Apparently, Maupin is now where I was around 15 years ago. I was never a Marxist-Leninist, always an anarchist, with a focus on the state rather than class determinism. But other than that, I pretty much had the same views as Caleb for a good number of years, and I was involved in many of the same kinds of conflicts. In recent times, I’ve noticed that a number of Marxists and social democrats are moving toward the populist position I once favored, but they will eventually realize, as I did before them, that populism is not possible in a society that is fragmented into warring sects and tribes. Instead, we need to look to the experience of countries like Lebanon and Syria that have experienced civil wars with dozens of individual factions.

Caleb Maupin is a widely acclaimed speaker, writer, journalist, and political analyst. He has traveled extensively in the Middle East and in Latin America. He was involved with the Occupy Wall Street movement from its early planning stages, and has been involved many struggles for social justice. He is an outspoken advocate of international friendship and cooperation, as well 21st Century Socialism.