There are some on pen-l who use "utopian" as an insult or a put-down. Any criticism of
a putative socialist country, for example, evokes the term.
Jim
-----Original Message-----
From: Michael Perelman [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Sent: Sun 7/13/2003 8:24 AM
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Cc:
Subject: Re: [PEN-L] John Nichols on James Weinstein on Oscar Wilde and the
Left
I think that we need to have a vision of what socialism can offer -- not
just lower unemployment or lower taxes or some other modification of what
we have today. If utopianism is the creation of such a vision then it can
be very important in building socialism. It is not the sum total of what
we need.
On Sun, Jul 13, 2003 at 09:44:13AM -0400, Louis Proyect wrote:
> >In "The Long Detour," Weinstein argues that the time has come for the
> >left to renew a few of its utopian affiliations.
>
> I don't agree. I have no idea how this infatuation with utopian dreaming
> became so popular. Russell Jacoby writes a book titled "End of Utopia"
> (favoring its return) but takes time to rake Chomsky over the coals for all
> the usual false charges (Pol Pot, etc.) Meanwhile, Sam Gindin and Leo
> Panitch call for a socialist utopianism in the 2000 Socialist Register,
> while not finding anything worth publishing about Cuba in the past 20
> years. Except for one article by somebody who signed Joanne Landy's petition.
>
> Utopia, ptooey!!!
>
>
>
> Louis Proyect, Marxism mailing list: http://www.marxmail.org
--
Michael Perelman
Economics Department
California State University
Chico, CA 95929
Tel. 530-898-5321
E-Mail [EMAIL PROTECTED]
