Re: Noam on intellectuals
On Feb 12, 2007, at 1:05 PM, Jim Straub wrote:
leftists fantasize extravagantly about US workers and bitterly
demean political engagement with them from where they’re actually
at as acts of running dog collaborationism
Since I suspect this is directed at least in part at me, let me say:
1) I’m hardly one to idealize the consciousness of the American
working class; 2) on the particular issue of health insurance, I
don’t think the consciousness of the working class is at its most
dismal; 3) the point of unions and their leadership is to try to
figure out where the working class could go, and not just throw in
the towel and accept what exists as immutable; and 4) no union leader
should ever say that leadership on any issue at all should be the
prerogative of business. Doing 4) is almost the very definition of
running dog collaborationism, except that business doesn’t need Andy
Stern, even as a very junior partner.
Doug