Louis Proyect wrote:
Her critique is based on cheap demagogy, and poorly applied at that.
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Just... like... that?
As I said before, it is an attempt to tip the scales in favor of one side in a debate.
. ????? ! ? .
The "Marxist-Leninist" left is skilled in this, but uses different terminology--"petty bourgeois" being the favorite. But it amounts to the same thing. Who wants to be labeled "petty bourgeoisie"? It conjures up images of epicene college professors with subscriptions to the Nation Magazine who send money in to Amnesty International and drive Volvos. They are second cousins to the stereotypical Blue State voter. "Western Leftist" is simply a new term for what amounts to the same thing.
. I prefer the following definition of bourgeois, all pettiness aside, because it so perfectly circumscribes so much of Euro-American culture that spawned a "Left" with way to much time to palaver about who's doing what, with which, and to whom... all the while, busily "Doing" each other: .
For it ( the bourgeois) nothing exists in this world, except for the sake of money, itself not excluded. It knows no bliss save that of rapid gain, no pain save that of losing gold. In the presence of this avarice and lust of gain, it is not possible for a single human sentiment or opinion to remain untainted. True, these English bourgeois are good husbands and family men, and have all sorts of other private virtues, and appear, in ordinary intercourse, as decent and respectable as all other bourgeois; even in business they are better to deal with than the Germans; they do not higgle and haggle so much as our own pettifogging merchants; but how does this help matters? Ultimately it is self-interest, and especially money gain, which alone determines them.
<http://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1845/condition-working-class/ch13.htm> . It reads much like Ben Franklin's admonishment to the Continental Congress as to why government execs should not receive a salary. .
"Sir, there are two passions which have a powerful influence on the affairs of men. These are ambition and avarice; the love of power, and the love of money. "Separately each of these has great force in prompting men to action; but when united in view of the same object, they have in many minds the most violent effects. "Place before the eyes of such men, a post of honour that shall be at the same time a place of profit, and they will move heaven and earth to obtain it.
<http://douglassarchives.org/fran_a87.htm> .
