academic economics

Gordon Fitch gcf at panix.com
Sun Jun 24 17:47:27 PDT 2001


Gordon Fitch wrote:
> > If people can't learn what
> > they need to know without being subjected to coercion,
> > then there is no hope for them,

Carrol Cox:
> "If people aren't [such and such], then there is no hope for them."
>
> Gordon, I've always admired most of the things you have to say, but
> every so often the anarchist claws, the contempt for people who don't
> fit a preconceived pattern, come out in you as in mosts anarchists I
> have ever met. It helps me understand Mussolini's political trajectory.
>
> I hope you don't mean this statement, because it is pretty contemptuous,
> and therefore pretty contemptible.

My remarks have nothing to do with contempt. It's a simple fact that human beings generally have to be able to do certain things if they're going to live in freedom and equality. One of them is learn without being compelled to do so. I would think this would be obvious; it's just common sense. If, instead of achieving freedom and equality -- and peace -- humans continue to engage in increasingly violent and sophisticated competitions for power, that is, continue the class war of which "education" is a part, they will inevitably destroy themselves and probably take a good deal of the biosphere with them. I don't see any way around the logic. Barring divine intervention, then, there will be no hope for them.

I would never let my nasty personality affect my political theory or work. That would be immoral.



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