The Concept of "Tailism" is a Stupid Immaterial Abstraction

 

I suspect that the reason that the neologism "tailism" has not caught on is, in part, because it is such a useless term which only causes confusion and lack of theoretical rigor whenever it is thrown around.  This movement is accused of "tailing" such-and-such political party.  That party is accused of "tailing" some other tendency.  For instance, in America, one supposedly Marxist group may accuse another Marxist group of "tailing" the Democrats.  But what is "tailing"?  What does it mean, to tail?  Upon close examination, the verb "to tail" does not have any material meaning.  

To adopt Marx's schema, the apparent phenomenon of "tailing" appears strictly on the level of the superstructure, and never at the material base of society.  The superstructure includes the political and legal levels, as well as specific forms of consciousness appropriate to these interests.  The unhappy consciousness sees evil all around itself, when evil resides in the very gaze of the one seeing evil everywhere.  Thus the unhappy consciousness declares everyone else to be "tailing" the enemy and thus corrupt, suspect, decadent, "running dogs of imperialism," etc., etc..  In short, the one who cries "tailing!" all the time and tries to pin the tail on his rivals is not a materialist, but rather, in essence, a romantic - and, like all romantics, demands "originality" and "authenticity."  Like a child, like a brat of a tattletale, he whines to his teacher that other students are "copying."  Isn't that what tailing amounts to?  Copying?  

So what if, for instance, a radical group is copying the tactics of the liberals?  What, are you going to protect the liberals' intellectual property, now?  And why shouldn't anyone else use their tactics?  Are you morally opposed to it?  Do you imagine that radicals should maintain some kind of ideal purity, uninfected by grubby political reality?

A person who thinks that tailing is immoral is a person who faithfully believes that it is possible to be completely independent, a pure individual, untouched by any influence - a kind of genius artist whose entire life is a great act of pure self-creation, ex nihilo.

Now consider the matter on the level of the material base of society - that is to say, on the level of forces and relations of production.  Those who are serious about industrial production would not hesitate to copy the techniques of their rivals, and to use them against their rivals.  Any serious movement will focus on their enemy, and, quite often, the most advantageous strategy is to mirror their moves.  Not always, of course, but to an important degree.  A blanket ban on a host of strategies because they are the enemy's strategies - the "master's tools," as it were - is an unnecessary bind to put oneself in.

If anyone accuses you of "tailing" your enemies, your response should be, "Yes! I am tailing them, as closely as possible, and I am getting closer to them every day.  And one day, I will overtake them!"

Only liberals accuse others of "tailing".

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