[PEN-L:11370] Re: Re: Re: Capitalist development

[Carrol Cox <cbcox@xxxxxxxxx>]

Michael Perelman wrote:

> I think there might be some confusion, as I mentioned before.  Wood locates the
> origin of capitalist social relations in agriculture.  The discussion here
> concerned that question of how the accumulation occurred once the social
> relations were in place.

Yes. But there remains a disagreement even when the confusion is
cleared up. I see Wood's concern with the origins of capitalist social
relations as of crucial political importance while the debate over the
growth of capitalism is mostly an empirical matter that does not
directly impact on politics. Lou believes that this empirical question
is at the source of eurocentrism. I believe the source of eurocentrism
*is in the present*, not the past.

Because of this difference with Lou on political tasks, I was able to
regard Ricardo's strictly economic arguments on the growth of
capitalism with some equanimity, but became testy (your word I
believe) when he launched his political attack on Wood. Whether
Jim Blaut or Ricardo is right about the growth of capitalism does
not effect how one regards Lou's claim that it is essential to combat
eurocentrism. I agree with Lou on that political point. I disagree
with him that the political point turns on the empirical  debate that
has been conducted on this list. (In fact I think it turns, in the u.s. at
least, on winning recognition *within* the left on the rightness and
necessity of independent black political action. (And that is why
I am so ticked off at those who insist on seeing such independent
black liberation struggles as a manifestation of what Aronwitz
calls "identity politics.")

Carrol