AUT: Backward workers, was: Negri and Charleton Heston?

[Thiago Oppermann <difference_3ngine@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On 29/11/2004 11:55 PM, "Lowe Laclau" <lowe.laclau@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

>> I think this is further evidence of what I said earlier, that Negri (and
>> Hardt) have very little idea of the actuality of the American working class,
>> or perhaps they just ignore it. I think it is the later. It's probably not
>> because of some stupidity on their part; it's just that they have abandoned
>> the actual concept of economic class in favour of an essentially culturalist
>> (and epistemically very conservative) concept of communal agency based on
>> shared values.
>
> I'm not sure how you come to this statement when they so very clearly
> address the multitude in terms of economic difference. There is
> absolutely nothing "culturalist" (if I understand what you mean by
> this) about the multitude. Where do you see them arguing for peoples'
> holding on to cultural attachments and values? And where exactly do
> you get this idea of "shared values"? I've never seen them write about
> this stuff.

Why is it, then, that the multitude excludes 'backwards' workers - who are
not defined in terms of the economic position, but due to X. What do you
think X is? It's obviously values. It's not even very well thought out,
because they have prevented themselves from thinking in these terms in an
honest way.

I fail to see how you can think that forces such as Wal Mart do not
recompose the capitalist organization. They reorganize capitalist
distribution in important ways; they affect the fabric of little towns all
over the place, displacing smaller capitalists, fomenting a whole cycle of
ressentiment that I can't be bothered explaining again. They don't come up
with new gadgets, it's true, but capitalism isn't about being clever, it's
about being ruthless, and they are well fucking ruthless.

>> When they speak of multitudes, they repeat the venerable
>> marxist trick of speaking of the true, self-realised, conscious working
>> class, the real workers who are the agents of history.
>
> Are you still talking about H&N?

So Hardt was misrepresenting his own position in Doug's radio show?

Thiago












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