On Thu, 16 May 1996, Jozsef Borocz wrote:
>
> We have thus a nice demonstration of what happens in the
> international arena where there is no real enforcement mechanism. :-)
>
> Academic quarrels are so vicious because the stakes are so low. :-))
>
> Jozsef 8-)))
>
Can't we do better than this? I thought when I joined WSN I would get to hear
interesting cutting edge ideas about the global economic system. I was
drawn to WSN to hear disscussions about current debates within the
field. You know things like 500 or 5000 years? What about
Wallerstein's latest book and thesis about the delegitimation of liberal
democracy? What is Africa going to look like in 50 years? Is America a
declining hegemonic power--How can WST make it's case so that it will
become a theory of praxis again? Is the logic of the World System in the
midst of a transformation on par with the Neolithic Revolution and/or the
capitalist? What are the effects of globalization on social movements
and marginalized peoples? ETC..........
Isn't it unfortunate that we haven't seen much of this here recently? To
be honest I have friends that are also on WSN--we're all graduate students
and the questions above are the sort that drew us into WST as perhaps the best
explanatory theory relating to these processes. Yet, I've seen more disscussions
about WST on history and philosophy lists than on this one. ChrisCD and others
recently began to discuss issues relating to WST, which was really nice to see.
Unfortunately the issues were lost in a quagmire of ad hominen personal attacks
and irrelevant bourgeois postings on human nature. The former: unprofessional,
unnecessary and unhelpful; The latter: irrelevant because it wasn't designed to show
a connection between (so-called) human nature and WS structures or processes.
Anyways my point is that WSN could and should be a useful tool to attract new
converts and intrigue thinkers young and old to utilize the WS approach
to confront current social issues but as it stands the "intellectual
bullies" (whats the point?) and lack of relevant postings do nothing but discourage
younger students from posting and make passive observers of the list wonder if WST is
relevant anymore. I think we know it is relevant. Shouldn't we act like it?
Sincerely,
Christian Harlow