Re: [Marxism] Finally, a Marxist Analysis of the Lebanon Slaughter

[DCQ <deeseekyou@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Aug 1, 2006, at 8:46 AM, Steve Masterson wrote:

> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/newW-Int/message/1
>
>   Hi comrades,
>
>   Last week there was a thread of almost 50 contributions from
>   a large number of different comrades, 'Marxist analysis of the
>   UK/Israel offensive', and I read them all. I am sorry to say that
>   in my opinion, not one of them was in fact Marxist. I have put
>   the url (above) to an article, 'Lebanon, Syria, Iran and the
>   Coming Imperialist Re-Division of the World',  that is
>   by far the best Marxist analysis to date, although even this is below
>   the quality of thinking that a Marx, Engels, Lenin or a Trotsky
>   would contribute if they were around today.

And you just happen to be the author of this "best Marxist analysis to 
date." Such humility. And I see that you have paid proper obeisance to 
the Marxist Quadrinity. Good for you. You definitely wouldn't want us 
to assume that you are some sort of uber-Marxist, would you?

I'm sorry comrade, but arrogance such as this wins few friends. In 
addition, your analysis is not all that stellar, to be honest. I've 
been reading such analyses for years. This is pretty mid-grade stuff. 
Not bad per se, just not mind-blowing. Particularly, it smacks of the 
kind of catastrophist doom-sounding that has rung hollow for quite a 
while now.

As for your "Marxist" credentials, I might just have to take issue with 
the following:  "Certainly, the ever-increasing cyber-world of gaining 
giant profits from derivative and futures trading, which is completely 
separated from industrial capital, has postponed the US crash, as did 
the
 intorduction of information technology into industrial production at 
an earlier phase. However, it only means the fall will be from an even 
higher cliff."

What precisely is "information technology" and how does it differ in 
Marxist terms from other sorts of technology? Does it raise the organic 
composition of capital? Or lower it? How precisely does it postpone 
"the US crash" "at an earlier phase"? What earlier phase? 2000? 1997? 
What are you talking about?

>   So many comrades and groups have talked about this war being
>   about Israeli security, when in fact it is far, far more than that,
>   indeed the US may well have put Israeli security in its most
>   dangerous situation ever.
>
>   Louis Proyect started a line that the US-Israeli-UK “behaviour
>   has an element of the irrantional that you find in Hitler’s
>   adventures”. He was supported by Paul Dillon, DCQ, JD,
>   Gillies and others in this ‘irrational’ labelling. But you are
>   irrational Louis + co.

Ooooo. Nice insult. I feel myself thoroughly chastened. Reprimanded 
even. Might I suggest using the term "poopyhead" in your next post. 
That would really be a zinger.

If you read carefully, or even not so carefully, you would have 
discovered that I disagreed with the line that Israeli actions are 
irrational. But I guess fine distinctions like that don't matter when 
you want to score a sectarian point or two.

> From the US imperialist point of view
>   the viciousness of the bombing is not only very rational, it
>   is very well thought out and planned for over months if not
>   three years ago. Further, Marxists would look carefully at the
>   immediate juncture, trying to discover what has set off events.
>   And Marxists would be able to point out that this war is set to
>   go on and on, as a serious imperialist re-division of the world
>   opens up. Marxists should never look merely at the surface
>   appearance of things, but learn to look to those underlying
>   essential aspects and contradictions at work in both the base
>   and superstrucure.

Wait, you haven't used the word "dialectic" yet. I'm sorry, you only 
get a mid-C in "Marxist Shibboleths and Buzzwords 101." Although I 
guess we can spot you a few bonus points for using the term "immediate 
juncture" rather than the more mundane and pedestrian "now."

>   Now, there are many comrades on Marxism list who would agree
>   with all the general things I have just said about Marxist analysis
>   (and that is not comprehensive by any means) that I have just
>   described – but you have to explain why none of you have really
>   attempted a Marxist analysis.

Why have I not attempted a serious Marxist analysis? Because I've been 
busy. I've got to get a haircut, fix my garage door, mow the lawn, and 
work out. I've got dinner to make, a house to clean up, bills to pay, 
and a daughter to give a bath to before I put her to bed. Also, I take 
a few minutes out of each busy day to wonder why the left is such an 
impotent, irrelevant mess.

comradely,
DCQ________________________________________________
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