11/10/1999, Projekt Interkonti wrote:
[excerpted]
I was very interested to see your open letter and your
comments on PGA on the social-movements-mailing-list.
However, I do not agree on your view of incorporating
everybody at once into a movement, including the right-wing.
we should counter any right-wing argumentation at
all times, and not forget the new second hallmark adopted at
the second PGA conference in Bangalore: "We reject all forms
and systems of domination and discrimination including, but
not limited to, patriarchy, racism and religious
fundamentalism of all creeds. We embrace the full dignity of
all human beings."
We have to build up strategies to counter right-wing
influence by exposing the underlying causes and implications
of the seeming attractivity of right-wing arguments.
Dear Projekt,
Of course I agree with your assessment of right-wing ideology.
However it is important that we understand - as revolutionary strategists -
the role of the right-wing movement, globally, in countering our own
movements. Groups such as the National Front are a strong political force
and their existence makes the political path difficult for us.
I've devoted time to looking at right-wing propaganda - the distorted,
conspiracy-theory party-line that is manufactured centrally and distributed
to the grass-roots right. The stuff is very clever. It includes
considerable factual information and it finds ways to appeal to the
sentiments and prejudices of people who in many cases have little access to
alternative information - other than the absurd mass-media's own propaganda
line. In fact, by pointing out lies in the mass-media, the right-wing
propaganda gains added credibility.
But the grass-roots folks themselves aren't stupid yobs, even though _some
stupid yobs can be found there. When people get a chance to hear other
points of view they are not always closed minded.
As a matter of fact, organizing efforts are underway to build communication
and links between the grass-roots left and the grass-roots right. The
paragraph below is from an announcement about one of the actions planned
for Seattle:
Recognizing that we have a common interest in making
corporations more accountable for their behavior world-wide,
ENVIRONMENTAL and LABOR leaders have formed the Alliance for
Sustainable Jobs and the Environment and circulated the
following statement, dubbed "The Houston Principles".
I'm not suggesting that right-wing organizations should be invited to join
PGA. What I am suggesting is that part of PGA's organizing activities can
enter into dialog with folks who are currently captured by right-wing
thinking. In fact, the same forces which oppress us oppress them as well.
When they understand this, solidarity can become possible.
When divisivenes can be ended in the grass-roots, we can prevail.
rkm
