"Contemporary Marxism"

[petrel]

The theories of Jacques Lacan, a French psychiatrist. Based on the earlier theories of Freud, who had a good writing style; but was a bad scientist (like writing on "persons in the experiment" without stating that person was he himself).

[turnoviseous]

Originally posted by petrel
The theories of Jacques Lacan, a French psychiatrist. Based on the earlier theories of Freud, who had a good writing style; but was a bad scientist (like writing on "persons in the experiment" without stating that person was he himself).

Now, I must say that I have never read Lacan, but I have read quite on numerous occasions that his writing style limited to unreadable. As much as I know I found that once in marxists.org encyclopedia, if I am not mistaken.

[P.O.U.M]

Zizek...that sounds familar. Did he write a book called "Lenin" or something like that. I think I hve that book. Just Im not home so I cant check.

[petrel]

Freud, Lacan's inspiration, on the other hand IS readable ... which in this case often has the unfortunate effect of many readers being uncritical while they should be critical. Freud seems to be the most quoted 20th century scientist ... which should caution people on value of "most quoted" lists ...
On the other hand, with people like Lacan, who are not very readable: that sometimes also inspires an uncritical cult folowing. Heidegger is a similar case of this.

[Volkov]

I have stopped debating with these academics, but I get a good laugh at going back to see what they post.  Currently, they are debating on how the checks and balances will work between the workers and corporations under communist society!!!

[P.O.U.M]

Currently, they are debating on how the checks and balances will work between the workers and corporations under communist society!!!

Hmmm, sounds intresting. I think the comrades should take up such a worth while idea. HAHAHA...oh, thats just too funny.:p

[Psychic sailor]

Zizek is not an anti-leninist in transition. He is one of the few academics who actually stands up and defends Lenin.

[turnoviseous]

Originally posted by Psychic sailor
Zizek is not an anti-leninist in transition. He is one of the few academics who actually stands up and defends Lenin.

He is a member of Liberal party, tho...

[Daymare17]

Well, he's not yet a Marxist! :eek:

[P.O.U.M]

Revolution At The Gates

Book Description
Lenin's writings of 1917 are testament to a formidable political figure. They reveal his ability to grasp the significance of an extraordinary moment in history. Whatever the discussion—the forthcoming crisis of capitalism, the possibility of redeeming violence, the falsity of liberal tolerance—Slavoj Zizek believes that Lenin's time has come again

I bought it awhile ago but have yet to read it. The first half is Lenins writings from around 1917 and the latter half of the book is by Zizek

[Volkov]

Originally posted by P.O.U.M
Hmmm, sounds intresting. I think the comrades should take up such a worth while idea. HAHAHA...oh, thats just too funny.:p

It was funny indeed.

A few more entered into the fray, so I introducted some basic works and some minor arguments, complete with citations and such.  They kept hurling their dogmatic opinions at me, claiming that they had proof.  Going through that thread, it turned out that they did not have any (with the exception with the reformists of whom I quit talking to, of which consisted of off-topic things like Feminism, and some that were lacking in credibility).  They accused ME of dogmatically asserting things.  I even gave a bibliography of Woods an Grant to show that those works were not mere dogmatism.  I finally then decided to stop talking to them, noting how the board was not neutral as it claimed to be, and how I pointed out that I was the only guy to bring proof to the table.  I noted how their posts were spam, for they were based on not understanding the topic.  I would not go into a thread about airplane mechanics, for I don't know anything about that, and spam there.  Why do such people continue to do so to Marxism.  

After I did all of this, they banned me without any warning whatsoever!  Then, they slandered me some more by directing how the violations were all my fault, judging from the context of the post.  Their justification for the ban was for me "flaming" (I did not use any profanity or all-caps) and "violating scholarly ettiquette' (I was the only one using critical thinking and proof!!!!!!!!!!!).  Complete corrupt idiots they are.  The admins get mad at me for refuting their cronies, and they ban me for no good reason.  They did not even have proof of my "offences!  So much for the neutrality of that site.  By neutrality, they must mean Bourgeois neutrality!  I suddenly feel like Trotsky when he combated the parasitic bureaucracy.

Ah, well, I won't bother going to the admins over there on this baseless ban.  As Trotsky stated "...logical arguments are powerless where it is a question of interests."  

Heh!  I don't need to debate them anymore.  I have already shown the superiority of my arguments, and no matter what they think, they cannot change the truth. :)

[Volkov]

I go back to that board for a good laugh once in a while, and one of the reformists stated that it is sad that they must undermine the corporations in order to keep a balance of power! LOL!!!!!!!!!  Man, who needs all of that fancy comedy stuff when I can see the laughable absurdities that they put forth!  LOL!!!!!!!!!!

Sad that they must undermine the corporation to keep a "balance of power?"  They are clearly symapthetic to the Bourgeoisie, and in the last analysis, such people will always be willing to betray and undermine revolutionary movements.

[P.O.U.M]

LOL. Ive been recently cruzing the RCP boards and find there stuff quite hilarious. I normally stay out of the threads, except for little updates on Venezuela. You know Maoists and their Nepal, dont know much of whats goin down in Venezuela. Anyways, there was a thread on "What is Trotskyism?" I had to jump in. It was just to ludicris. You really should just check it out even just for a good laugh.:p

http://awip.proboards23.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=theory&num=1084727666&start=15

[P.O.U.M]

randomcommunist quoted lunacharsky saying: ""Trotsky's political career has been somewhat tortuous: he was neither a Menshevik nor a Bolshevik but sought the middle way before merging his brook in the Bolshevik river, and yet in fact Trotsky has always been guided by the precise rules of revolutionary Marxism.""

I thought much of what was posted here is helpful in getting into someof the deeper line issues about what is wrong (and ultimately non-Marxist and non-revolutionary) about Trotskyism (in its many little streams and trends).

just a quick note:

this whole idea that "Trotsky has always been guided by the precise rules of revolutionary Marxism." captures something both true and reactionary about trotskyisms approach to marxism.

ARe there "precise rules" to a scientific ideology like Marxism?

If you approach marxism as a set of "precise rules" (as a handed-down orthodoxy) don't you turn it into a lifeless dogma that can't do any good for the people?

If you accepted the "precise rules of marxism" (as they were generally accepted in the days of Lenin) wouldn't you (in fact) be embracing the "orthodoxy" of Kautsky? (And in fact Trotsky's marxism is much closer to Kautsky's right dogmatism than it is to Lenin's revolutionary marxism.).

thanks for that quote. I think it is illuminating.

Can someone help me out with this. I have an idea to approach this but not really sure how to express it.

[turnoviseous]

You can say that this is just a mere theoretical hack-writing with little regard to practice (I mean, they take one phrase [Trotsky always guided by precise rules of revolutionary marxism (although noone ever said that in this way)] and take it into an exageration.)

One could as well say that these "precise rules" are themselves unprecise, so being marxistically precise, is "unprecise".

And comaprison of "orthodoxy of Kautsky" with "precise rules of marxism of Trotsky" is not a good comparison as well.....