Lou again: > I will continue to use humor in my posts. > Doug Henwood gets my sense of humor and that's all that matters to me. Doug has, however, the privilege of knowing you better than most of us do. I will fiercely resist smileys, but I'd point out that mockery etc. are only evident as such if your underlying position is plain. Pleased though I am to know that Plato is off the hook, I'd still be grateful for clarification of your views on teleology and stages theories, which are important in assessing Marx's views on imperialism, no? Literal-mindedly, Colin