utopia

[James Miller <jamiller@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

SOCIALISM, UTOPIAN OR SCIENTIFIC?

   Steve thought my comments about socialism (planned
production on a world scale, end of value, etc.) were
utopian. I said in my last post that I suspected that
Steve considered socialism to be a pipe dream. So here
we have it.
   All I am doing is sticking with Marx, for better or
worse. I don't think he was utopian.
   Steve says, "throw-away lines about the disappearance
of money, commodities and value under socialism may have
been good revolutionary rhetoric in the 19th century,
but if you want to be taken seriously in the 21st,
you had better have a sound analysis as to how these
things might feasibly be done."
   But why does Steve use the expression "good
revolutionary rhetoric" instead of "good revolutionary
science"? The word "rhetoric" in a context like this
often implies dogmatic utterances. Was Marx utopian
or scientific?
   Steve says "one reason for this disparity between
belief and reality may be that some of Marx's analytical
apparatus are flawed." (He is referring to the disparity
between the belief in socialism and the reality of the
durability of capitalism.)
   O.K. So if we are faced with the possibility of a flaw
in Marxism, what do we do? Find the flaw. I hope someone
can put their finger on what they see as the problem
with Marx. Point to a chapter, a page, a series of
quotes, whatever. But it has to be something Marx really
wrote.
   As to the durability of capitalism: Marx never promised
a world revolution by a certain date. If it takes longer
than some people think it should take, then that's not
Marx's fault. It is true that capitalism is more durable
than Marx thought in 1850, but by the 1860s he no longer
made exaggerated claims about the proximity of socialist
revolution. Pioneers are entitled to be a bit over-eager,
especially when they are just getting started.
   One of my purposes for participating in this e-mail
list is to assert and defend the revolutionary and
scientific character of Marx's work. I know a lot of
people here think there are problems, or flaws, in the
work of Marx. Let's find them and discuss it.

Jim Miller
Seattle


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