From: "Wes Beal" <wlbeal-AT-ksu.edu>
Date: Tue, 21 Jan 1997 13:35:36 -0600
Subject: Re: M-I: Academic Marxism


I've got a love/hate relationship with this debate.  What I love 
about it is that academic employment is a primary interest of mine at 
the moment.  I, like Yoshie, am involved in unionization efforts for 
GTAs.  (We don't live *in* the ivory tower; we live underneath it.)

What I hate are the complete failures in thought that occasionally 
take place anytime this topic is addressed.  People hate academics.  
Fine. No problem.  There are definately some things worth hating.  
People hate academic Marxists.  There are definately some academic 
marxists (generally the most visible ones) who we probably shouldn't 
like.

These very real facts open up a doorway for Marxists to procede with 
levels of anti-intellectualism rarely seen even in the far right.  

"University professors have tenure.  They've got a free ride.  Many 
university professors are the hired intellectuals of the ruling 
class.  So lets get rid of tenure, and what a blow it will be to 
bourgeousie thought."  [this is only an approximation of attitudes as 
I've seen them expressed.  Nobody on the list is being cited; this 
list in *general* seems to take this position, at least from my 
perspective.]

Just which professors do members of this list believe will be the 
first up against the wall when "the people," with the help of 
right-wing leadership, overthrow the institution of tenure?

Marxist professors surely wouldn't have anything to worry about.  
(Well, some might, but will it be the ones members of this list 
dislike?  Doubtful.)

"University professors are part of the middle-class.  They aren't 
factory workers that, had it not have been for the trade unions, 
wouldn't make anymore than someone working three part time, minimum 
wage, zero benifit jobs."  [again, same as above, these are only 
approximations]

I'll confess some ignorance here.  My brother-in-law is 24, a 
machinest, and he's making $15 an hour.  My father was a mechanic, 
and as such has made anywhere from 20k to 45k.  That said, I really 
don't know much about factory worker salaries.  My family history is 
in tenant farming.  I also have to confess that I don't know much 
about the university as a whole:  what salaries are.  I know that for 
the humanities (where most of the marxists are, in my experience) 
average salaries don't go too high except for a select few.  
Professors and students often live in equitable housing:  its 
understood that if you want to pursue a career in this field you give 
up a lot of material benefits.  You study just as long as a doctor or 
lawyer, but you won't ever be in the same income bracket.

I guess if people are going to continue making claims about what 
income brackets academic marxists belong in, I'd like to see some 
figures.  Not only for the "theory superstars" but for your plain, 
run of the mill academic marxist.

I don't know how relevant this is though.  After all, I thought the 
only reason workers of the same class (in marxist terms) percieved 
their interests differently was a result of false consciousness.  
This often reflected in trade union mentalities.

[another point I've alluded to, and one that intersts me for this 
list in general.  There is a lot of discussion of the working class.  
But this often seems to mean only the industrial working class.  What 
about those workers that have got their three part time minimum wage 
zero benefit jobs?]

I feel I need to defend academic marxism at least a little bit, for a 
couple of reasons.  1.  I never would have read Marx if it hadn't 
been for academic marxism.  I seriously doubt I would have 
encountered it in the workforce.  I know many for whom this is true 
as well.  2.  The university has a function in our society that 
doesn't get advertised a lot.  It is a place where unpopular ideas 
can hibernate until such time arrrives that they will be accepted 
again.  This insures some things for us:  Marx, no matter what 
happens outside the university, will *always* be in print.  

Point two is under attack by the far right.  I'm sure they'll accept 
assistance from anyone who cares to offer it.

-wes  


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