Long time commenter Mulciber asked me to write about my thoughts on unity within the anti-capitalist left, particularly the marxist left. They wanted to know my opinion on "how the various kinds of Marxists can get past their hair-splitting theoretical differences and unite based on common interests." So here follows a reflection on this question.
1: multiple tendencies as an unavoidable fact
Long ago, when I first became an anti-capitalist activist, like many others I was troubled by the proliferation of various anti-capitalist organizations, some of which refused to work with each other. The most rational solution, to my mind, was for all of the groups to put aside their differences, combine into a single organization, and work together for the "greater good" of post-capitalism. That is, I naively and uncritically believed that the principle of utility could be applied to the general left and that it needed to be applied. Such a belief was reinforced, as I…
1: multiple tendencies as an unavoidable fact
Long ago, when I first became an anti-capitalist activist, like many others I was troubled by the proliferation of various anti-capitalist organizations, some of which refused to work with each other. The most rational solution, to my mind, was for all of the groups to put aside their differences, combine into a single organization, and work together for the "greater good" of post-capitalism. That is, I naively and uncritically believed that the principle of utility could be applied to the general left and that it needed to be applied. Such a belief was reinforced, as I…