File spoon-archives/marxism-thaxis.archive/marxism-thaxis_1998/marxism-thaxis.9802, message 486


Date: Sat, 21 Feb 1998 21:05:09 -0800
From: michael <michael-AT-ecst.csuchico.edu>
Subject: M-TH: Re: State of the World


The last two posts from Louis brought up some very important points.

He began with a discussion of Lester Brown.  I first became acquainted with
Brown when he was with the Department of Agriculture promoting the so-called
green revolution.  Somehow he made a serious transformation in his outlook and
came to realize about how serious the environmental threats that we face really
are.

I'm not sure what kind of transformation David Harvey has undergone.  I have
always found his work to be very interesting and very challenging.

In the second post from Louis, he brings up the idea of value-free science.
Not being an economist, Louis might not understand that one of the ideas
constantly hammered into the heads of defenseless graduate students in
economics is the importance of value free science.  We learn that the role of
an economist is to make recommendations based on objective standards, which
typically means whenever the market says is correct.  To support rent control,
welfare or any progressive policy in tantamount to injecting an unwarranted
value the analysis.

Turning to Malthusianism, Paul Ehrilich, a person who used to represent to me
some of the most vulgar aspects of Malthusianism, has recently written a
magnificent work in which he shows how the supposedly value free scientists are
all too often beholden to corporate interests.  Bought and paid for, these
corporate scientists belittle environment dangers and in the process win the
accolades of the corporate media.

Today Marxism only appeals to a tiny strata of our society.  Although people
are skeptical about corporation and even tend to accept populist announced of
corporations, making the leap to Marxist analysis is very difficult.

I believe that environment critique probably makes the most effective way of
bridging the gap between the popular mood and our own analysis.  I do not know
what David Harvey's present approach is.  Perhaps, I would even agree with it.
Unfortunately, if it is this I understand it to be based on the two posts, he
may be doing a disservice to the left.

In any case, I hope that Louis's posts lead to a fruitful dialogue.


--
Michael Perelman
Economics Department
California State University
Chico, CA 95929

Tel. 916-898-5321
E-Mail michael-AT-ecst.csuchico.edu






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