tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14115431.post6680177764328482699..comments2023-10-16T15:59:02.445+01:00Comments on NEIL HARDING: Why I'm A Social Democrat And Not A Marxist.Neil Hardinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01333739272733802133noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14115431.post-30637566040021458742007-07-25T22:26:00.000+01:002007-07-25T22:26:00.000+01:00I think it is a question of interpretation. The "M...I think it is a question of interpretation. The "Middle Class" of Marks is still there controlling everything. The problem is the "Working Class" do not realise that they are merely prolateriat just bercause they have some of the toys they think they are what Marx called "Middle Class" and they are wrong. The Working Class depended adn stil depend on their weekly income. The Middle Class could surive for several years with no income as they are Middle Class.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14115431.post-41007674006717594002007-07-13T01:17:00.000+01:002007-07-13T01:17:00.000+01:00Thanks 'hip priest' - northern fall fan no doubt.Thanks 'hip priest' - northern fall fan no doubt.Neil Hardinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01333739272733802133noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14115431.post-68216119397818667172007-07-12T17:19:00.000+01:002007-07-12T17:19:00.000+01:00as a bridge between the two positions you may wish...as a bridge between the two positions you may wish to try looking at "Post-Marxism an intellectual history" by Stuart Sim or "Hegemony and Socialist Strategy" by Laclau & Mouffe for re-interpretations of aspects of Marxism in contemporary society.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14115431.post-54410003061099065252007-07-12T13:18:00.000+01:002007-07-12T13:18:00.000+01:00Danny Boy: I suppose you are right about Marx bein...Danny Boy: I suppose you are right about Marx being useful but don't see why anyone would want to call themselves Marxist when his idealogy has clearly failed. Like your blog by the way - will add you to my links.Neil Hardinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01333739272733802133noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14115431.post-67155076888652137622007-07-11T15:37:00.000+01:002007-07-11T15:37:00.000+01:00Oh absolutely - I don't mean to whitewash the deep...Oh absolutely - I don't mean to whitewash the deep, fundamental flaws of Marxism insofar as it is/was a practical political movement.<BR/><BR/>I do think Marx remains a relevant, even vital source for those interested in progressive social change. But undoubtedly his solutions were, from the vantage point of modern liberal democratic states, as extreme and intolerant as the social stages he condemned as historically bankrupt. Like many important thinkers, one merely has to dissect the issues objectively (which, of course, I think most 'revolutionaries' - ha! - nowadays utterly fail to do).<BR/><BR/>As a quick aside, I am a convinced social democrat. Obviously the Marxist conception of state ownership et al utterly failed to end the long-standing exploitation of labour. I just think it's an interesting topic to ponder.Danny Boyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10602978679036966579noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14115431.post-17647597852193397852007-07-10T17:36:00.000+01:002007-07-10T17:36:00.000+01:00Danny Boy: Agree with you but I still think Marx w...Danny Boy: Agree with you but I still think Marx was wrong about state ownership of everything, inciting revolution to change things and also for not clearly defining what communism was. These are major flaws don't you think? It is not surprising people following his ideology got it so wrong. For that Marx has to take some of the blame.Neil Hardinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01333739272733802133noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14115431.post-73931584970215321492007-07-10T15:08:00.000+01:002007-07-10T15:08:00.000+01:00If I recall, Marx was under significant pressure a...If I recall, Marx was under significant pressure at the time of writing the manifesto, due to his contemporaries, the events of the period and the simple strain of trying to finish it for publication. Thus the disparity between the extreme demands of the eventual document, and some of his more complex work which, as I'm sure others have pointed out, often has a lot more in common with humanist thought than the psychotic ravings of 'Marxist' disciples this last century and a half.<BR/><BR/>To support basic contentions of Marxist thought re: alienation, the superstructure and the base etc, needn't require one to advocate "industrial armies" and a Khmer Rogue-like redistribution of the urban population!Danny Boyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10602978679036966579noreply@blogger.com