Re: The Opiate of the Masses

Subject:

Comments:
: Mr. Ashton, : Comments are interspersed below: : : Scaife misrepresents Marx. The main reason I have not joined AUC, by the way, is this pervasive right-wing bias. But no-one who has actually read Marx could buy much of what Scaife said, whether they agree with Marx or not. : I readily admit that my last contact with primary Marx material was my freshman Western Civilization core curriculum course in 1965. If I err in fact, then mea culpa. : If I am the sole reason for not supporting the AUC, please ignore my posts. There are many good folk who regularly post here, and are very civil in their exposition, rebuttal, and general comport. : : Exception: it is true that living conditions in early industrialism were, on the whole, better than those back on the farm. The clearest evidence is that it was possible for workers to be put to work for 14 hour days. Rural laborers did not get enough calories even for 8-hour days in most of Europe before 1750. : At least we have common ground here. Again I refer to Bronowski as an eloquent spokesman for this point. : : Marx, however, was more aware of this than most of his contemporaries. (J. S. Mill, my particular favorite among Marx' contemporaries, came close). Marx was ultra-progressive -- to suppose that his ideas were "cyclical" is just ignorant. Marx' awareness that Capitalism had liberated millions from what he called "the idiocy of rural life" is right there in The Communist Manifesto for those who bother to read. Of course, Marx though in terms of stages, so capitalism is "higher" than the preceeding stage, feudalism, and of as such is liberatory at some stage in its history. Later on (2002? Enron?) the progress of society "bursts the integument" of capitalism, which is to say, progress makes human society too advanced for the constraints of capitalism. : The predominant point I was trying to make here was the linear utility of time that flows from the Judeo-Christian tradition v.s. The circular view that flows from Eastern traditions. The connection to Marx may be incorrect, but was intended to serve as a comparison. : : There is a somewhat more knowledgeable stereotype of Marx (that I would also reject) that sees him as an old-testament prophet, renewing the Apocalyptic strain in the Hebrew tradition. (I have that thought from a Prof. Greenberg). That's not right either, but it is closer. Yes, Marx is closer to the Abrahamic traditions than any others. : Any accessible Greenberg books/articles? : : I really liked the sermon, but maybe it is best not to bring Marx into the conversation in a room full of right-wing bubbleheads. : I have called an a**hole and arrogant, but ignorant right-wing bubblehead sets a new standard. Kudos for creative invective! : Best regards, : Bill Scaife : : rogerashton

Optional Link URL:
Link Title:
Optional Image URL: