On Mon, 26 May 1997, Terry Boswell wrote:
> In this sense, at the global level, ecological, women's, and labor
> movements share point and purpose, and should be one interconnected
> world movement. It would be a movement for a better world, one that
> supersedes capitalism, not a reaction to a catastrophic collapse of
> world capitalism brought on by ecological or any other single
> crisis. Waiting for the final contraction or final crisis or other
> catastrophe to replace capitalism is to hope for the worst and do
> nothing for the better.
Having followed this argument throught the last few posts, I found this
statement to a welcome one. It would seem that, if one read all of the
World Systems literature, there is a sense that the World System
perspective is one of doom and gloom, both for humanity and capitalism.
This recent thread, which appears to already have been discussed at
length, is a perfect example of how this sociological perspective has that
tendency to view large social structures in a strictly materialist
fashion. While there is truth to this perspective, and Grimes presents a
plausible possibility, the world with all of its social structures is not
THAT deterministic. That is, there are plenty of instances in which people
have not acted as we have expected them to. Likewise, there are times when
people in general have done things that would seem out of place given
their social background. Rozov echoes this point, I think, when he
stresses the likelihood that capitalism will find some way to make it
through this crisis. And why not? it has in the past, and there is no
indication that those who run the capitalist system are so naive as to let
the possibility for the destruction of capitalism go unnoticed. almost
assuredly, the power core of capitalism will make adjustments in the
capitalist system in order to ensure survival. Capitalism is organic, and
as such, it has a sense that it needs to survive, and will do anything it
needs to do to survive.
By the same token, just as capitalism has within itself the possibility
for non-deterministic change, so do non-capitalitst within the system have
the opportunity to affect change as well. By this, I mean that persons
like Boswell are not ultimately limited by social/economic/political
background, and have open to them the opportunity to make moves that are
outside of the dominant framework and indeed can and will change that
framework. This is not to say that we can simply lay back and wait for
some one on the margins to step up and change the rules of the game. To do
so would be social suicide. By the same token, we are not limited to our
backgrounds. We have available to us the opportunity to affect changes in
the system, either forcing it to collapse or replace and modify it. i'm
not making a judgement here as to which ought to be done, but rather I am
emphasizing that are able to ask first what "ought" to be, rather than
"let nature take its course." We are nature's course, and we CAN change
it.
Just to summarize, it was a nice change of pace to see Terry's comments,
and his focus on the changes that we can affect. As I said earlier, so
much of WS literature focuses on how things have been, and specifically
the the faults of the current global capitalist system, that any praxis
that has resulted from this perspective is one that fails to recognize the
existentialist element of humanity. Just in case I have confused anyone as
to my origianl position, I agree with Grimes in the respect that the
final contraction of capitalism is possible, and ever more so at this
point in time. However, it is not inevitable. Such a final contraction is
one possibility among many. If such a collapse of capitalism is desirable,
then we ought to do whatever is in our power to actualize that
possibility. If another possibility is more desirable, then we ought to
do whatever possible to actualize that possibility. Whatever is chosen as
the "ought," the fact remains that we nonetheless have a choice.
I sincerely hope that these ramblings make as much sense to everyone as
they do to me. If not, i can try to clarify them. Thanks for letting me
say a few words.....
Jason