Date: Wed, 13 Jun 2001 21:40:15 -0500
From: Mary Murphy&Salstrand <ericandmary-AT-earthlink.net>
Subject: Re: Weeping in my rolls royce because I can't afford the gas


Steve -

I agree.  I think our politics are very similar here.  This is what I
meant by the vision and goals things.  For the short term, I agree, we
need to make the most of reformism and strengthen the social aspects of
the state.


steve.devos wrote:
> 
> Eric
> The election marks the ongoing dominance of the European political scene by
> 'left of center' political parties and regimes. Whilst they are all engaging
> in neo-liberal/globalising startegies, after all they all support the
> post-modern economic climate, they are all engaged in maintaining some kind
> of relationship with the socialist past they all emerge from. The reason for
> the low turn out was effectivly two-fold 1) the labor part was going to win
> and everyone knew it. 2) The general belief in the parties natural
> constituancy (i.e people like me and the working classes etc) that they have
> shifted too far to the right. In other words the vote was primarily against
> the Tories gaining power rather than for something - in 97 it was a vote for
> change - the left at that time (including myself of course) recognised that
> they would continue with the thatcherist neo-liberal economcis but that it
> was still a major victory.
> 
> The defeated tory party will now shift to the left, and rely on the
> neo-socialist labor party to sort out its european problem for it.
> 
> The issue it seems to me is not related to the re-invention of some kind of
> anarchism or council marxism, neither of which seem sustainable in an
> industrial or post-industrial world, but how we can advance the
> transformation of the state into something more dynamically socialist and
> democratic.
> 
> The limitations of democracy appeared last year in Austria - the local state
> had elected a known neo-fascist and said person was to be brought into the
> local cabinet. This was effectively prevented by the EC who threatened
> economic and political sanctions if this had happened.
> 
> I do not think that the state will be dismantled - anything which has
> existed for 10000 plus years, (see Mumford or Deleuze) will not easily be
> dismantled. I suggest that the state, if understood as a form of
> organisation to enable the existence of large populations in a small spatial
> area will always be necessary. Increased socialist-democracy is a necessity
> as should goes without saying... (I of course speak solely from a european
> perspective)
> 
> regards
> 
> Yes i did love the religious statement and replied in kind... post-modernism
> wins..
> 
> sdv
> 
> Mary Murphy&Salstrand wrote:
> 
> > Steve,
> >
> > So what do you think about the elections?
> >
> > I heard it was the first time in 100 years the labor candidate was
> > elected for two terms and that the turnover was extremely low(though you
> > still have a long way to go to catch up with America - we're the leader
> > of the free (sic) world.)
> >
> > Is it true that Tony Blair is Bill Clinton without the libido?
> >
> > Regarding the comments you made about taxes and the welfare state, I
> > completely agree.  Noam Chomsky wrote an essay called "Visions and
> > Goals" In it he pointed out, a vision is something like a classless
> > paradise where we all dance naked.
> >
> > However, sometimes in order to stay on track with our vision, we
> > sometimes need to accomplish short term goals that appear on the surface
> > to move in the opposite direction.
> >
> > Thus, anarchists and autonomist/council Marxist may want to develop a
> > society where the state becomes an anachronism.  To dismantle the
> > welfare state today because of this vision, however, simply be
> > counterproductive and stupid.
> >
> > I believe we first need to demand the state become more democratic
> > before we proceed to dismantle it.  Otherwise, the result is fascism
> > pure and simple. Thus, I say: tax the bastards. tax them til it hurts.
> >
> > PS - as promised, I sent out my attempt at postmodern religious
> > evangelizing.  I hope you like it, whether or not you choose to accept
> > Epicurus into your heart as your own personal savior.