Date: Tue, 7 Oct 1997 05:23:04 -0600 (MDT)
Message-Id: <1.5.4.16.19971007072231.370fbc4e@pop.uvm.edu>
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To: socgrad@csf.colorado.edu
From: TR Young <TR.Young@uvm.edu>
Subject: Advantages of Capitalism
I'm delighted to see the exchanges among us on the
problems of capitalism/validities of marxist
critique...

What I did not say in the post was that, before I
develop the critique of capitalism in classes, I 
begin with acknowledgement of the many advantages
of capitalism...most of which are well known to 
American undergraduates but need saying anyhow as
prelude to any critique of it.

I know this is just a laundry list but would be happy
to discuss them with anyone but a perfervid dogmatic
unregenerate idol worshipping marxist.

A.  Capitalism is the most productive economic system
        in human history.

B.  Capitalism is the most flexible economic system
        in human history.

C.  Capitalism is the most innovative economic system
        in human history.

D.  Capitalism requires an ever-expanding knowledge
        system...and has fostered the best educational
        system seen on the face of the earth.

E.  Capitalism requires peace on land, sea and in the
        air in order to move raw materials, ship goods
        and move people around countries and continents.

F.  Capitalism tends to destroy ancient systems of privilege:
        race, gender, ethnic and caste.

        [Now I know this sounds contradictory to one of the
         validities of marxian analysis I posted Sunday but
         it is not...capitalists can use racism/sexism to drive
         down labor costs and ignore racists/sexists who want the
         jobs at higher pay for themselves...think about it].

G.  Capitalism has, over its lst 200 years, brought more
        people out of poverty and ignorance than any heretofore
        existing economic system.

        [Socialism, even in its bureaucratic forms in USSR, had
         many successes but was fatally flawed in that it could
         not match these advantages of capitalism].

I expect that, with a bit of thought, we could add to this list;
and, if we wanted to be polemic, transform some of these into
negativities...but the real voters are the people who live and
work in given political economies.

'Tenny rate, I think Marx continues to be a major source of good
theory/critique/resource to understand the structural sources of
social problems.  I accept that much has changed since Marx lived
and wrote...as I have said in other places, Marx is dead; we are 
not...our job is to rework conflict theory to take into account the
vast changes in the world and in social relations produced by both
capitalism and by resistence and rebellion to the many negativities
of capitalism.  For my part, I spend a lot of time on non-linear
social dynamics and in exploring postmodern critique of the knowledge
process.

In more personal news, its been magnificent weather here in Michigan
at Lake Isabella...my peach tree was so laden with fruit that it just
split into...I've been canning peaches the past week...and re-land
scaping in the yard...wonderful change from scholarly work.

I've begun a course in html at the local high school...Bruce Arrigo,
Dragan Milovanovic and I will do a Home Page for Postmodern Criminology
to which I invite all grad students in North America, Europe and
Oz/NZ as soon as we have it on-line.  Two grad students will be
central to it: Andy Cislo in Chicago and Jenn Santman in California.

I'll go to U/Louisville as guest of the Grad Students there...and will
do a lecture for them on the 11th of Nov.

                                            
For those who would like added depth and explanation of some of the
points I had made in the list of Marxian Validities, you are cordially
invited to browse the Red Feather Home Page.

        http://www.tryoung.com/archives/index.htm

                                                        Most kindly, TR
TR Young
The Red Feather Institute
8085 Essex, Weidman, Mi.,
  48893--ph: [517] 644 3089
  Email: tr@tryoung.com
         TR.Young@uvm.edu