On October 16, 2008, a panel discussion titled What is a Movement? A Discussion on the Meaning and Direction of Left Political “Movements” Historically and Today was held in Chicago.
Audio Recording
Transcript in Platypus Review #14
Panelists
Luis Brennan (new Students for a Democratic Society)
Elena Davis (Pomegranate Health Collective)
Chuck Hendricks (UNITE/HERE)
Jorge Mujica (Movimiento 10 de Marzo)
Richard Rubin (Platypus)
The desire for revolution cannot be born only when the situation is ripe, because among the conditions for this ripeness are the revolutionary demands made of an unripe reality.
—Leszek Kolakowski
But it is absurd to think of a purely ‘objective’ foresight. The person who has foresight in reality has a ‘programme’ that he wants to see triumph, and foresight is precisely an element of this triumph.
—Antonio Gramsci
The socialist order of society is not prevented by world history; it is historically possible. But it will not be realized by a logic that is immanent to history but by men trained in theory and determined to make things better. Otherwise, it will not be realized at all.
—Max Horkheimer
…every shortcoming in historical duty increases the necessary disorder and prepares more serious catastrophes.
—Antonio Gramsci