> Tahir: Dennis, don't you think it's about time you explained to us where
you stand? You've been slagging off marxism for days and days quite
tirelessly - surely this means that you think you have developed a better
perspective . Why not spread a bit of that joy around? Or do you feel more
comfortable taking pot shots while keeping under cover yourself? Let's face
it this list could do with a bit more content at the moment. Why not give
use some ideas to chew over?
First of all, Tahir, save for the occasional outburst (usually aimed at Marx Life Form 68957-OSU), I don't think I'm rolling around in the muck here, but I do know what I have to say is seen as such by those who like to reassure each other that the Revo, like Godot, is certain to come, when they don't know -- maybe never -- but they're gonna stay right there on that empty stage regardless.
I started my active political life as an unaffiliated socialist, though I usually hung out at the SWP's Militant Book Store in Indianapolis and listened to the comrades discuss Cuba, Nicaragua and the Middle East. Moved to NYC and got involved with various groups and causes, the most fulfilling if not lasting for me was the sanctuary movement in New England, and in time my socialism peeled away to expose an anarchist core. Been like that more or less ever since (13 years or so), though like the Marxists, anarchists have their True Believers too, and this has been off-putting to me, especially when faced with a really dogmatic anarcho, the kind who'd force you eat wheat gluten sandwiches at box cutter-point while droning on about the glory of not cutting your grass, smashing your TV, rejecting deodorant and other bourgeois conceits.
At the moment I'd say I still remain an anarchist in spirit, would love to see a society based on mutual respect and voluntary order, but know this is a long ways off, if it's possible at all. Hell, I'd take a consitutional republic at this point. But Marxism does not, and never has held any appeal for me.
> Tahir: So what is going to happen in the future then? If you know this
then share it. I'm a marxist and I don't have any of the mad beliefs that
you allude to here. Unlike you I have no specific idea about what is going
to happen in the future. What is more important to me is what Marx actually
gave us, an immanent critique of capitalism and a notion of communism as the
real movement of the people.
You don't see the religious aspect of this statement, "What Marx actually gave us . . ."? The guy didn't come down off the cross, man. He was a brilliant analyst if a so-so human being. And his insights into capital still have relevance today. But trying to turn a pudgy, ill-kept, heavy drinking, cheap cigar smoking, cheating husband into some kind of timeless prophet is in my view a waste of time, and in the worst cases has led to some disastrous results.
No, I don't know what's gonna happen in the future. But here in the States I'm willing to bet that the mass of working people aren't gonna turn to Marxism for answers, much less live under a communist state.
DP