In the light of day

I'm not sure if this isn't completely narcissistic. Anyway I'll try anyway.

Dorothy Healey, a leader of the West Coast California Communist Party who was very sympathetic to the developing New Left (she left the CP in the early 1970's and joined New American Movement, used to comment about all the newand old left "parties" claiming to be "vanguard", "you're not a vanguard unless anyone is following you...."

So the same applies here.

Question: What's a blog that no one reads:
Answer: A Journal

Question: What's the most difficult thing about wanting radical change...to some kind of democratic socialist world?
(One) Answer: How to live in today's capitalist world and make progress toward that goal. i.e. take part in reform that doesn't challenge the system while trying to have that reform move toward more radical change.

This is a question for nations, organizations, and also individuals (me) in their day to day lives.

Two nights ago we saw a film about collective housing created by Jewish Communists in the Bronx in the 1930's. Ultimately in the 1040's the communist leadership of the coop allowed the cooperative to go under to privatization because they wouldn't raise rents $1.00 per room on themselves and fellow workers (for "ideological" reasons. At the same time it was their ideology that lead them to racially integrate this housing in the 1930's when even other "socialist" housing coops would not.

Question rephrased: How to stay optimistic. Cornell West likes to say that he has hope, not optimism. hmmmm.