[lbo-talk] Those who claim chimps have culture do not understand the full nature of culture.

[Carrol Cox]

I disagree, _strongly_, with Charles on two questions: (1) Marxism is not a
TOE, as he seems to assume; (2) Revolution cannot, in any strong sense of
the word, be theorized. But it seems to me that in this case, both Shane and
Joanna are committing the same error Charles makes. Both assume that one can
take a general principle and rigorously deduce from that principle the
future actions of anyone who holds the principle. I have often learned from
Shane, but it is becoming more and more obvious that continuation of the
"War Against Stalinism" is a children's game which fucks up understanding of
the world. Both Trotsky & Stalin are as irrelevant as Antony & r Octavius
and Antony. And principles do not have anything whatever to do with cruelty
to animals, though  cruelty to animals is a practice that may become the
source of principles. But it is the cruelty, not the principles, which must
be opposed.

Dogmatism cannot be a substitute for dogmatism -- and that is what both
Shane & Joanna are attempting to do.

Carrol