Dear Richard,
I am certainly on your side in your debate with Warren Wagar when you reject
feasibility and preferance of W state, insist on using already existing
democratic instruments on national level, and fairly appeal to work with the
'system', not to make it an enemy.
but in this 'our side' yours and my position have also some differences:
> I must say I've been extremely un-impressed by the shallow analysis
> and lack of deep comprehension evidenced under the name of "WST". Seems
> like would-be system theorists patching together an arcane explanation for
> what's obvious to everyone already, so they can feel smug with their
> "insider knowledge" that no one else can follow. As such, it's trending
> toward becoming a feedback-rich, self-deluding cult, rather than a
> scientific endeavor.
nobody thinks here that WST is an absolute key, it is a live changing
approach with various competitive subapproaches, as for me it must be
combined and correctly sinthesized with geopolitics and cultural-
civilizational studies.
If you ever read books of Braudel, Wallerstein, Frank, Arrighi, Chase-Dunn
you would not dare to say of 'shallow analysis' and 'lack of deep
comprehension'.
It seems you take your major information of WST from this list, but it is
an analog of couloirs (kofee-break) of conference: sometimes the talk is
brilliant and sharpminded, sometimes not, but the main work is going in the
main hall - in serious monographical research - in books and papers.
Moreover, frequently experts here exchange by concepts (with rather
rich interior content) but a non-expert can see not more than mere trivial
words.
> There was no suggestion that the basic
> core-periphery organization of the globe needs to be, or is likely to be,
> altered.
good, here we agree
>
> If this political shift were implemented globally, it would not
> constitute a new stage in the shifting hegemonies -- it would only broaden
> the constituencies involved in setting societal goals -- a minor shift from
> a systems point of view. It might also lead to a more collaborative,
> synergistic relationship between core states, and with and among the
> periphery.
OK, but the trick is how to make this shift desirable for the core, for the
'systemic' global and national elites?
> Why, pray tell, do you hold up Marx as a paragon of "solid arguments"?
surely Marx is not a paragon, he has made crucial mistakes concerning the
world future, but he was armed with
'The Capital' - the best political-economic analysis in that period (and many
people think - even up to now)
Modern naive talks of the end of global capitalism and transforamtion
it into global socialism are also a mistake but alas - without such solid
theoretical support that Marx had.
I am glad that you are not in this camp and I take this criticism back.
>
BTW> "core-periphery" is much more
> general than just world systems. ALL systems seem to be structured on a
> core-periphery basis, from the human nervous system, to computers, to
> animal-grazing patterns, to highway-systems, to shopping centers -- you
> name it. What's the big deal?
I am not an expert in WST, but here
it is just a nice example when I use WST CONCEPTS and you take into account
only general WORDS. Core-periphery in WST is really a big deal, dozens of
books, thousands of pages are devoted to it.
> > R.Moore's program seems to be "antisystemic" and "anticore", that's
> >why I think it is hopelesss.
>
> Please substantiate this characterization, if you still believe it
> to be true.
Really, I changed my mind after your clarification, also after your
recent answer to Warren. Now your program is not overtly anisystemic and
anticore, but I suspise it is such immanently.
I mean your courageous and persistent struggle AGAINST TNC and their
supporting global institutions (in favor of national democracies).
Is I told earlier these elites and structures form the very framework of
modern cap. world system. To fight with them IS to be antisystemic.
Why don't you consider the idea of SPLITTING UP these elites and to involve
the part of them in the wide humanistic coalition?
best wishes, yours
Nikolai
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Nikolai S. Rozov # Address:Dept. of Philosophy
Prof.of Philosophy # Novosibirsk State University
rozov@cnit.nsu.ru # 630090, Novosibirsk
Fax: (3832) 355237 # Pirogova 2, RUSSIA
Moderator of the mailing list PHILOFHI
(PHILosophy OF HIstory and theoretical history)
http://darwin.clas.virginia.edu/~dew7e/anthronet/subscribe
/philofhi.html
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