Liberalism and Lassitude

We are soon going to be asked: whom will you vote for in November? Given the quadrennial pressure to face utter disaster with reaction or coddle the future with facsimile liberalism, I would like to record my opinion early: the question does not impress me as a vital one, and I shall probably sit my answer out.

Why? A serious socialist organization will not enact a feeble charade of political activity. The ritualistic socialist sects will make a busy ceremony of “equal time, ‘ which is their privilege. For my part, I feel no obligation to worship because someone has erected a temple.

For the few who still look wistfully at the labor leaders, or the ranks behind them, it might be added that we have become quite accustomed to threats of a new kind of political intervention—even by such potent figures as Meany and Reuther. We have become accustomed, period.

I am not saying that anything short of simon-pure socialism (my kind, of course) is unacceptable. Many of us are quite ready to accept good liberal coin in the absence of socialist exchange. There have been and will again be situations where a single issue overrides considerations of party frame or program. Negro rights, labor’s status, ...