Standing Up

Dennis Robert Redmond dredmond at efn.org
Fri Sep 27 21:33:30 PDT 2002


On Thu, 26 Sep 2002, Doug Henwood wrote:


> Dennis, you're a big fan of both Adorno and East Asian state-led
> development. Wouldn't Teddy regard them as administered societies of
> the most conformist and instrumental sort?

Yes. But he'd also say that this instrumentalism harbors a tremendous utopian potential. Capital civilizes: an industrial base, modern cities, literacy, healthcare etc. are qualitatively better than preindustrial village society. Administration per se is as neutral as technology -- it can bring good or ill. That's why unions fight like hell for contracts, mobilize to build welfare states, etc.

Wish I could be in DC. I'm in Ithaca, doing the Theory Thing. To the brothers and sisters in the streets: much love and respect. Today the IMF, tomorrow the Eurobanks!

-- Dennis



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