Saturday, September 26, 2009

Crass analysis

Financial Times:

Save for a few small groups, Marxism has become a largely intellectual resource, invoked in the academy more for the study of culture, language and media than of economics. Some of Marx’s insights – as into the prime importance of the economic base of societies – remain, regarded now as common sense. But his own call to arms, as in the Communist Manifesto, is largely ignored.

I like to stick up for Marx if only because everyone who attacks him is indebted to him in the same breath. Only because so many of his ideas are "regarded now as common sense" can anyone pretend to dismiss him.

The fact that his most visible advocates are to be found pursuing careers in places where they can't easily be fired for their ideas is perhaps unsurprising in light of the fact that Marx's "call to arms" to overthrow the employing class tends to be frowned upon by employers.

And let's not forget that there was a 20th century less than ten years ago, and the problem certainly wasn't that Marx was ignored.

5 comments:

dveej said...

OK, I'll bite: what then exactly WAS the problem?

JRB said...

Marx was loved not wisely, but too well!

Anonymous said...

and aren't there several major maoist insurgencies in the world today?

JRB said...

Not in Sri Lanka...

Pierce said...

JRB, Pierce here.

Yes, thanks for the encouragement and I do hope that you like my cartoons. Sad to say that you won't be seeing me at branch meetings because, as stated on my blog, I live on Catalina Island in California, and of course, our branch is a small one made up mainly of ex-leftists turned yachties.

Glad to hear, also, that you're following all the mess and that I have come out with a good reputation. Sorry I never did call you the way I intended. Do inquire as to what happened at your last branch meeting though, because I heard some interesting stuff went down. Just what I heard.

As for J-Mack, yes indeed. He sucks. I try never to set foot in Holepaychex but if I ever came across him I'd take a branch to his jaw first thing.

Gonna call you soon. Good luck and stick with it!