Re: [Marxism] question re Vandana Shiva
== Rule #1: YOU MUST clip all extraneous text when replying to a message. == So we have quite a range of views here on Vandana Shiva who I think is visiting Aust in March. Been a while since I read a motif her but what's wrong with a "small is beautiful approach. Wasn't the rest of the title 'economics as if people mattered.' All pretty good stuff I thought. >Apologist for Hindu nationalism, aligned with the BJP, anti-communist, supported India's nuke tests...her politics are grounded in a reactionary third worldism. >Vandana Shiva is not a Marxist, but she is an effective and often >profound critic of neoliberalism and neocolonialism. Even when I >think she's wrong, I always find her worth reading. >Among those radical voices, which whatever their limitations had it essentially correct, were Food First, Focus on the Global South, Via Campesina, and the powerful voice of Vandana Shiva - even if >some of her answers seem naive, her ability to expose not just the crimes of open neo-liberalism, but also the limitations of Oxfam-style development reformism, always made her worth reading. >I hadn't read much by her in the last 20 years, having been turned off >by what seemed at the time to be a "small is beautiful" approach. >I see though that Climate and Capitalism has printed lots of her >stuff. And this article seems pretty good. Send list submissions to: Marxism@greenhouse.economics.utah.edu Set your options at: http://greenhouse.economics.utah.edu/mailman/options/marxism/archive%40mail-archive.com
Re: [Marxism] question re Vandana Shiva
== Rule #1: YOU MUST clip all extraneous text when replying to a message. == Apologist for Hindu nationalism, aligned with the BJP, anti-communist, supported India's nuke tests...her politics are grounded in a reactionary third worldism. Send list submissions to: Marxism@greenhouse.economics.utah.edu Set your options at: http://greenhouse.economics.utah.edu/mailman/options/marxism/archive%40mail-archive.com
Re: [Marxism] question re Vandana Shiva
== Rule #1: YOU MUST clip all extraneous text when replying to a message. == Andrew ... I was about to reply to your message when I saw Michael K's comment. He makes the points I meant to make, and does so very well. Vandana Shiva is not a Marxist, but she is an effective and often profound critic of neoliberalism and neocolonialism. Even when I think she's wrong, I always find her worth reading. As you say, Climate & Capitalism has published a number of articles by her -- not because we agree with everything she says, but because she is an authentic and powerful voice of Third World opposition of capitalist ecocide. Ian Angus Send list submissions to: Marxism@greenhouse.economics.utah.edu Set your options at: http://greenhouse.economics.utah.edu/mailman/options/marxism/archive%40mail-archive.com
Re: [Marxism] question re Vandana Shiva
== Rule #1: YOU MUST clip all extraneous text when replying to a message. == Andy, I think you probably did overreact, though its true the "small is beautiful" stuff is big in her writing and it can grate. Despite that she has also been one of the most powerful voices against neo-liberal "growth" policies in India and elsewhere. I first came across her about a decade ago when Oxfam released a major document which critiqued the hypocrisy of imperialist countries in enforcing "free trade" on the exploited countries while dishing out massive subsidies to their own big farmers so as to dump on the poor countries. However, Oxfam's solution was essentially to call for "real" free trade, by demanding the abolition of these subsidies etc, which they claimed would allow more poor country exports to the West and thus be fairer and all that. A coalition of more radical voices opposed this orientation, as "export orientation" in these countries is in itself a major disaster for the poor, distorting their economies, destroying food security etc, and so they called for a more radical reorientation of "development". A real war of words in the "development" world broke out. Among those radical voices, which whatever their limitations had it essentially correct, were Food First, Focus on the Global South, Via Campesina, and the powerful voice of Vandana Shiva - even if some of her answers seem naive, her ability to expose not just the crimes of open neo-liberalism, but also the limitations of Oxfam-style development reformism, always made her worth reading. - Original Message - From: "Andrew Pollack" Her new article on the recent rapes and government complicity, linking it to capitalist patriarchy, is being very widely shared: http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2013/01/20131192034265193.html I hadn't read much by her in the last 20 years, having been turned off by what seemed at the time to be a "small is beautiful" approach. I see though that Climate and Capitalism has printed lots of her stuff. And this article seems pretty good. I'm wondering if maybe I over-reacted earlier. Opinions (especially Ian A.)? Send list submissions to: Marxism@greenhouse.economics.utah.edu Set your options at: http://greenhouse.economics.utah.edu/mailman/options/marxism/archive%40mail-archive.com
