I do not have the time to say too much, but would like to say that I also
found Meszaros' article a really good read, and would like people to take
up the challenge to articulate a clear vision and strategy for socialism
unemcumbered with the baggage of our political past
>I am copying my response to the Meszaros article on the Socialist Register
>list.
>
>--Jim Lawler
>
>
>I have just read Istvan Meszaros' very thoughtful piece on communism. I
>agree with him that we are headed downhill, spiraling into catastrophe.
>
>What does that mean? It means great economic disruption and generally
>chaotic conditions. The question will become, what to do about the chaos?
>
>There will be two possibilities: an end to democracy, with military rule by
>the very people who are responsible for the catastrophe, or a radically
>different kind of society -- a free society in which the great potentials of
>modern science and technology are made use of in an earth-friendly way so as
>to allow human beings the freedom to express themselves freely.
>
>Because of the turmoil that Meszaros predicts, people will be looking
>for alternatives that make sense. The society that he describes can be
>presented as amazingly sensible, while the alternative -- the world we are
>living in now, with the addition effective dictatorship -- as insane.
>
>What we need to do now is to formulate the vision that Meszaros describes in
>simple, attractive and concrete images, so that ordinary people can picture
>the alternative. The communist alternative is really very simple. If enough
>people see that soon enough, the "barbarism" side of the alternative will be
>rejected.
>
>Has anyone tried to do this?
>
>--Best wishes,
>
>Jim Lawler
>
>_______________________________________
>Dr. James Lawler
>Philosophy Department
>SUNY at Buffalo
>Buffalo, NY
>USA 14260
>Base e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> forwards to: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>Work phone: 716-645-2444 x770
>Work fax: 716-645-6139
>Home phone: 905-687-6651
>
>_______________________________________
>Dr. James Lawler
>Philosophy Department
>SUNY at Buffalo
>Buffalo, NY
>USA 14260
>Base e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> forwards to: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>Work phone: 716-645-2444 x770
>Work fax: 716-645-6139
>Home phone: 905-687-6651
>
>
>
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