----- Original Message ----- From: "Carrol Cox" <cbcox at ilstu.edu> To: <lbo-talk at lists.panix.com> Sent: Friday, December 14, 2001 11:40 AM Subject: Re: Chomsky on "theory" from Barsamian interview,was "no social science theories"
>
>
> Leslilake1 at aol.com wrote:
> >
> > From: Propaganda and the Public Mind, Interview done 1998
> >
> > DB: You're not big on theories. Why not?
> >
> > NC: He [Marx] had essentially nothing to say about socialism, a
few scattered
> > sentences here and there.
>
> This _was_ Marx's core theory of socialism -- that it was
undiscussable
> (under capitalism) except in the most cursory way. That's perhaps
the
> main thing that distinguishes Marxism from liberalism -- Marx's
disdain
> of prophecy & promises.
>
> Carrol
==========
Yes but doesn't that still mean that *at some point* discussion and dialogue on alternative institutions etc. must take place, promises and prophecies aside? If the alternatives are never discussed and we can't assume apriori that 'the system' will collapse, then what?
Ian