Re: [Marxism] Marxist characterzation of U.S. Confederacy as conspiracy"

["Mike Friedman" <mikedf@xxxxxxxx>]

As Louis said, Capitalist decisions are indeed made "behind closed" doors
in boardrooms. Michael Parenti belittles those who paint every radical
critique as "conspiracy theory": "where do they think capitalists make
decisions? While they're skydiving?" The problem is that they can come to
represent sort of fetishized (social relations) answers to disturbing
issues, sort of like a religious response to things that are
incomprehensible or out of our control. Or just kind of a mental laziness.
And conspiracies are NOT the simplest explanations for events, which are
to be preferred *in the absence of other evidence*. Having said that,
however, I agree that it is important to expose conspiracies and throw
fuel on the fire wherever they are exposed, not simply because "we want
everyone to see" them, but because by so doing, we challenge the hegemony
of the ruling class, we threaten the invulnerability of class rule, we
threaten to break the ruling class consencus and by so doing, we
strengthen our side.

Mike

> Message: 3
> Date: Thu, 29 Jun 2006 14:44:48 -0400
> From: Louis Proyect <lnp3@xxxxxxxxx>
> Subject: Re: [Marxism] Marxist characterzation of U.S. Confederacy as
>       "       conspiracy"

>
>>Today the bourgeois media would call Marx and Engels "conspiracy
>> theorists".
>>
>>CB
>
> Nobody denies that there are conspiracies. To conspire means to make
> secret
> plans. Capitalist rule is characterized by secret planning. The real issue
> is whether the CIA or some other rogue elements plotted to kill JFK, fly
> planes into the Pentagon/WTC, etc. Furthermore, conspiracy theorists who
> operate in such areas are typically content to raise all sorts of
> questions
> rather than provide answers. It really doesn't advance our movement to
> question whether the WTC could have been brought down by jet plane fuel or
> not. Our time and energy is better spent on trying to provide a historical
> materialist analysis of radical Islam, US geopolitical goals in Central
> Asia, etc. These research areas are addressed by statistics such as
> investment patterns, policy statements by the State Department, etc. In
> other words, information that is readily available but that is sorely in
> need of interpretation.
>

> Message: 7
> Date: Thu, 29 Jun 2006 15:40:52 -0400
> From: "Charles Brown" <cbrown@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Subject: [Marxism] Marxist characterzation of U.S. Confederacy as "
>       conspiracy"
> Louis Proyect
>
>>Today the bourgeois media would call Marx and Engels "conspiracy
> theorists".
>>
>>CB
>
> Nobody denies that there are conspiracies. To conspire means to make
> secret
> plans. Capitalist rule is characterized by secret planning. The real issue
> is whether the CIA or some other rogue elements plotted to kill JFK, fly
> planes into the Pentagon/WTC, etc.
>
> ^^^
> CB: A mon avis, with respect to the killing of JFK, the real issue is 1) a
> split in the U.S. imperialist ruling class at that time. It should be
> discussed by Marxists in looking at history in that way. 2)The split was
> over relations with the SU at that time, which is also an important issue
> for Marxists looking at history, especially the history of the class
> struggle foremostly expressed in the Cold War at that time. Splits in the
> ruling class are always of interest to Marxists, Leninists. Can't get much
> more of a split than one section killing a leader of another section of
> the
> bourgeoisie.
>
>  NB: it was important because Kennedy _was_ an imperialist, not because he
> was a good guy. The incident demonstrates the U.S. "democratic"
> bourgeoisie
> in fullblown gangster mode, something we want everybody to see, since they
> plausibly deny it most of the time.
>

Michael Friedman
Ph.D. Candidate in Ecology, Evolutionary Biology and Behavior
City University of New York

Molecular Systematics Laboratory
Department of Invertebrate Zoology
American Museum of Natural History
79th Street and Central Park West
New York, NY 10024

Office: 212-313-8721


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