From: Paul Zarembka (zarembka@BUFFALO.EDU)
Date: Sun May 29 2005 - 08:45:31 EDT
Very interesting, Paul B. I hadn't seen it. The near last sentence is rather revealing about Adan Chavez, "I have not finished it [Alan Wood's book] yet, but my impression is that it is a rigorous Marxist analysis of philosophy applied to nature." This reads like a considerable sympathy with Engels' *Dialectics of Nature*. Question for Jerry: What does Marxism have to offer Venezuelans? I mean specifically Marxism, not anarchism, or revolution without taking power, etc. In other words, what -- for you -- distinguishes the Marxist contribution from these others. I know it's a tough question, but you seem recently to be undermining a Marxist understanding rather than building/using it. (A Marxist understanding does not equal a Stalinist understanding, so I'd prefer if you forget about Stalinist history in any answer, and forget about "small Marxist cults" you mention in your last posting -- altho this list could be called its own small cult of Marxists.) Paul Z. ************************************************************************ RESEARCH IN POLITICAL ECONOMY, Paul Zarembka, editor, Elsevier Science ********************* http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/PZarembka On Sat, 28 May 2005, Paul Bullock wrote: > To Paul Z, > > Can I add that if you look at > http://venezuelanalysis.com/articles.php?artno=1426 > > You will find an interview with Chavez's elder brother - a an avowed > marxist - which gives some idea of the discussions that must have been going > on between family and friends for years. The brother, I understand , was and > is part of the group responsible for the furtherance of land reform, a > committee that was given a severe dressing down by the President for its > lack of progress at one point (ie threatened with the sack). This is another > lesson in the fact that those who call themselves Marxists are in no sense > automatically to be considered effective revolutionaries or even considered > as such by others , whatever their own subjective view. ( This is > particularly the case in academia in my experience) What is important is the > deed. You will remember Marx's own quote from Goethe in Vol 1, apart from > common sense! > > On a number of occasions. Lenin pointed out that ther enemies of the working > class were forced to call themselves Marxists even to get a hearing, such > was the success of Marx's work. So whatever politicians call themselves is > not of any immediate importance. Chavez is involved in a form of > revolutionary nationalism which is antagonistic to imperialism, and was seen > as an enemy very soon by the US... it reminds me of the US Dept of State > discussions very shortly after the Cuban revolution, and the famous remark > that.. 'Castro may not be a communist but he acts like one........' > > Cheers > > Paul B > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Paul Bullock" <paulbullock@ebms-ltd.co.uk> > To: "OPE-L" <OPE-L@SUS.CSUCHICO.EDU> > Sent: Thursday, May 26, 2005 5:16 PM > Subject: Re: [OPE-L] Chavez and Marxism > > > > Paul, > > > > > > Chavez has publicly referred to learning from Che - who was undoubtedly a > > Marxist - and his period as a government minister, his concept of the new > > man etc in speeches. Otherwise his references are to socialism or a new > > kind etc, using the odd Trotsky quote, and so on. Any one with the > standard > > reactionary filling who hears any of this will deduce that Chavist is > > 'becoming' a Marxist, by which they will mean that they now oppose him. > > > > What is important is the underlying class conflict that gives rise to the > > use of , or rejection of, expressions. > > > > Paul B > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: "Paul Zarembka" <zarembka@BUFFALO.EDU> > > To: <OPE-L@SUS.CSUCHICO.EDU> > > Sent: Thursday, May 26, 2005 12:33 PM > > Subject: [OPE-L] Chavez and Marxism > > > > > > > Michael, > > > > > > VNews has an article of last Monday at > > http://www.vheadline.com/readnews.asp?id=35312. It begins: > > > > > > "Let me begin by stressing that I believe wholeheartedly in President > > Chavez and his Revolution ... but. I fear that by his invocation of > > Marxism -- and by the occasional Marxist flavored comments which have > > occasionally been made in this journal -- a great historical chance is > being > > jeopardized ... the chance to create a new kind of post Marxist socialism, > > one based on decentralization, worker's cooperatives, and a truly moral > and > > spiritual, as opposed to coldly rationalist, historical materialist, road > to > > social justice." > > > > > > Afterwards there is no evidence offered that Chavez invokes Marxism. Do > > you know if he has and what he said? > > > > > > Paul Z. > > > > > > > ************************************************************************* > > > RESEARCH IN POLITICAL ECONOMY, Paul Zarembka, editor, Elsevier > Science > > > ********************** > http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/PZarembka > > > > > > > > > > >
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