Dear Richard,
frankly I am confused by ambiguousness of your last answer.
when you mean Global Reform - I agree with you, but when you mean
Global Revolution - I strongly disagree.
I think you should first cease to confuse yourself and make a decision -
what namely you appeal for: for the Reform or for the Revolution?
After comments I'll try to give some distinguishing criteria and will
formulate a question and suggestion to you, to Warren Wagar, Chris Chase-
Dunn and other proponents of global radical changes.
> From: rkmoore@iol.ie (Richard K. Moore)
>
Nikolai:
> >OK, but the trick is how to make this shift desirable for the core, for the
> >'systemic' global and national elites?
>
Richard:
> How could the Tsar have found the Russian Revolution desirable? Or
> Marie Antoinette, the French Revolution? I believe there's an essential
> conflict of interests that must be faced.
So you mean that for modern world core elites a Global Revolution is not
desirable. I agree. But for whom is it desirable, taking into account modern
arms level, global ecological, demographical-provisional situation?
I don't remember now
how much people exactly France had lost (hundreds of thousands) and Russia
had lost (some millions) during their Revolutions and civil wars.
How much people are you ready to victimize for your Global Revolution?
You can tell me - nobody,
but I must tell you - the price will be dozens or hundreds of millions
of lives!
> As above, I suggest we "split up" the interlocking operation of the
> various systems. Also, in regard to your question, I think it is important
> to emphasize that "we" aren't out to destroy corporations or to punish
> war-criminal executives. We're not talking about revenge nor about
> starting from revolutionary rubble -- we're talking about realigning the
> systems we have to serve humanity, under democratic guidance. Today's
> greedy executives are invited to become the respected wheels-of-change in a
> reformed society.
good, here you say already about Reform and I agree, but how you combine this
project with your above statements on revolution and essential conflict of
interests?
I suggest to consider three crucial differences between Reform and
Revolution:
1.(most surface) A Reform is not, while a Revolution is accompanied by mass
social violence, class fights and civil wars.
2.(middle) A Reform is realized within a framework of existing political-legal
order (but includes its gradual changing or even substitution). A
Revolution violently destroys existing political-legal order and leads to a
period of social chaos until establishment of the new order (usually
more severe than the initial one).
3.(most deep) A Reform CONSERVES OLD RULING CLASS (ELITES) by adapting its
interests to new social (political-economic-legal) options. A Revolution
OVERTHROWS (expels, eliminates) OLD RULING CLASS (ELITES), but after a period
of chaos substitutes it by a new one (usually not less greedy).
My question is not only to Richard but also to Warren Wagar, Chris Chase-Dunn
and other proponents of future global radical political-economic changes:
What namely do you appeal for - a Reform or Revolution?
I expect - you answer: a Reform.
But it means CONSERVATION and ADAPTING of EXISTING WORLD CORE ELITES
(including naughty TNC, New W.Order institutions, US-West Europe-Japan
hegemonies, etc).
If you agree with it, let's discuss how to fit their interests in new
desirable humanistic world order and how to involve them into wide
humanistic coalition.
If you disagree, you can mean only to take away from existing elites their
main financial, political, military instruments.
You must explain in this
case how you manage to make it peacefully, and what guarantees (at least
historical or theoretical) you have that this grasping of instruments will
not lead to a World-Wide Slaughter with millions or billions of victims.
best regards, 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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