A part of me died when Howard Zinn died last year. He was especially important to me because he was a libertarian socialist, or "an anarchist" as he said at one time. It was nice to have such an important figure feel somewhat mutual about 'political economy.'
Now Gore Vidal is gone, and Alexander Cockburn (coe-burn) as well. I really liked reading Cockburn's Counterpunch. Though neither were strict "Liberatarians" per se, they certainly spoke truth to power, and with an uncommon 'radical' air and eloquence. Like most people they said a few off-base things in their lives, but there was plenty to admire and learn from both of them.
"There is only one party in the United States, the Property Party ... and it has two right wings: Republican and Democrat. Republicans are a bit stupider, more rigid, more doctrinaire in their laissez-faire capitalism than the Democrats, who are cuter, prettier, a bit more corrupt — until recently ... and more willing than the Republicans to make small adjustments when the poor, the black, the anti-imperialists get out of hand. But, essentially, there is no difference between the two parties." Gore Vidal
And last, but not least, Tony Sly of No Use for a Name died. I remember in 1995 when I broke my neck and laid in the hospital thinking about the NUFAN cd that was coming in the mail. I asked my parents if it had arrived, as I had been waiting a week or two already when my accident occurred. They showed up one day with the package and my cd player. It made me feel better. Farewell Tony...
I often wonder who will replace special people like these, and I'm sure this sentiment is shared by many. No one of course, but others will come, and now they have standards to meet set by those who preceded, so in this sense I look forward to their pseudo-replacements or comrades in action and intellect.
I think this speaks for Zinn, Vidal, And Cockburn:
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