anarchism/economic and political liberalism

[xxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

currently, i am thinking about the issues pertaining to economic
and political liberalism, as they are understood historically and
presently in the US intellectual circles. i want to get the feedback of
the marxists in the list who can help me clarify some of the questions in
my mind. my question is particularly related to women's issues as it
relates to the concencerns of political and economic liberals.

1.economic liberals favor no government intervention in economy (or
very minimal). basically, they argue that goods should be distributed on
the basis of individual's preferences determined freely in the market.
market demand is the sole determinant of what is to be considered
economically rational and desirable. individuals know what is to
their best interests. not only state intervention in economy creates
inefficiency, but it also interferes individuals' rights to enjoy economic
freedom in the market. anything that intervenes in economic freedoms is
morally and economically destructive. as we know, the debates among the
economic liberals is a debate over the extent and degree of government
intervention. should we have some form of welfare
liberalism--public education, health care system, security, equal taxation
(democratic party tradition)? or should we privatize all of them?
(neo-conservative/libertarian libalism, republican party tradition). since
this distinction connotes different meanings in Europe, i am not
interested in this at the moment.

as we also know that economic liberals in the US are totally against
restriction and illegelization of guns, drugs and pornography. since they
argue, they reflect consumer demand and individual preferences, there is
nothing morally and economically wrong with them. it is up to the chocie
of individuals to decide  what they consume.

although it is needless to say that economic liberals rationalize
capitalism, and reinforce unequal distribution of wealth and gender
discrimination already present by pressing the need to liberalize
pornography, i am particulary interested in the discursive
convergence between these anarchist market libertarians
(neo-conservatives) and those in the leftist tradition in the US who are
concerned with women's rights as individual rights. i label them as
political liberals. i know that the original meaning of the left has
nothing to do with individualism and political liberalism. for example,
in my country, according to socialists, women's problems can not be solved
without equally solving and overcoming other problems (class, race) in
capitalist societies. so, my question is rather contextual: has the
hegemonic left gone beyond mere political liberalism in the US, if
political liberalism already reflects the capitalist concerns of economic
liberalism as a superstructural ideology?

2. political liberals also differ amongst themselves. some still hold the
notion of individual rights as basic human rights, and argue that it is
up to the choice of women to consume pornography, practice abortion, and
use drugs if they prefer to do so. like the conservatives whose prutanism
they criticize, they still attend the notion of "free" choice of economic
liberalism as a basic expression of women's preferences. some hold the
notion of formal equality with men, like the liberal feminists
who traditonally emphasized representation of womens' interests and
equal promotion of women's rights. some, under the influence of
post-modern politics (neo-nietzcshean radical subjectivists
foucauldian pluralists and anarchists) argue that there is no truth and
morality at all, and that women's oppression is not universal; morality is
simply a social construction, power and domination. they
question the basic premises of marxism because they beleive that socialist
morality tends to homogonize differences and silence particular interests
and sexualities. they also say that it is hostile to women because marxism
equalizes women with men by leading to subvertion of women's identities
(see judith buthler) (please note that i am summarizing these concerns not
supporting them)

while none of these affronts on marxism seem convinging to me, i see a
tendecy towards unprincipled relativism, pluralism, subjectivism and
immoralism among the leftists in the US today. the logical consequence of
their arguments is priority of right over equality, privilige over
sameness and gender hierarchy over gender equality, in short everything
that delegitimizes capitalist relations of exploitation today, in
parellel with the expectations of neo-conservative libertarians. as
capitalism enters into crisis, it automatically brings about the crisis of
the intellectual to guarantee its survival.

my question to marxist friends in the list are:

1. what should the left do to overcome this anarchic pluralism?

2. what should the status of the left be, apart from the mediatic and
popular left that i have associated with political liberalism in this
thread?

3. are there any chances for the marxist left (and marxist feminism) to
to take root strongly without being excluded by the popular left?

4. what are the chances for marxist activism in the US?

since i am new in this country, i wanted to learn your views on these
particular issues...

regards,

Xxxx Xxxxx Xxxxxx
phd candidate
dept of pol scie
SUNY/Albany