Assault on Paradise: Perspectives on Globalization and Class Struggles

Chapter Two: Contra ‘Post-Marxist’ Critique of Marxist Class Analysis

23 Chapter Two Contra ‘Post-Marxist’ Critique of Marxist Class Analysis Overview Marx developed a theory which is both scientific and critical. However, in most interpretations and further developments of his thought either one or the other of these two essential characteristics has invariably been overlooked. Among those who speak in the name of Marx or consider themselves his intellectual followers some accept only his radical criticism of the society of his time, some lay emphasis only on his contribution to positive scientific knowledge about contemporary social structures and processes. To the former group belong, on the one hand, various apologists of post-capitalist society who develop Marxism as an ideology, and, on the other hand, those romantic humanists who consider positive knowledge a form of intellectual subordination to the given social framework, and who are ready to accept only the anthropological ideas of the young Marx. To the latter group belong all those scientists who appreciate Marx’s enormous contribution to modern social science, but who fail to realize that what fundamentally distinguishes Marx’s views from those of Comte, Mill, Ricardo and other classical social scientists, as well as from those of modern positivists, is his constant radical criticism of both existing theory and existing forms of social reality. The failure of most contemporary interpreters of Marx to grasp one of the basic novelties of his doctrine has very deep roots in the intellectual climate of our time and can be explained only by taking into account some of the fundamental divisions and polarizations in contemporary theoretical thinking. Introduction Marx disdained ethical discourse and consistently opposed moralistic interventions in the social and political issues of his day, once proclaiming that ‘communists do not preach morality at all’. He showed no interest in abstract discussions about how and why individuals ought to act towards each other in a morally defensible way, and he argued that capitalism had 24 either destroyed morality or turned it into a palpable lie since it contains a “mélange of truths, half-truths, quarter-truths, falsehoods, non-sequiturs, and syntactically correct sentences that have no meaning whatsoever.” Yet socalled post Marxists attempt to build support for socialist ideas on moral precepts. These are mere distractions from the priority of confronting the underlying causes of social misery in the processes of material production. We may point out in passing that although globalization conflicts will probably never be neatly resolved and forgotten, there are incremental improvements that are being made. Like a flash flood, globalization cannot be prevented, but it can be controlled and directed. The most important way to address globalization conflicts and to prevent further deaths is to continue to develop, refine, improve and promote international dispute management systems. These could take many forms. One possibility would be international laws and courts, which would protect people’s basic human rights. For relatively powerless groups such as the South Korean farmers, effective conflict resolution systems could give them leverage against their more powerful opponents. I hope that if powerless groups had an outlet for their frustration, they would not feel the need to resort to violence to get their message across. Whatever methods are used, it is clear that this “new world order” is going to require new institutions to smooth interactions between people around the world. Furthermore, groups who feel frustrated by globalization, such as the South Korean farmers, can learn to empower themselves to meet their needs. They can empower themselves by using techniques like non-violent protest and by building coalitions. These methods may ease some of the power inequities caused by globalization. The mass media will become more important than ever before. While the media is capable of exacerbating conflict, it can also help to humanize people and draw attention to injustice. Because globalization conflicts operate on such a large scale, mass media will be vital to help different groups communicate effectively with each other. Fact-finding is also extremely important for globalization conflicts because they often concern highly technical information. In Lee’s case, it is vital to know whether the WTO’s recommendations were actually benefiting South Koreans more than they were hurting them. It will be necessary for experts to collect trusted, thorough research on the effects of globalization in order to avoid misunderstandings and poor decision-making that will further escalate conflict. Whatever we can do to divide the world’s resources more 25 equitably...