Ricardo:
>I wonder as well whether Brenner proposed an alternative research
>program to the study of third world development. Not really. Is there
>any Brennerian case study of development out there?
Brenner is for "socialism from below". This means democratic socialism
without the kinds of brutishness associated with nasty Stalinist regimes
like Castro's or Mao's. Nor the kinds of radical nationalist projects such
as Arbenz's or Peron's. Nor the largely agrarian-based models such as
Kerala. He is a purist. Unless it is the sort of thing that Marx wrote
about, it is inadequate. It will fail because it is 'autarkic', a word that
he used in the NLR article and which smacks of 'modernization' critiques of
the Cuban revolution. Brenner and the ATC editors advocate a return to
Marxist orthodoxy, with soviet type institutions led by wage earners from
basic industry, like mining, auto and steel. Square-jawed men and women
dressed in coveralls with lunchpails, reading CLR James in their spare
time. That's what Marx and Hal Draper wrote about. It's all there in
black-and-white. How can you argue with it? A mighty fortress is our
socialism. Ideas are irrefutable basically. I have my own ideal about women...
Louis Proyect
Marxism mailing list: http://www.marxmail.org
