Krugman has a response to the Chate (pun intended) article today:

http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/09/05/on-the-inadequacy-of-the-stimulus/

That’s capitalism. Another example is “Con-Way Transport”. You may remember “Consolidated Freightways, which went out of business suddenly while owing the drivers a great deal of money. Well, they intended all along to keep operating as scab Con-Way (the first and last three letters of Consolidated Freightways). My father was a union truck driver, one [...]

“There’s an amazing silent consensus in this country about sustaining an American-led global capitalist system, so much so that it’s difficult to find people who think and speak outside this framework.” Exactly right. Bread and circuses, and an illustration of why Marxists are opposed to nationalism of any sort. The workers have no country; you [...]

I am intrigued about Cindy Sheehan as well, and agree on the Greens. In my experience Greens are only slightly curious about what it means to be working-class and in need of education, but not willing to put in the effort. They want workers to walk in their shoes rather than trying to put themselves [...]

In relative terms workers are much worse off compared to capitalists than they were two hundred years ago: the quality of the “stuff” is better, but say a computer contains less labor time to produce than say a coat did back then.

I highly recommend his “Beyond Capital”, it is rigorously theoretical and yet accessible to anyone familiar at all with Marx. At the beginning of the first edition he says “Let me begin by introducing myself. I do not count Marxism as among my influences; nor do I call myself some kind of Marxist because I [...]

Thanks for the compliment Glenn. I too agree that a board like FDL for radicals is needed. I really don’t know anything about putting one together but assume it must be expensive. In the meantime I think I may include the American Dream aspect in my forms of explanation/ perceptions of reality article here. I [...]

Yes, it looks like the board is clogged with posts from some of bigshots from the main board, which didn’t happen when it was the Seminal. It may be part of a larger effort to purge radicals from here, as I said an enforced consensus by the PTB on the main board. I guess it’s [...]

Wow, knocked out of the “My FDL Recent Diaries” list in less than 12 hours! Glenn’s posts used to routinely get 70 comments by over a dozen posters. It is much harder to get a good discussion going when no one knows we are here. Anyway, on Trotsky, it seems like his appeal to many [...]

Certainly, though I see she is coquetting with Socialist Alternative, and Trotskyism is not my cup of tea. But it looks like her theoretical position is only now being formed so we’ll see where it leads.

Please bring back the edit function!

So you are member of a right-wing gang of thugs threatening us with violence?

I just started to write out my take on the American Dream but I realize it will be so long that it will hijack your post. I think I may post a journal on it (I have several paragraphs already that I cut from this post!). For now: the reason for studying the mythology we [...]

Excellent post Glenn. A lot of things to comment on, but your last paragraph really hit home. Too often the commentariet on this board will respond with something like “Socialism is not possible in the USA because we have never seen it here before.” If we had the same “it’s pointless to try something that [...]

Hi Glenn, I didn’t see your last post until the comments were shut off, posts don’t seem to be listed very long on the “myfdl” page anymore, partially because so many are posting now I think, but a policy change also. BTW I friend requested you a week or so ago so that I can [...]

Here was my go at it:

http://my.firedoglake.com/reddflagg/2010/10/23/reform-versus-revolution/

An enduring disappointment for me about this board is that someone will write a well-argued, articulate post showing that capitalism cannot be made humane by tinkering with it in the right way, that a “hybrid” between capitalism and communism is both unavailing and unattractive (it will be short lived and inefficient) and that we need [...]

I am intrigued by your ideas, and I have often said that a third party could achieve mobilization for a larger movement for change, not just winning elections, which ultimately will not change anything at all. Run in districts already on the left, say parts of both coasts and the cities like St. Paul, and [...]