An interview with
An interview with International Organization for Participatory Society http://mobile.zcommunications.org/chomsky-on-iops-by-noam-chomsky “The way to overcome doubts is to show what can be achieved.”There has been criticism that the WSM’s propaganda can be slightly on the negative side. We frequently raise the issue of limitations of what can be done yet still nevertheless advocate them to advance beyond the limits towards socialism. When faced with such movements as Occupy or anti-austerity movements should we simply concentrate solely upon their positive aspects of their successes and ignore the rest? We possess the “common goal” and we possess the “long term vision” yet fail to emphasise the “practical implications” to use Chomsky’s words. “”the call has simply reached very few people. And they tend to be a select group” . In our case to even more few and more select. We cannot simply blame it upon lack of tools – we have the internet, we have the printed medium available, the organisation and the facilities to employ them. Our message is being heard and it is being rejected. I have sided with the view that it is the perception of it, the style it is conveyed, which we fail . We do not make the long-term vision a short-term one. It is still considered by most as the ultimate object, not the immediate one. Perhaps we should single out the positve successes of struggles and emphasise this could lead to socialism. The democracy of Occupy, the control over production by the work-force, linking it more directly to socialism – you have now taken the first step 1, to keep going forward you have to take another step..and another…otherwise you are standing still…..and steps that are required need to be this or that or whatever. Yes, the risk is appearing to be vanguardist, accusations of directing the movement. But i disagree. When we advocate protests have to progress to political action and suggest that it has to be through parliament and peacefully if possible we are doing what the Communist Manifesto describes – not leading the movement but pushing it forward with arguments and analysis. ” Communists, therefore, are on the one hand, practically, the most advanced and resolute section of the working-class parties of every country, that section which pushes forward all others; on the other hand, theoretically, they have over the great mass of the proletariat the advantage of clearly understanding the line of march, the conditions, and the ultimate general results of the proletarian movement….Communists everywhere support every revolutionary movement against the existing social and political order of things. In all these movements, they bring to the front, as the leading question in each, the property question, no matter what its degree of development at the time.”