Re: where and why

[Justin Schwartz <jschwart@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

These are good questions. However, a couple of responses:

        1. A discussion group on the list is not the best place to
organize, although of course if there's something happening networking is
a useful tool.

        2. Theoretical discussion is important and useful. If Marxism is
not kept intellectual alive, it will die organizationally as well.

        3. Theoretical discussion is of its nature hard, nitpicky,
technical, and often impractical. The concern in doing it is getting
things right, which is exceedingly difficult.

        4. I note that Marx himself, even during the period when he was
organizing the International, barricaded himself in the British Museum
with Bluebooks and classical economists, spending his time thinking out
hard and technical issues in economics. We don't think he made a mistake
in doing this.

--Justin


On Fri, 19 Jan 1996 ThomasM343@xxxxxxx wrote:

>                Chris B.,message received and understood.I understand that
> this list is intended for academics.I am not an academic,and for that reason
> I proably don't belong
>  here.I am a tech school grad,and I won't pretend to have the understanding
> of Marxism
>  that others on the list have.I do have a lot of questions.Questions that
> will probably get
>  me flamed.So Chris before you boot me off  I'll ask a few questions.
>              Why,is the left so fragmented and weak?I don't know how to put
> it,but does
>  intellectual debate and discussion ever move beyond theory to constructive
> action?
>               At times I don't understand the direction or level these
> discussions are taking.Is
>  it intetellectual grandstanding?Is it the result of the debate taking place
> in an esoteric
>  eclectic hermetically  sealed academic atmosphere?Has Marxism reached a
> level of
>   ecclesiastical biblical interpretation?Or,is it a game of one
> upsmanship-who can quote
>   the most obscure source or reference to Marx.As I stated -I am not an
> academic,and
>   I am willing to stand corrected.
>
>                                                              RMAXX
>
>
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