File spoon-archives/marxism-thaxis.archive/marxism-thaxis_1998/marxism-thaxis.9802, message 597


From: Carrol Cox <cbcox-AT-rs6000.cmp.ilstu.edu>
Subject: Re: M-TH: Re: ethics and intentions
Date: Tue, 24 Feb 1998 22:59:41 -0600 (CST)


> Well, I think you did change the subject. Suppose, though, that we need a
> violent overthrough and a lot of solidaristic class struggle to get there,
> If I garnt this for the sake of argument, how does that help you answer my
> question?

In fact, what you're granting here would have to be argued out in some
detail before I'd actually be prepared to make many statements about what
would and would not be the case under socialism, but let me take just one
for now, the question of racism.

It simply does not make sense to speak of racism under socialism *in the
United States* (I do not speak of anywhere else), for the simple reason
that we will never have socialism in the United States except through a
process of struggle which *along the way* and *within the struggle*
essentially destroys racism. If the struggle for socialism does not
destroy racism, then neither will it overthrow capitalism. How will you
get down off of Mount Everest if you are naked after climbing it? A
foolish question, for if you were naked you wouldn't have gotten there.
Similarly it is a foolish question to ask how would one handle racism
under socialism, for socialism wouldn't exist under such conditions.

So *any* question you ask me about socialism must be first related to the
necessities of the struggle for socialism.

Perhaps more later.

Carrol



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