For those interested - Kevin Kelly recently had an excellent piece titled
'The New Rules of the New Economy' in the September issue of Wired
Magazine.
Ryan C. Niman
Email:
rcniman@u.washington.edu
On Fri, 3 Oct 1997, Richard N Hutchinson wrote:
> RKM-
>
> You make an excellent point about the necessity to think in terms of
> evolutionary process rather than apocalyptic scenarios. I agree that the
> crew currently piloting the planet are way ahead of most of their
> erstwhile opponents in understanding and acting on this insight.
>
> A very useful book in this regard is Kevin Kell(y/ey?)'s >>Out of Control:
> The Rise of Neo-Biological Civilization<<. Sure he's enamored of the
> "natural evolutionary" status of capitalism. We would be better off if we
> absorbed some of the insights he presents. (Marx thought all of
> capitalism's potential would have to be played out before it was
> surpassed.)
>
> With regard to Warren Wagar's recent proposal, I'm afraid the problem is
> that he proposes a blueprint, when what is needed is a plan. It is
> a question of process as opposed to ideal depiction of an outcome. The
> resistance to the capitalist world-system will arise from below
> (including intellectuals of course) and take on forms that we cannot
> currently envision. In the meantime, Samir Amin and others play an
> invaluable role in specifying the continuing conditions for popular
> resistance and revolution. But in terms of the transition to a different
> system, Wagar's proposal sounds too much like a utopian novel.
>
> Comradely regards,
> Richard Hutchinson
>
>
>
>