LP, pursing his career as a sort of marxist fashion expert, has accepted without comment the difference between peace in the world and peace in western Europe, and has remembered that the Maginot line was in western Europe. Unlike Kosovo. But as to why there is peace on the Rhine, and no peace in Kosovo, and what the economic and political reasons for this are, he cannot use marxism to discuss.
A pity because at first sight the challenge about Kautskyism would be a very interesting one. We are seeing with the Euro a great consolidation of national capitals and any explanation of this would sail close to theories of ultra-imperialism. There might for example need to be a vigorous argument that really the euro is the DMark and this is centralisation of capital around German capitalism.
Maybe others can thrash out this question of Kautskyism better than LP can. I certainly would like to hear the arguments tested, and be tested by them myself.
LP turns to the next challenge he chooses to address (leaving aside the others he does not) with the heavy aid of the scanner or web browser.
>>>The Nation Magazine is America's most prestigious left-liberal publication
>>>and their European correspondent does not see the Eurodollar as anything
>>>except an expedient measure to shore up a rightward drifting Social
>>>Democracy.
>>
>>The Eurodollar?! What is LP talking about? Does he know that he does not
>know?
>
>LE MONDE DIPLOMATIQUE
>
>January 1999
>
>NEW CURRENCY, MORE AUSTERITY
>
>Selling out to the euro
>
>On 1 January 1999, the euro formally replaced the national currencies of 11
>European countries. For a time it seemed that Europe's governments might
>use monetary union to co-ordinate a programme for growth and job creation.
>Instead they handed control of the economy to the new central bank,
>depriving voters of a say in how Europe's economy is run.
>
>by Laurent Carroué
But although the Professor at the University of Paris-VIII; author of L'Union européenne, Coll. Prépas, Armand Colin, Paris, 1998, has an interesting assertion to make about a "cult" transforming the euro zone in into a deeper and geographically enlarged mark zone, it is not clear how this long text helps LP's more basic case. That he knows what he is talking about when he refers to the eurodollar.
Because the Professor at the University of Paris-VIII has nothing to day about the euro-dollar. I have tried a text search for the word, and no, it does not occur anywhere in the text. Is this embarrassing? Perhaps for LP, not at all.
Could LP have mistyped "eurodollar" for "euro". Typos come with the territory for all of us, and a quick clarification would be no problem. But in calling upon Laurent Carroue at length, the problem is LP appears unable to recognise the fact that the two words may not be the same. Or any desire to clarify the issue simply and honourably.
So technology brings us interesting new varieties of opportunist evasion: evasion with the aid of the scanner and the web browser. If you cannot address the argument, shift into one of the other 100 million connected possible web sites for a superficially linked impression. Analysis by allusion.
'No investigation, no right to speak' is a stern rule, but if with all his enormous efforts, LP wants to win the battle to be read seriously, whether for his own posts, or those on his list, perhaps he can start by demonstrating that he has done some investigation into the difference between the eurodollar and the euro before continuing with this thread. Some indication of embarrassment might also help.
I am prepared to wait.
Chris Burford
London.