Re: On Socialization

[6155GUASTELL@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

I agree with Jim Devine's interpretation of the Cold War. Russian
history is riddled with invasion attempts and actions that pre-date
the Cold War era by at least a century. I believe the theorists' names
were Kennet and Venderberg who developed this theme about Russion
"paranoia" initially. The USA was sitting on top of the world militarily
after WWII. After the intrusion into the Russian Civil War, Red
Purge in 1919-20, and again with McCarthyism, what's anyone to think
that we were up to?

Jim's right about another point: I've always been amazed at the celebrations
of democracy that we do here on the one hand, and the backing on
of dictatorships that we've on on the other.

BTW (and this is in ref to a remark last week musing about an armed
revolution in the US), the Reagan-Bush politics on the 1980s were
slowing developing a corporatist authoritarian state here. What the
Fed could not do to coerce citizens directly, they did by making
rules that employers should this, and employers should that. Add on
the incessant challenges to constitutional rights (usually the 1st
and 4th Amendment)°Ì
 and the theocratic backing of same... and we
get something very twisted going on...
--Stephen Guastello