Date: Tue, 8 Nov 1994 20:33:26 -0800 (PST)
From: Ann Ferguson <aferguso-AT-benfranklin.hnet.uci.edu>
Subject: Re: dual systems and adaptation in general


11/8/94

	I think Justin has done a good job of stating my views about the 
situation of men and women in capitalist patriarchy being structured as 
both exploitative and oppressive so I wont go over ground he has already 
covered.  I dont think fears that we may not have a common ground to 
unite against the system should lead us to ignore the very real splits we 
face because of institutionalized privileges.  It is not "liberal" to 
point these out, nor is it helpful to label these this way. No liberal 
thinker would be caught dead arguing that men exploit women!!  By the 
way, I think a parallel argument can be made that whites as a group 
exploit African-Americans because of the still existing racial division 
of labor, although as that heterogeneous labor situation breaks down 
because of Black unemployment what we seem to be left with is oppression 
due to racial segregation and poverty. In any case, the tri-systems 
theory of social domination systems doesnt imply that there is no way to 
make coalitions to fight social inequality.   All we have to do is to 
realize that as social animals people can forge political alliances based 
on a moral-social interest in achieving an accepted historical-political 
ideal, in this case, political equality which leftists can argue requires 
economic and social equality.  And although our material group interests as 
whites, or men, or middle class prof. workers, may oppose those of people 
of color, women, and working class proper workers, our moral-social 
interests can be engaged to form radical coalitions around 
anti-capitalist economic and social democratic demands.  If this be petty 
bourgeois liberalism and challenging the base/superstructure distinction, 
then make the most of it!! I dont think reductionism gained us anything 
in the past and I dont think it will in the future!!

	In solidarity
	Ann Ferguson
	aferguso-AT-uci.edu


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