Contained within Autsin's critique of Wagar is a simple admission
that, ironically, makes Wagar's point ring true. Austin states
that, "What we see is the movement towards a world capitalist order
(really already upon us) with powerful (although dissimulated)
bureaucratic state and ideological structures." This is exactly
right. Admitting as much completely changes the frame of debate.
The question then is whether we have an undemocratic, capitalist
world state or a democratic, socialist world state. What is utopian
is the proposal that the world has no order.
Terry Boswell
------- Forwarded Message Follows -------
Date sent: Fri, 26 Jul 1996 15:52:41 -0500 (CDT)
Send reply to: aaustin@mtsu.edu
From: "Andrew W. Austin" <aaustin@mtsu.edu>
To: WORLD SYSTEMS NETWORK <wsn@csf.colorado.edu>
Subject: Re: McFarling on Wagar
Originally to: wwagar@binghamton.edu
The Soviet Union is not an example of socialist democracy gone astray. The
Soviet Union was set up like one big corporation. It was a disaster
precisely because it was a centralized, top-down, command state economy
that tried to do the things that you espouse. I cannot support any plan
which seeks to make all cultures and all people live under global rule. If
something goes horribly wrong I would rather it be in a small autonomous
community than in a totalized world-system. In fact, the problem with the
world today is centralized ruling structures and hierarchies of
dominations that systematically deny human freedom and crush creativity.
If the world is on an evolutionary telos towards socialism then we should
see decentralization and greater autonomy of community. What we see is the
movement towards a world capitalist order (really already upon us) with
powerful (although dissimulated) bureaucratic state and ideological
structures. I do not think your world is utopian--indeed, I fear your
world precisely because it is not.
Andy Austin