Re: Stratfor plus sources on paleo-cons and the Frankfurt School

["Macdonald Stainsby" <mstainsby@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

>I get suspicious of people who use flashy words and phrases, when there
>are perfectly good ones which we can all understand. I'm sure a lot of
>people in the humanities use convoluted phrases merely because long
>words can make banal ideas look impressive.
>
>Paul F

As a dedicated Marxist who would die before repudiation, I can solidly say
we are guilty of the same thing. This is why I have such a tremendous
affinity for Michael Parenti. He has a no bones about it approach, while
being completely understood by the first time reader.  The problems I have
with postmodernism is similar, while not the same. The whole "theory" is
surreal, it is not theory. The Sokal affair could be reproduced a thousand
times over. The problem isn't with the hifalutin language, but that it
*must* stay hifalutin. IOW, it can not stand on its own outside the hallowed
halls of the "converted" (politically polluted!) because it is a bunch of
fangled nonsense. Mind you, I wouldn't suggest you say that to Butler. She'd
call you a hangover from the previously constructed pathology of
pre-idealist denial, or some such &*^*.

Macdonald




***************************
How many times have I wondered if it really possible to forge links with a
mass of people when one has never had strong feelings for anyone, not even
one's own parents; if it is possible to have a collectivity when one has not
been deeply loved oneself by individual human creatures. Hasn't this had
some effect on my life as a militant- has it not tended to make me sterile
and reduce my quality as a revolutionary by making everything a matter of
pure intellect, of pure mathematical calculation?
       ---Antonio Gramsci, 1926.

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