I wrote: >"I'll forward this to Bob B." > >"...But the analogy must be wrong, since Louis says >it's wrong. The Line has come down from the Central Committee." Jim B. scolds: >Jim D. is so anxious to vindicate Brenner, not only on the rise of >capitalism (only in Europe) but also on the benefits that core capitalism >is diffusing to the outer world today,* that one cannot help wondering >whether Jim himself is not acting as a (perhaps self-appointed) spokesman >-- laying out The Line -- for a Central Committee. No, I am not defending Brenner _per se_, but clear thinking and principled discussion. I was ticked off at Louis, who treats Brenner as the Enemy. (This is even though they probably agree with each other on lots of stuff: sectarians are those who hate those closest to them on the Left the most.) Because of the current chaos in my life, I allowed my temper to take charge. Sorry about that. >Jim either misses all the main points or wants to persuade rather than >enlighten. Brenner is wrong, empirically, factually, in his theory that >capitalism arose in the green and pleasant countryside of merrie England. >Brenner is wrong in thinking that colonial production was merely commerce. >Brenner is wrong in arguing that what happens in the Third World today is >development, not some mixtuyre of underdevelopment, stasis, and (where >there's oil, etc.) skewed development (rich getting richer). I've been through this with you, Jim. I don't want to repeat what I said. Not being his disciple, I really don't know what Brenner says about the Third World today. As Foster notes correctly in his review in MONTHLY REVIEW, RB doesn't talk about the Third World at all in his recent book. Do you have a reference on his opinions on this matter? BTW, what do you mean by "development"? You seem to be using a _capitalist_ definition in all of the missives you've sent to pen-l. Back when I studied development economics full time, it was common for grad students to be very clear in defining "development" (and other terms, such as capitalism). Jim Devine [EMAIL PROTECTED] & http://clawww.lmu.edu/Faculty/JDevine/JDevine.html
