Dear OPE-Lers,
A Happy New Year.
As one of a few non-academic participants of the list,
I'm much interested in Alan's post and responses from
others.
I have been contiributing to the theoretical activity of
the Socialist Association (one of left body of the socialist
party of Japan) for 10 years. There was certain collective
works by member academics when I first attended a meeting
of the theoretical study group of the organization. But to my
disappointment, such activities have been diminishing as long
as our influence on labour movement has been weakening.
Not a few academics went rightward associated with union leaders.
Then disagreements on concrete political issues often split members
into several positions and personal flames followed.
Of course, such kind of difficulties in organinzing is not a specific
character of academics. Activists are always facing such difficulties
in daily struggles. But in the case of academics, the theoretical
factors seem more important than other factors. Is it an advantage
of academics in order to solve problems logically?
For me, it is worthless to concentrate myself in 'a pure thought'
on economics. My concern is related to the present struggle.
Anyone can insist on one's unique thought what is a key issue of
the present struggle. Obviously my concern is limited by my own
circumstances. There are two spheres. (1) I have lectures on
current economic topics at activists meetings several times a year.
There I have chances to catch what kind of questions activists have
on current economic development. Questions I'm asked there are
mostly questions originally asked by next-workers of activists which
they cannot well explain in relation to class struggle. These years
the most frequent question has been a problem of so-named a
'bubble economy'. As I have an experience of stock market analyst
for a securities firm, analysis of 'bubble economy' and the current
deppression caught me some years. (2) The current problems of the
party and our organization gives me a chance to consider seriously
on socialism. Considering socialism has to begin with considering
capitalism at the principle level. This is why I joined this list.
I believe not only exchange of majors of members but also exchange
of current concerns would contribute to the development of discussions
on the list.
in solidarity,
Iwao
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Iwao Kitamura
a member of theoretical study group
Socialist Association (Japan)
E-mail : ikita@st.rim.or.jp
personal web: http://www.st.rim.or.jp/~ikita/