I am the only person wondering why all these putative experts in
geo-politics don't stop using this column to treat us to their risible
displays of righteous indignation over whatever aspect of world politics
they personally find objectionable and do some serious study instead ? We
all KNOW the world is an unfair and unjust place but we don't all view it
through the same narrow ideological lens some seem to employ.
Indeed, instead of pulling your collective tongues out at the USA why not
have a good read of J.C.D. Clark's *The Language of Liberty* ? To caricature
the activites of the USA as imperialistic offers no explanatory potential
for its current activities and does not penetrate to the root of that
society's problems eg. ask yourself why does that country seem to tend to
such apocalyptic world views ?
Read the work of serious scholars like Norman Cohn ( eg Pursuit of the
Millenium ) and the recent award winning The Third Reich: A New History by
Michael Burleigh. As a very ordinary graduate of Manchester University I
have to say that I find it quite staggering that people are STILL talking in
the language of capitalism v communism in their attempts to come to terms
with the dynamics of our current world situation. Surely the growing
literature on political religions has started to awaken even the most
stubborn ideologist from his dogmatic slumbers ?
However, the ultimate hypocrisy has to be Marxists inspired commentators
getting all hot under the collar about cultural vandalism. How we
laughed.......
>From: john pateman <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: Chartered Library and Information Professionals
><[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: FW: impending views of communism
>Date: Fri, 6 Jun 2003 17:22:55 +0000
>
>How about this one: all socialist countries are one-party states and that
>party is called Communism; all non-socialist countries are one-party states
>and that party is called Capitalism.
>
>
>>From: Adrian Smith <[log in to unmask]>
>>Reply-To: Chartered Library and Information Professionals
>><[log in to unmask]>
>>To: [log in to unmask]
>>Subject: FW: impending views of communism
>>Date: Fri, 6 Jun 2003 18:00:59 +0100
>>
>>A parallel argument is going on in the Shostakovich list, not for the
>>first
>>time:
>>Adrian Smith
>>
>>-----Original Message-----
>>From: Thomas Widlar [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
>>Sent: 06 June 2003 15:47
>>To: [log in to unmask]
>>
>>John Riley:
>>
>> > There is of course an alternative to capitalism. As the old Soviet joke
>> > goes: 'What is the difference between capitalism and communism? Under
>> > capitalism one man represses another, whereas under communism the
>>situation
>> > is exactly the opposite.'
>>
>>I saw it attributed to British comedian Ben Turner in one of Robert
>>Anson Wilson's books --
>>
>> In socialism, man exploits man. Under capitalism, it is exactly the
>>opposite.
>>
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