Marxists are Alive and...

...not well. They're still convinced, still confused. And that's being polite. I watched a little of C-SPAN2's Book TV this morning. Michael McCaughan, author and columnist for The Guardian (UK), gave a little talk to an audience of about 12 in Robin's Bookstore in Philadelphia. Mr. McCaughan essentially hyped his new book, The Battle of Venezuela (review here). One Phoebe Jones, the U.S. Coordinator of Global Women's Strike, was on hand to augment Mr. McCaughan and contribute to the talk. To cut to the chase, Mr. McCaughan and Ms. Jones told us all about the wonderfulness of Hugo Chavez's Venezuela and the success of the socialist revolution in that country...not to mention details about the crimes, counter-revolutionary plots, and other nastiness the Bush Administration has committed on this peaceful country and its visionary leader.

I watch this stuff and I wonder "Who are these people? How can they still believe in a political system that has failed miserably, not to mention killed millions of people everywhere it has achieved power?" How can they write things like this...

As the many actions planned show, the Strike aims to bring women (and men) together across many divisions. As the statement says, "It begins with those of us who are invisible as workers: mothers and other caregivers, grassroots activists; subsistence, migrant and family farmers; those struggling on disability benefits, welfare, social security; child laborers; immigrants with or without papers; bonded laborers; domestic and homecare workers; sex workers; prisoners and ex-prisoners; refuseniks; students; rape survivors & others working for justice; community volunteers and more; whatever our sex, race, nationality, religion, age, sexual choice."
We salute the efforts of Global Women's Strike and all the many and valiant organizations coming forward to defend the rights of women and take their stand to change society. As the statement concludes, "Many of us are shocked that Bush and his genocidal henchmen are in charge of the largest military machine in the world for four more years. But as Joe Hill, a great working class fighter, said when he was framed for murder by the US police and got the death sentence, `Don't mourn. Organize!'

...with a straight face? And expect rational man-in-the-street Americans to believe?

Thank God for C-SPAN. If it weren't for them, I wouldn't be poking around in the sewers of American political life. There's vermin down there.