Re: Re: Re: Re: Question Romain K.

[Waistline2@xxxxxxx]

In a message dated Thu, 7 Mar 2002  6:45:01 PM Eastern Standard Time, Carrol Cox <cbcox@xxxxxxxxx> writes:

>
>
> Romain Kroes wrote:
> >
> > Because "historical materialism" has become a label.
>
> I don't get it. "Literary Criticism" has become a label. "Frying Bacon"
> has become a label. We still don't usually put them in scare quotes.
>
> And if your point is that it names lots of contradictory things -- is
> ambiguous: so is every other word and phrase in the language, all of
> which need to be defined in context. So what are you getting at?
>
> Consider a book title: Democracy Against Capitalism: Renewing Historical
> Materialism. Would you argue that Meiksins Wood should have entitled her
> book, _Democracy Against Capitalism_ Renewing "Historical Materialism_"?
> But that wouldn't do, There are other labels in that title. Perhaps she
> should have entitled it _"Democracy" "Against" "Capitalism": "Renewing"
> "Historical Materialism_." Would that satisfy you? Or should the last
> two words have been "'Historical' 'Materialism'"?
>
> Carrol




If Pen-L does not offer any annual awards may I suggest a semi-annual award for best reply? I submit the above as the best laugh I had had in days.

The above reply deserves one of Stan Lee's authentic poka-dot giant size no-prize, gift wrapped to boot. It doesn't get any better than this.


I am going to try and be really, really careful and start putting footnotes in everything.

Melvin P.