Socialists Need to Be Realists and Not Underestimate the Tasks Required–or Overestimate Their Own Efficacy

John Clarke, former major organizer for the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty (OCAP), recently posted the following on Facebook: 

As the old three score and ten mark approaches rapidly, I find I get lots of people wanting me to offer appraisals and advice that are based on my experiences in the class struggle. I always warn them that the risk of ingrained mistakes is as real as the possibility of useful lessons but they still ask.

 

One of the things that commonly comes up is the rather subjective consideration of what motivates years of activism and, at the same time, what are the sources of regret and disappointment. Those are interesting questions.

 

We all make a contribution within a context that’s very much bigger than we are and do what we can accordingly. I would say that human society is at a point where there is so much potential for massive progress and for rich and wonderful lives for the mass of people. Yet, the social and economic system we are trapped in transforms those possibilities into an increasingly nightmarish opposite. To resist and struggle for a better society is necessary and it provides the greatest source of happiness possible at present.

At the same time, the downside of this is that, for all the joy that comes from being part of a vital struggle, there is a constant sense of frustration that often reaches the point of rage that more can’t be achieved. I have been part of struggles against poverty and austerity that have made a difference but the oppression continues and intensifies. The momentum that the Palestine solidarity movement has attained is inspiring and hopeful but that evil old bastard Biden is still supplying the bombs and the Israeli killing machine is preparing to commit unspeakable crimes in Rafah.

 

Some people get to contribute to historical moments of decisive revolt, while others spend their lives in the trenches, keeping resistance alive during bleak periods when far less can be done. Still, our contributions accumulate and lay the basis for the very real possibility that humanity can successfully transition to a form of society that is free of class based oppression and that lives up to its immense potential.