File spoon-archives/marxism-international.archive/marxism-international_1996/96-11-06.190, message 31


Date: Mon, 4 Nov 1996 10:12:44 -0600 (CST)
From: "Dean Stinson-O'Gorman" <deanso-AT-cs.uregina.ca>
Subject: Re: M-I: Vandana Shiva


Doug:

Like Vandana, my training is as a physicist (although she was nuclear, 
while I did stat mech).  The analysis she does of "really existing science" 
is something we see far too little of among practicing scientists.  We
should be thankful for her - most nuclear physicists are pretty rabidly 
right wing.  Equating her with Hindu fascists is out of bounds.

I did read your long article in the LBO about globalization and 
anti-globalization.  Since it wasn't posted to this list, here is not the 
place to provide a detailed critique.  (Besides, I'm sure I wouldn't 
actually convince you to change your mind so why bother? :-))  My short 
response is this:  I disagree strongly with your view that perspectives 
such as anti-globalization or ecofeminism or deep ecology are 
reactionary.  My vision of marxism is that of a (hopefully) constantly 
evolving method of analysis which is capable of adapting to certain new 
realities which weren't obvious a century ago:  the material gains 
brought about by capitalism really do pose a threat to life on Earth (as 
we know it);  and as human beings it's become apparent that we need to 
get past this collective mentality that the earth is ours for the taking, 
and nature only has 'value' inasmuch as it serves human purposes.

Old style industrial marxism just isn't going to cut it anymore - it 
doesn't address the really existing current conditions.  Marxism and 
'ecology' need each other.

Dean

*********************************************************
Dean Stinson O'Gorman
Room 230.4, College West Bldg.
Energy Research Unit
University of Regina
Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada   S4S 0A2
phone: (306) 585-4269;  fax: 585-5205
deanso-AT-cs.uregina.ca
 
     The world's 358 billionaires have more assets than the combined
     incomes of countries housing 45 percent of the world's people.



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