Excellent introspection that is sorely missing among much of the Boomer Left. Plus a new generation among whom are many making the same mistakes as we did. My trajectory is somewhat different than yours --- the current I came out of were more anarchocommunism that slid into Trotskyism. Foruntately I rejected the authoritarian models of Marxist Leninist states from the onset. A blessing. But I have wound up in the same place as you more or less. At a deep level I am a socialist And having worked for Allende, deeply committed to democracy. What I reject are easily stated maximalist or utopian programs. I have become comfortable with defining politics today this way: I have three principles:: More equality. More democracy. More power exercised from below instead from atop. I am in favor of incremental steps in any of those three directions. Indeed the journey is more important than than the goal which is most likely illusory in any case.
A few years back I read an anecdote about the young Emma Goldman, when she was barnstorming, giving speeches to rouse support for the revolution. After one, an older worker approached her and told her that he was unlikely to live to see the revolution and asked what she could provide for him while he was alive. The story ended by saying she had no good response and took the man's question to heart. Unfortunately, I have not been able since to track down the story.
Excellent introspection that is sorely missing among much of the Boomer Left. Plus a new generation among whom are many making the same mistakes as we did. My trajectory is somewhat different than yours --- the current I came out of were more anarchocommunism that slid into Trotskyism. Foruntately I rejected the authoritarian models of Marxist Leninist states from the onset. A blessing. But I have wound up in the same place as you more or less. At a deep level I am a socialist And having worked for Allende, deeply committed to democracy. What I reject are easily stated maximalist or utopian programs. I have become comfortable with defining politics today this way: I have three principles:: More equality. More democracy. More power exercised from below instead from atop. I am in favor of incremental steps in any of those three directions. Indeed the journey is more important than than the goal which is most likely illusory in any case.
SD DS a viable distinction ?
No
Not as party or org tent pole
Engels noticed his political views moving over time
from black v white
To gray on gray
But revolutionary remained central
A few years back I read an anecdote about the young Emma Goldman, when she was barnstorming, giving speeches to rouse support for the revolution. After one, an older worker approached her and told her that he was unlikely to live to see the revolution and asked what she could provide for him while he was alive. The story ended by saying she had no good response and took the man's question to heart. Unfortunately, I have not been able since to track down the story.