> Marxism as both political social theory and practical program for engaging in the world around us pays the utmost respect to what is going on with the world today and addresses and applies itself to the world that is constantly changing. The focus of Marxism, as I see it, is the real world right here and right now. For those who feel that Marxism is only a social theory that has no relevance in todays world, all I can suggest is to read Marx again and take at good look at whats happening in the world today. That is to say *read* Marx, not Marxism [books on Marx or Marxism] stuck in a world of long ago.... . . . In the world that I live, Marxism is acutely, decidely and certainly relevant. It's no answer to the proposition that today Marxism is no more than a useful an interesting social theory to say that it is relevant to the world in which we live. Historical materialism a pretty good social theory. I don't speak for others, but I don't myself identify the notion that Marxism "is just a social theory: with the idea that it "has no relevance in today's world." I doubt whether any of us non- , ex-, or post-Marxists here think that. Without attributing my idea to anyone else, I think that the "just a social theory" view reflects the fact that as a _movement_ Marxism has collapsed. Formerly Marxism, identified as such, was a great rallying cry that wion the allegience of millions, that inspired important socail movements, that was in some sense the ruling ideology of a third of the world, that provided the vocabulary for practical engagement of movement sof the oppressed to better their situations. Never in America, of course, though self-identified Marxists did important work here, but elsewhere Marxism mattered socially. That is not true any more. The Marxist states are gone, except for a handful to which almost no one looks for inspiration. The Marxist parties have withereed and died. Marxism is not a rallying cry for millions or hundreds of thousands. This is not going to change. Marxism as a movement is broken and discredited. The theory is in large part good, but a good theory is not enough to re vive a social movement. I don't say this development is a good thing, but it is a real thing. (I have written more on this, and Kelly has put my paper on her webside at <A href="http://www.pulpculture.org">www.pulpculture.org</A> (is that the address of the site Kells)? So if we are going to discuss this constructively, better to address actual concerns that real people have rather than atacking straw men. jks   <hr size=1>Do you Yahoo!? <a href="http://rd.yahoo.com/mail/mailsig/*http://mailplus.yahoo.com">Yahoo! Mail Plus</a> - Powerful. Affordable. <a href="http://rd.yahoo.com/mail/mailsig/*http://mailplus.yahoo.com">Sign up now</a>