FW: some thoughts on globalism/imperialism & class

Oops. Forgot to reply to all.

-----Original Message-----
From: Austin, Andrew
To: 'Charles J. Reid'
Sent: 8/7/2001 9:09 PM
Subject: RE: some thoughts on globalism/imperialism & class

-----Original Message-----
From: Charles J. Reid [mailto:cjreid@sonic.net]
Sent: Tuesday, August 07, 2001 6:05 PM

"'Imperialism' is an outdated, 19th century concept. Try 'Corporate
Feudalism' in today's global climate. Study Feudalism, and see how it
applies to how corporations work today in the legal framework that
enables their activities."

If "imperialism" is a 19th century concept, what does that make the
concept "feudalism"? 

"Study how corporations work, and see how essentially feudal they are.
But if you insist on using 'imperialism' today, please define it."

Define "feudalism." How are corporations "essentially feudal"?

"...defining it as the 'highest stage of capitalism' is nonsense, given
the global corporate feudal structure of today's political economy."

Which assumes the validity of your conceptualization. 

"Marx's idea of eliminating social classes was and still is a chimera.
And no political construct can engineer the elimination of social
classes, reducing society to a single class. Indeed, if merit is to play
any role in the progress of society, reducing all members to a single
class may not even be desirable, irrespective of the fact that this goal
is impossible to achieve."

It is easy to develop a "construct" that eliminates social class. The
point is to eliminate it. (That sounds familiar...)

How is it again that merit and class are related? And how are class and
merit related to progress? By merit I suppose you mean that people must
be motivated to action, that there must be a reward. Where is the proof
that people in a classless society lose their motivation to action, to
progress? Isn't incentive under capitalism really this: "work (if you
can) or go hungry (or go hungry anyway, just work)"? Is this progress?

"Genocide is the only failing tool available class-eliminating political
practioners, who will always fail, for it is they who will ultimately
become the ruling class, consuming luxury goods."

Why should communism be reduced to genocide when capitalists have ever
resorted to genocide as an engine of "development"?

Andrew Austin
Green Bay, WI