[lbo-talk] HOW THE ANTI-WAR MOVEMENT IS BLOWING IT: REVISITED

Charles Brown cbrown at michiganlegal.org
Mon Nov 3 10:52:54 PST 2003


From: Thomas Seay

--- BrownBingb at aol.com wrote:
> Raise
> your kids on Nietzsche.
> How many parents on the list want to do that ?

I certainly do. So, that is one hand. We had the discussion on Nietzsche before and how he was marketed by his sister to the Nazis, despite the fact that he cut ties with her BECAUSE she married a proto-fascist. Obviously you still haven't read him and wish to go on spouting what is "Nazi propaganda" about Nietzche that has somehow left-wing urban legend.

^^^^^^^ CB: I've read him some, but then I start gagging, so it's hard to finish. Sorry, I take that back.

I'm truly curious. What do you find of value in him ? He seems to be so down on the masses of people, into supermen and all that ?

^^^^^^^

You should probably re-read that quote by Nietzche...it says a lot about the bolshevik cults that linger on way past their death.

^^^^ CB: Well, yes I know you hate Bolsheviks, but I think it's a bit premature to say there won't be a revival of Bolshevism. I mean Lenin is so revered, even with the advent of capitalism in Russia, that he is still there to be viewed. That ought to tell you something about who is likely to be remembered and read 200 years from now. I would imagine that as we speak there are still more people who read Lenin than Nietzche. Nietzche is relatively obscure except for philosophy students.

I think what you mean below is you _hope_ Nietzche will still be read two hundred years from now, but if we go by how many people have read and followed Lenin and Nietzche since their roughly coterminus lives, one would have to bet on Lenin and Bolshevism to win that one.

As to Soviet philosophers and writers, it will depend on whether capitalism is overthrown. If it is, Soviet literature will be as important for the world as Greek lit for later Europe.

^^^^^^^

Two hundred years from now people will still read Nietzche. Will anyone, except perhaps a handful of specialists interested in 20th century mythologies, read ANY Soviet philosopher?

-Thomas



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