Sun Apr 29, 2012, 07:34 PM

marmar (60,828 posts)

Noam Chomsky: May Day

Published on Sunday, April 29, 2012 by Zuccotti Park Press
May Day

by Noam Chomsky

If you’re a serious revolutionary, then you are not looking for an autocratic revolution, but a popular one which will move towards freedom and democracy. That can take place only if a mass of the population are implementing it, carrying it out, and solving problems. They’re not going to undertake that commitment, understandably, unless they have discovered for themselves that there are limits to reform.

A sensible revolutionary will try to push reform to the limits, for two good reasons. First, because the reforms can be valuable in themselves. People should have an eight-hour day rather than a twelve-hour day. And in general, we should want to act in accord with decent ethical values.

Secondly, on strategic grounds, you have to show that here are limits to reform. Perhaps sometimes the system will accommodate to needed reforms. If so, well and good. But if it won’t, then new questions arise. Perhaps that is a moment when resistance is necessary, steps to overcome the barriers to justified changes. Perhaps the time has come to resort to coercive measures in defense of rights and justice, a form of self-defense. Unless the general population recognizes such measures to be a form of self-defense, they’re not going to take part in them, at least they shouldn’t. ...................(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/04/29-4

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11 replies	Author	Time	Post
Noam Chomsky: May Day (Original post)	marmar	Apr 2012	OP
IMHO, destroying the system and hoping for a new, better system is absurd.	rhett o rick	Apr 2012	#1
The problem with this strategy is that it requires........	socialist_n_TN	Apr 2012	#2
Years ago when I was studying with the YSA, we learned it is never 'over.' TPB count on us relying	freshwest	Apr 2012	#4
I dont disagree. But, what choice do we have? I havent seen a workable alternative. nm	rhett o rick	Apr 2012	#5
You can eliminate the institutions without overtly destroying them.	joshcryer	Apr 2012	#8
Excellent, every word.	freshwest	Apr 2012	#3
K&R May Day started here.	Egalitarian Thug	Apr 2012	#6
"Asking" and "demanding" only legitimizes the corrupt powers that be.	Fire Walk With Me	Apr 2012	#7
"Building our own systems is correct."	joshcryer	Apr 2012	#9
Exactly.	ronnie624	Apr 2012	#10
Kick for May Day!	countryjake	Apr 2012	#11

Response to marmar (Original post)

Sun Apr 29, 2012, 07:46 PM

rhett o rick (26,694 posts)

1. IMHO, destroying the system and hoping for a new, better system is absurd.

I dont believe it has happened anytime in history. The lone exception might be the American Revolution which really say us revolt against a government in a different continent.

I say what we need to do, what has been done in the past, we need to scare the shit out of the oligarchs so they will loosen their grip.

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Response to rhett o rick (Reply #1)

Sun Apr 29, 2012, 07:57 PM

socialist_n_TN (8,333 posts)

2. The problem with this strategy is that it requires........

going throught this kind of shit every few decades as capitalism gets more and more out of control. Do you really want your grandchildren to go through this?

"Regulated" capitalism will ALWAYS slip it's regulation. Because of the nature of capitalism, the people are ALWAYS fighting against money and wealth. And money and wealth are unprincipled in defense of itself. Throughout history it's been shown that capitalism CANNOT be regulated long term.

Regulating capitalism is like riding a tiger. It's VERY hard to do and you're always in danger of being eaten.

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Response to socialist_n_TN (Reply #2)

Sun Apr 29, 2012, 08:43 PM

freshwest (31,420 posts)

4. Years ago when I was studying with the YSA, we learned it is never 'over.' TPB count on us relying

On the work of past generations, but they are ready to attack every generation. And they do.

We had to learn, that they count on our increasing age and disabiliites, falling for diversions, our taking for granted what is once won is set in stone. It never is.

I know it's wearying. I'm not sure why some, not you, feel so put upon to have to fight again the battles our parents and grandparents did.

Perhaps previous generations won so much that we grew up thinking wealth and capitalism had evolved. That will never be the case, and the push for equality is the task of every generation.

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Response to socialist_n_TN (Reply #2)

Sun Apr 29, 2012, 10:48 PM

rhett o rick (26,694 posts)

5. I dont disagree. But, what choice do we have? I havent seen a workable alternative. nm

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Response to rhett o rick (Reply #1)

Mon Apr 30, 2012, 01:54 AM

joshcryer (39,748 posts)

8. You can eliminate the institutions without overtly destroying them.

Just as we largely eliminated horse and carriage with the invention of the car. We didn't go around destroying horse and carriages, though they did wind up being stored somewhere or turned into firewood over time...

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Response to marmar (Original post)

Sun Apr 29, 2012, 08:33 PM

freshwest (31,420 posts)

3. Excellent, every word.

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Response to marmar (Original post)

Mon Apr 30, 2012, 01:43 AM

Egalitarian Thug (7,105 posts)

6. K&R May Day started here.

...then became an international day in support of American workers who were being subjected to brutal violence and judicial punishment.

And here we are again, and again. Why?

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Response to marmar (Original post)

Mon Apr 30, 2012, 01:48 AM

Fire Walk With Me (37,033 posts)

7. "Asking" and "demanding" only legitimizes the corrupt powers that be.

Building our own systems is correct.

“You never change things by fighting the existing reality.
To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete.”
― Richard Buckminster Fuller

This is as simple as growing your own food, and working up from there, with others.

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Response to Fire Walk With Me (Reply #7)

Mon Apr 30, 2012, 01:55 AM

joshcryer (39,748 posts)

9. "Building our own systems is correct."

That's the solution.

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Response to Fire Walk With Me (Reply #7)

Mon Apr 30, 2012, 02:22 AM

ronnie624 (3,692 posts)

10. Exactly.

Can anyone see Dick Cheney or the Koch brothers asking if we mind if they dismantle public schooling or spend our treasury on aggressive war and 'tax cuts' for millionaires?

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Response to marmar (Original post)

Mon Apr 30, 2012, 03:32 PM

countryjake (4,779 posts)

11. Kick for May Day!

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