Re: Constituency issue

        One small point.  Your list of questions jumps from (6. to (8.
without including a (7.  Is there a seventh question that we've been
missing all along?

        Warren

On Mon, 15 Nov 1999, Elson E. Boles wrote:

> On Monday, November 15, 1999 1:37 AM, cem somel [SMTP:somel@metu.edu.tr] 
> wrote:
> > I am a Turk following the discussion on forming a World Party among core
> > countries' intellectuals on this network, and I think Mr. Kohler's 
> suggestion
> > one of the most useful so far.
> >     Socialists in Turkey (and this probably holds true for many in the 
> Third
> > World) are facing an uphill struggle because of the (1) capitalist 
> ideological
> > hegemony (globalization rhetoric and propaganda holding sway over 
> workers,
> > intellectuals, bureaucrats etc.) (2) the adverse psychological impact 
>of 
> the
> > demise of the Soviet system - due to a superficial understanding of 
> socialism,
> > (3) ethnic and religious conflict fueled by the center countries (the 
>US 
>  is a
> > haven for and the supporter of very pernicious "peaceful" Turkish 
> Islamist
> > movements such as Fethullah Gulen, who rubs elbows with the Pope and 
>the 
> Moon
> > movement) (4) the defeatism arising from the  psychological impact of 
> center
> > countries' show of military force in the Third World (recurrent bombing 
> of Iraq
> > etc.).
> >     Yet the soft part of the world system -its weakest part-  is the 
> Third
> > World. It is crucial that socialists in the center countries and in the
> > periphery should seek new modes of cooperation and solidarity in a 
>World 
> Party
> > or some other form of organization.
> > Respectfully,
> > C. Somel
> > Dep of Economics
> > Middle East Technical University
> > 06531 Ankara Turkey
> 
> I simply wish to clarify to all that this discussion is not, at least in 
> principle, a "discussion on forming a World Party among core
> countries' intellectuals."  One of the questions under discussion,  # 3 
> below, asks "Who would be the constituency of  a World Party?"  For 
> people's convenience, I've re-posted the questions below.
> 
> I add that Dr. Somel's comments, in particular that "It is crucial that 
> socialists in the center countries and in the periphery should seek new 
> modes of cooperation and solidarity in a World Party or some other form 
>of 
> organization" -- seems right on target.
> 
> 
> -------------------------
> 1. Is the idea of organizing a World Party in the near future wrong,
> premature, anachronistic, too Stalinist, to Napoleonic, destined to
> failure, overly compulsive, eschatological, a cabal of intellectuals
> mesmerized by their own ideas,  etc.?
> 
> 2.What should the long run, medium run and short run goals of the World
> Party be?:
>       a.  is a democratic and collectively rational global commonwealth
> a desirable and feasible goal for the next century?  How  might such an
> entity be organized?
>        b.  should the World Party support or oppose the emergence of  a
> global state?
>        c.  should the WP make an effort to prevent catastrophes such as
> warfare among core powers or global ecological collapse, or should we
> rather concentrate on being ready to pick up the pieces after such
> catastrophes happen (as in the scenario in Wagar's Short History).
>         d.  what kinds of immediate struggles should the World Party
> take on?
> 
> 3 Who would be the constituency of  a World Party?
> 
> 4. Who would be the activists?
> 
> 5. How would a World Party be organized?
> 
> 6. How can we create a powerful coalition of counter-hegemonic
> movements: women, workers, environmentalists, Third World and indigenous
> peoples. Who should be in this, and who should not be in it?
> 
> 8. Where are the persuadibles. What kinds of people will not need much
> persuasion? Which kinds will never be persuaded?
> 
> 9. How can we help to turn the reaction against capitalist globalization
> into a movement for globalization from below?
> 
>