Hi Paco, > [Rebecca] > > Platt you're probably committing an error that many Americans are > prone > > to making; that is, equating communism with socialism. They are > patently > > not the same thing.
> Platt: > >Would you care to explain the difference in 100 words or less? > > > One difference in context of societies: > > Communist society is a classless society where each individual is a center > unto himself or herself but not at the expense of anyone; rather, in the > service of everyone. There is no private ownership of the means of > production needed by society as a whole. It does not yet exist. It has > proletarian ethics in command (love your neighbor; serve the people). > There is no State, defined as instrument of oppression comprising > government, police, courts and prisons. (But you know this). Communism as you describe it sounds like hippie commune. > Socialist society is a class society but without a socially unnecessary > capitalist class (denied its economic base). It is a pre-communist > society. It would have a petty bourgeoisie, a proletariat and middle > peasantry. There is a State of the people, by the people, for the > people, that among other tasks, will prevent the dominance and hegemony of > reactionary classes. It exists in germ (socialist features are a sign), > arguably, in Nepal, Cuba, Maoist revolutionary base areas in South America > and in the Philippines. So we have to become Maoists and go through a cultural revolution with a consequent death toll of millions before becoming a global hippie commune? > Perhaps not so clear in these socialist > experiments is the presence of the concept of DQ. And here is where > Pirsigians and Levinasians and intellectuals without totalizing ideologies > can come in to help. Once the concept of DQ is grasped by the masses, > it can/should become a material force for self-renewal and social > transformation. > > Paco > (lLeftist Pirsigian?) Perhaps not so clear to socialist experiments is the concept of individual liberty whereby you and I can choose those values we wish to pursue so long as we don't prevent others from doing likewise. I wonder if Rebecca agrees with your description of communism vs. socialism. Platt Moq_Discuss mailing list Listinfo, Unsubscribing etc. http://lists.moqtalk.org/listinfo.cgi/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org Archives: http://lists.moqtalk.org/pipermail/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org/ http://moq.org.uk/pipermail/moq_discuss_archive/
