In this weeks episode, we go over parts five and six of Ramsin Canon's article "Ultraliberalism: The Dominant Tendency of the American Left," where we discuss the political logic of NGOs and their effect on the ultraliberal tendency to police identity, authenticity and political agency, all while promoting unproductive and disingenuous ideological pluralism.

Today, we explore Ramsin Canon’s article entitled Ultraliberalism: The Dominant Tendency of the American Left written on February 7, 2022 - considering with each other as to what it illuminates for us in a similar vein as Peter Camejo’s 1970 speech discussed in episode 4. 

https://midwestsocialist.com/2022/02/07/ultraliberalism-the-dominant-tendency-of-the-american-left/

In reading and discussing Ramsin Canon’s article today we hope to achieve a great sense of appreciation and understanding about the landscape, currents, and ideologies on the left. As well a greater sense on how to navigate these differences so that we may inspire confidence and clarity in leftists already committed to the cause of winning for the working class. We hope to help listeners become more effective towards the goal of uniting advanced leftists to the common cause of liberating the working class. We see overwhelming unity and solidarity amongst all good faith advanced leftists, socialists, marxists etc as a critical condition to meet for moving forward a counter hegemony to the ruling class hegemony of liberalism, conservatism, and all other ideologies friendly or amenable to the status quo domination of the few over the many.

In our last episode, we opened up big questions about how we begin to map, ascertain, and distinguish between the elements and tendencies on the non-liberal left. In this week's episode we continue on that track by working through an article on left & socialist strategy: Kristen Lee’s 2018 introduction to Peter Camejo’s 1970 speech entitled, “Liberalism, Ultra-Leftism, or Mass Action."

Join us next week as we continue this conversation by tackling Ramsin Canon's article "Ultraliberalism: The Dominant Tendency of the American Left."
https://midwestsocialist.com/2022/02/07/ultraliberalism-the-dominant-tendency-of-the-american-left/

In Episode 3 of the wasteland and the mountain, we settle our initial exploration of the state of the left on the questions of how postmodern notions of social justice merge and interplay with corporate overtures to wokeism. As a result, these ostensible challenges to the order of the day have been overcome by the ruling class, and even strengthens their position through the gesture and posture of playing woke.

We also return to the question of religion and radical left politics. We explore the concept of “Immanentize the Eschaton”, and the role of spiritually led left movements. Considering how we can make sense of the value of the proposition of organizing the working class at a sacred higher order, and conception.

 We begin to more meaningfully address the question of mapping the non-liberal left. We explore why it is important to distinguish between various currents on the left, through exploring the strategy of the “Mass Line”. Unite the Advanced, Win over the Intermediate, Isolate the worst of the backward!

We will explore in next weeks episode, two articles which will clarify the question of mapping the territory of the left, listed below.

Liberalism, Ultraleftism, or Mass Action by Kristen Lee & Peter Camejo | August 16, 2018
https://socialistcall.com/2018/08/16/liberalism-ultraleftism-or-mass-action/
&
Ultraliberalism: The Dominant Tendency of the American Left

by Ramsin Canon | February 7, 2022
https://midwestsocialist.com/2022/02/07/ultraliberalism-the-dominant-tendency-of-the-american-left/

Please join us in reading and exploring these articles in the lead-up to next week's episode!

In our second episode we further illustrate our views, politics, and perspectives on the wasteland of liberal left politics. Addressing the atomization of liberalism in United States social culture generally, from looking at Protestantism, to Postmodernism. We address the notion of freedom and explore the myriad ways it is conceived, and their contradictions. We touch upon the question of religion and politics and what this could mean for unity at a higher order than just uniting around the material impetus of bread.

Welcome to the inaugural episode of The Wasteland and the Mountain where we summarize some of the major problems the left faces, and what we think the left needs to do to reinvent itself for the 21st century.