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#DougHenwood shared part one of a profile of #GeneSharp that portrays him as a promoter of #neoliberal nonviolence and the rule of market imperatives. Got to read the whole thing more carefully, but I don't find the main arguments convincing. It seems to me Sharp saw himself as a non-ideological (anti-ideological?) proponent of nonviolent action for social transformation and decentralization of power.
@ntnsndr is quoted in the piece
https://nonsite.org/article/change-agent-gene-sharps-neoliberal-nonviolence-part-one#foot_src_56-11830
@Matt_Noyes I think that's accurate. But he did certainly find himself in neoliberal times and opportunities. His major benefactor, Peter Ackerman, is neoliberal through and through. I think Gene had a more expansive view of democracy, but it was convenient to focus on political liberation more than economic liberation.
@Matt_Noyes Gene was also a good enough student of Gandhi to know that economic alternatives were critical.
@ntnsndr That makes perfect sense. There are many people who struggled to find a path between US imperialism, Stalinism, and Leninist-type revolutionary socialism during the Cold War years. Bert Cochran, who wrote the great book Labor and Communism, was one. My mentor Herman Benson, of Assn for Union Democracy is another. Without a clear alternative, they tried to navigate tricky waters and found it best to focus on one problem. The post-OWS generation has more options.