Comments on The Pensive Quill: Bleak House

NCM, you have outlined it in one. Sizek talks hope...

2009-02-10T20:47:00.000Z

NCM, you have outlined it in one. Sizek talks hopefully about returning to the socialist nightmares of the past. Is this just a hankering after totalitarianism? When someone of his stature is so short on ideas it augurs poorly. Poulantzas did his best to outline a democratic socialist alternative to the statist approach which he thought was the real problem. But I think the despair of getting anywhere helped lead to his suicide.

"NCM, you are welcome to try. It would be hearteni...

2009-02-10T03:45:00.000Z

"NCM, you are welcome to try. It would be heartening to see some change in that area but it seems to go with the revolutionary turf."

This is, in my opinion, THE threshold issue with socialism and one that must be addressed before anything else. History is filled with too many grim broken promises and oppression brought about against ordinary people by "socialist" states to ignore the problem. But of course I have no answers. But getting an answer should be job #1... otherwise what's the point of replacing a corrupt system with an ill-conceived and broken one?

Michael, disappointed about it is how I feel. Whil...

2009-02-09T19:55:00.000Z

Michael, disappointed about it is how I feel. While socialism is driven by the cults and sects then there is no socialism.

NCM, you are welcome to try. It would be heartenin...

2009-02-09T19:52:00.000Z

NCM, you are welcome to try. It would be heartening to see some change in that area but it seems to go with the revolutionary turf.

Unfortunately, we are between computers at the min...

2009-02-05T15:03:00.000Z

Unfortunately, we are between computers at the minute. So I have been unable to post anything. Fleetingly, I am at a friend's and get the chance to post comments. I will respond on anything that has appeared and needs a reply when we are back online.

Best
Anthony

Hi Anthony. Your post here left me with the impres...

2009-02-03T14:05:00.000Z

Hi Anthony. Your post here left me with the impression that you're a bit disillusioned with radicalism in general and socialism in particular. Or have I got it wrong?

"Most in the audience seemed to think of revolutio...

2009-01-29T22:23:00.000Z

"Most in the audience seemed to think of revolutionary schemas. I appeared to be the only one there at least willing to profess that I am not a revolutionary and am somewhat disconcerted to find myself alluded to as such. I do not trust revolutionaries. They promise so much, deliver so little and forever after devote much of their time and energy to the suppression of those who would flag up the gap between revolutionary preaching and practice. It seems that revolutionaries end up being such fervent censors because where they end up is so far removed from their starting point that the need for concealment is all the greater amongst them."

That's the best written description of the problem I've ever read. But surely there must be some way to fix this dynamic...?