Marxism as Theory and movement

Michael McIntyre mmcintyr at depaul.edu
Fri May 10 09:08:41 PDT 2002


Hey Justin, I read your paper and about 95% agree with it - but putting Kerala (population 30 million) in the same bag as Mad town? The CPM has been in power continuously in West Bengal (population 70 million) for 25 straight years. And Lula's up in the polls again - hope springs eternal.

For some reason, I notice that I keep identifying myself to my students as a commie these days (in those terms) - something I never would have done when the communist movement was still alive and kicking. Just contrarian I guess?

MM


>>> jkschw at hotmail.com 05/10/02 10:47AM >>>


>
>Doug Henwood :
>
> > Depends on what you mean by Marxism. If you mean ML regimes like
> > that, well no, they're dead. But if you're talking about capitalism,
> > it's hard to avoid Marxism. It's how capitalism works -
>
>Yes, if you mean by that Marxist theory, Historical Materialism, analyses
>in
>Capital etc.
>My point was about the impact of the evolution and collapse of various
>'socialisms', (Soviet Union in the past, others in future) on the mass
>consciousness and mass movements.
>
>Ulhas

Historical materialism in some form is not only true but obviously true. Class analysis is inavualble and essential for understanding society. Marxism as a movement, organozed around traditional symbols, vocabulary, and organizational forms, is dead as a doornail outside a few embattled locales--maybe Kerela? Maybe Cuba. Berkeley, Madison, Ann ARbor, parts of Greenwich Village, the Kite in Cambridge (if that still exists), etc. In the West it is beyond recussitation.

Kelly, did you ever post my paper on this to pulpculture?

jks
>
>

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