Charles Brown wrote: > A main fallacy in the "anti-conspiracy theory" idea that is all the rave on the Left these days is that observing that a given major political event is the result of a plot by agents of the ruling class does not entail a THEORY that the SYSTEM is a "conspiracy" and not a system.<
BTW, my empirical observation is that conspiracy theories are much more the rave these days on the left than are systemic theories (e.g., Marxism). When Dan Scanlan suggested that "911 and other chaos ... is fostered [by the Bush elite] to keep arms sales up, oil controls in place" he was stating a type of opinion that is extremely common on the left. > The fact that there are divisions in the ruling class doesn't mean there are > no plots by agents of the ruling class, that the ruling class is divided over > everything ! < I believe that in my first comment on Dan Scanlan's conspiratorial- sounding missive, I immediatedly agreed that there were some conspiracies. For all I know, the assassination of JFK was a conspiracy. (Maybe anti-Castro Cubans, maybe pro-Castro ones. Maybe the CIA, the mafia, etc...) > In the main , the ruling class is NOT divided, but united, otherwise, they'd > fall. Duh.< not if the working class and other opposition forces are even more divided. And as long as the state protects capitalist property rights with a lot of force, the capitalists can fight among themselves as much as they want without falling. >The main characteristic of the ruling class is that it is united, not divided, vis-a-vis the working class.< Right. The RC is more united than the working class. > The historically necessary condition for ruling classes to rule, given that > they are always elite minorities , is that they be more class conscious and > united than the classes they rule over. "Class conscious" means very much > aware and knowing of what they are doing, including sitting around talking > about and planning how to keep ruling over the working classes through > specific programs, bribes, wars, assassinations, provocations, diversions, > numerous and various crimes , not by accident , but by plan ,purpose and > organization. Don't kid yourself. They have arguments and disagreements, but > in the main relative to the working class they are unified and CONSCIOUS.< Sure, there are these conspiracies (as I've said). But there are a lot of important divisions within the RC (Republicans vs. Democrats, Bush vs. Soros, US capitalists vs. European ones, etc., etc.) >Jumping up and squawking "conspiracy theory ! conspiracy theory !" everytime somebody speculates about plots by ruling class agents tends to make the squawker sound naïve and ivory towerish, like they have their head in the clouds,and thereby less credible on other issues.< The typical conspiracy theory of the sort that I criticize doesn't make much sense or is true by definition. I think that the left would do better trying to be logical and empirical -- and trying to think systematically -- rather than thinking up theories about small elites of Illuminati or whoever who are plotting. > We are in a class war. Know thy class enemy.< there's a big difference between the capitalist elites (which plot) and the capitalist class (which can't do so, because it's relatively big and diverse). -- Jim Devine "Segui il tuo corso, e lascia dir le genti." (Go your own way and let people talk.) -- Karl, paraphrasing Dante.
