digital global Panopticum (where’s Foucault when we need him?) Social network vigilance – and censorship – deployed by the Silicon Valley behemoths has already been internalized. All our data as citizens is trafficked and instantly marketized for private profit. So yes; digital neo-feudalism was already in effect even before Covid-19.