Comments on: Com­mu­nism is not iden­tity pol­i­tics http://blog.voyou.org/2006/09/03/communism-is-not-identity-politics/ Lazy rascals, spending their substance, and more, in riotous living Fri, 10 Feb 2012 05:01:43 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: The Thing is… (again) http://blog.voyou.org/2006/09/03/communism-is-not-identity-politics/comment-page-1/#comment-16064 The Thing is… (again) Tue, 08 Jan 2008 15:44:22 +0000 http://blog.voyou.org/2006/09/03/communism-is-not-identity-politics/#comment-16064 [...] I stumbled across this which has some smart things to say on the ‘identity politics of class’ and the thing-like [...] [...] I stumbled across this which has some smart things to say on the ‘identity politics of class’ and the thing-like [...]

]]> By: Nate http://blog.voyou.org/2006/09/03/communism-is-not-identity-politics/comment-page-1/#comment-14 Nate Sun, 10 Sep 2006 20:56:52 +0000 http://blog.voyou.org/2006/09/03/communism-is-not-identity-politics/#comment-14 To my mind the question is not one of working class identity but of class collaboration. Any working class organization (regardless of name but in, well, in reality) must address gendered, raced, and many other dynamics related to hierarchies and nonhierarchical but important differences within the class. So in that respect to address race is not to blunt a class analysis or class organization's action. On the other hand, given that some forms of oppression cut across class lines, there is a question as to whether working class organizations should in some sense collaborate with the other class(es) in order to address those cross-cutting oppressions. The substantive (ie, nonbollocks) component of worthwhile ultraleftism is a position against class collaboration. There are at least two questions here, by which one can sort this substantive ultraleftism into two types. One is, for lack of a better term, conjunctural: does class collaboraton make sense? (A la the EZLN's 6th declaration which includes small business owners in its call.) Some ultraleftists will say never. I lean that way, but am not dogmatic (I think the 6th declaration makes sense given what little I know about things in Mexico and I wish them luck.) The other is organization-specific: is this organization class collaborationist and/or can(should) it be in a way which is effective to some given class collaborationist end and which is effective for the organization's ends. I tend to be more purist in this latter level, because of the 'political work' I like to do and am involved in, which is workplace-centric. take care, Nate To my mind the question is not one of working class identity but of class collaboration. Any working class organization (regardless of name but in, well, in reality) must address gendered, raced, and many other dynamics related to hierarchies and nonhierarchical but important differences within the class. So in that respect to address race is not to blunt a class analysis or class organization’s action. On the other hand, given that some forms of oppression cut across class lines, there is a question as to whether working class organizations should in some sense collaborate with the other class(es) in order to address those cross-cutting oppressions. The substantive (ie, nonbollocks) component of worthwhile ultraleftism is a position against class collaboration. There are at least two questions here, by which one can sort this substantive ultraleftism into two types. One is, for lack of a better term, conjunctural: does class collaboraton make sense? (A la the EZLN’s 6th declaration which includes small business owners in its call.) Some ultraleftists will say never. I lean that way, but am not dogmatic (I think the 6th declaration makes sense given what little I know about things in Mexico and I wish them luck.) The other is organization-specific: is this organization class collaborationist and/or can(should) it be in a way which is effective to some given class collaborationist end and which is effective for the organization’s ends. I tend to be more purist in this latter level, because of the ‘political work’ I like to do and am involved in, which is workplace-centric. take care, Nate

]]> By: Madd Marxx http://blog.voyou.org/2006/09/03/communism-is-not-identity-politics/comment-page-1/#comment-13 Madd Marxx Sun, 10 Sep 2006 02:13:08 +0000 http://blog.voyou.org/2006/09/03/communism-is-not-identity-politics/#comment-13 "identity politics of class". Fucking brilliant insight. Thanks for that. “identity politics of class”.
Fucking brilliant insight.

Thanks for that.

]]> By: voyou http://blog.voyou.org/2006/09/03/communism-is-not-identity-politics/comment-page-1/#comment-8 voyou Wed, 06 Sep 2006 20:42:33 +0000 http://blog.voyou.org/2006/09/03/communism-is-not-identity-politics/#comment-8 Ha, sorry. You'll just have to make sure you finish the dissertation quickly before I steal any more of your ideas. Ha, sorry. You’ll just have to make sure you finish the dissertation quickly before I steal any more of your ideas.

]]> By: geo http://blog.voyou.org/2006/09/03/communism-is-not-identity-politics/comment-page-1/#comment-7 geo Wed, 06 Sep 2006 20:21:04 +0000 http://blog.voyou.org/2006/09/03/communism-is-not-identity-politics/#comment-7 yo, quit biting my shit. that was in my prospectus! yo, quit biting my shit. that was in my prospectus!

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