[lbo-talk] the gains from variety

[Michael Dawson -PSU]

No, you seem to have a hard time understand where you're coming from.  The
fact that people think they're freer under capitalism than they really are
is about as trite as you could get when talking in this forum.  What you are
trying to do is to use people's present illusions about their freedom of
choice as a way of suggesting that freedom of choice itself is over-rated
and an ethnocentric fetish.  That's horseshit.

BTW, a professional crank is somebody who always has a footnote to put on
other people's ideas, but never contributes anything new and positive
him/herself.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Miles Jackson" <cqmv at pdx.edu>
To: <lbo-talk at lbo-talk.org>
Sent: Friday, March 12, 2004 8:51 AM
Subject: Re: [lbo-talk] the gains from variety


>
>
> On Thu, 11 Mar 2004, Michael Dawson -PSU wrote:
>
> > As to the idea, promoted by professional cranks like Miles, that this is
all
> > just ethnocentric prejudice -- well, I guess that's why Miles is living
his
> > alternative pre-modern lifestyle -- oops, he isn't, is he?  All those
who
> > don't think modernity has bestowed many genuine gifts upon the race
should
> > be completely free to go live in some other way, of course.  They will
be
> > mighty lonely.
>
> You seem to have a hard time understanding where I'm coming from.
> A crucial component of capitalist economic relations is the
> creation of individuals who see themselves as free agents who
> have the power to independently choose products, jobs, and
> business opportunities.  Again, the question: to what extent
> do people in our society value freedom because of socialization
> into a society that glorifies the autonomous free agent?
>
> Calling me a professional crank (whatever that is) won't make
> this important question go away.  (I guess the fact that
> you don't even want to consider it illustrates my point:
> people have a hard time analyzing concepts like freedom
> and individuality that reinforce the status quo.  --Kinda
> like a feudal peasant not being able to consider the
> possibility that God doesn't exist.)
>
> Miles
>
> ___________________________________
> http://mailman.lbo-talk.org/mailman/listinfo/lbo-talk