Re: AUT: de- and re-territorialization

["Dave Graham" <davgraham@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Dear all
I've not contributed to the thread about 'Empire' because quite frankly I
find the language just too difficult. I AM familiar with Negri's earlier
stuff - I have the Red Notes anthology and other stuff from the 1970s,
which I DO find understandable - it is also well researched and referenced.
Negri was part of a movement that was trying to understand its own
practice. Today he seems to prefer to write /produce for quite a different
audience. I don't feel he is writing for the likes of me, but I felt the
stuff from the 60s and 70s WAS aimed at me.
To be honest it's hard to believe it is the same person writing today and
then, and I just wonder if I really need to bother with the odyssey that
Negri is taking. sometimes I think there is the odd insight and at other
times I'm simply lost.
the discussion about empire v imperialism sometimes makes sense to me and
sometimes doesn't - but speaking as an activist, I had already arrived at
some of the same conclusions eg on national liberation WTIHOUT having to go
'round the houses' the way Negri does. Does that make my conclusions any
the less valid?
do I really have to master philosophy before I can have any kind of
understanding of the world around me?
Autopsy was set up so we could exchange our understanding of the processes
of decomposition/ recomposition of our own movement - apart from some
incidental posts, we do not seem to be doing that, rather we are in danger
of trying to construct yet another critique [or even a methodology for a
critique] - do we really have to do that?
Please, this is not some 'workeritis' :) - I have had a decent enough
education but I have no wish to turn myself into an academic. I don't want
necessarily to stop the regular correspondents but I'm finding it
increasingly hard to work through/follow some the discussions which are
becoming so intricate. I have limited time and sometimes you just have to
make a judgement about what it is worthwhile pursuing - how many others are
there on the list who are finding this ?
And finally I don't want to be part of any movement that needs 'gurus' to
do my thinking for me.
Sorry if this comes across as some kind of rant, but I really would like
Autopsy to do what it was set up for.

Gra




--
Dave Graham
<davgraham@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>

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