[Pen-l] The immunity hysteria (Lessig Blog)

["Charles Brown" <charlesb@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

 Carrol Cox 



This focus on Stalin (with or without quotes) is a fundamental
distortion. The focus has to be on a great 70-year struggle, tortured
and twisted as all great struggles are, of the Soviet people -- at the
end a losing struggle, but so?

^^^
CB: Yes , indeed.

^^^^

What is the point of either defending or attacking it?

And no we can't "learn from it." History as a collection of copybook
maxims is nonsense. We couldn't make the same mistakes if we tried to,
and if we focus on "avoiding" them we'll never face and deal with the
mistakes that _are_ possible now.

^^^^
CB:  Sometimes you seem like a Marxist. Sometimes not.  Generally, to
"be" a Marxist means one wants other people to "become" Marxists, as a
guide to their action in changing the world for the better.  Like it or
not, most people are going to judge Marxism by the history of the SU and
actual Marxist practices.  Sure we could run into _some_ of the same
problems that the SU did. Why not ?  On the other hand,  there will be
lots of different problems , as you imply, sure. But it would be foolish
not to study the history of efforts to build socialism so far.  Just
things like holistic planning could learn from the SU's practice. It's
common sense. 

Carrol




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