Larry Flynt calls for a national strike in a surprisingly eloquent and bilious editorial, ranging from populist resentment toward "economic royalists", historically situated attacks on financial regulation, and lucid rejection of Obama-support. Who thought that the Hustler kingpin would be a voice in our corner, demanding we bring back the clarity of politics being about the struggle between the ruling class and the rest of us? Let alone calling for putting the "refresh the tree of liberty with the blood of patriots and tyrants" option back on the table.
"Let's set a date. No one goes to work. No one buys anything. And if that isn't effective -- if the politicians ignore us -- we do it again. And again. And again."
If the fact that he has moved from calling, somewhat jokingly, for a porn industry bailout to pushing this serious proposal is not an auspicious sign of more radical forms of solidarity to come in our time, I don't know what is. First time farce, second time anger and resolve.
Larry Flint is no socialist. He is a free market libertarian.
ReplyDeleteI'm well-aware. That said, I'm all for accidental allies. The reasons that socialists and libertarians like him might want a general strike are perhaps opposed. Certainly their envisioned end goals are. But in these times, the articulation of popular discontent against the ruling class, particularly an articulation that locates it not just in a "few bad apples" but as a systemtic tendency, is a welcome addition, regardless of who the one doing the articulating is.
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