From: beaver.cs.washington.edu!gnosys!titan.ucc.umass.edu!derrico (Peter d'Errico)
Subject: Re: Truth is Academic?
Date: Mon, 31 Aug 1992 16:53:16 GMT

Original-Sender: titan.ucc.umass.edu!derrico (Peter d'Errico)

> Original-Sender: Alan McGowen <hpindbu.cup.hp.com!alanm>
>
> Peshe seems to be saying the following things:
>
> 1) Wealth has no power independent of the goals of states.
> [Ever heard of a multinational corporation?]

I didn't read him to say that wealth is independent of states, but
rather that wealth is intertwined with state power. And as to
multinational corps, it seems to me that they depend heavily on the
power of states to coerce populations into armies and police in
defense of corp structures; in other words, though multinationals have
no allegiance to any particular state inherently they are dependent on
state systems.

> 2) Wealth is enormously (excessively?) regulated.
> [Ever heard of a Swiss bank account?]

Yes, indeed. A prime example of the dependence of wealth on a state
system.

> 3) Wealth isn't really good for you, and doesn't lead to power.
> [I guess that's why Perot gave up?]

I think you are reading a "new ageiness" into what was said. I think
the point to be made is that the pursuit of wealth involves the pursuit
of an illusion. The illusion is that "freedom" comes from wealth.

> 4) Don't think about wealth -- think about something else.
> [Leave thinking about wealth to the wealthy.]

Ditto my comments to #3.

> Actually the giveaway in the above is the right-wing code word "statism".
> That word is used to cover such concepts as the public interest,
> civic responsibility, etc. "Statism". One little word to cover the union
> of interests which is the real threat to the power of wealth. Prevent
> that union of interests at all costs. Practice the politics of division,
> "us" vs "them", "indigenous" vs "European", "godless materialist
> scientists" vs the "truly spiritual."

"Statism" is hardly a "right-wing code word." It is employed by
leftists and anarchists as well, with good effect. "Statism" (in my
vocabulary) refers to the belief in the state... a kind of secular
religion with "reason" as its god. Of course, the "reason" is
controlled by the state functionaries in the name of the "public
interest," "civic responsibility," etc. "Statism" is related to
"statistics," which is the collection of data about people so as to
facilitate their management by the functionaries....

Take a look at Stanley Diamond's book _In Search of the Primitive_,
especially his essay "The Rule of Law versus the Order of Custom," for
an historical-anthropological view of the rise of the state. (Diamond,
by the way, thought of himself as a "marxist" at the time of that
essay, so no "right-winger" views here...)

> Anything to keep us occupied and our eyes off the real concentrations
> of power.

Yup, that's the game that the state plays, together with its corporate
allies...

--
Peter d'Errico                                              phone: 413-545-2003
Legal Studies Department                                    fax:   413-545-1640
University of Massachusetts/Amherst 01003           dErrico@titan.ucc.umass.edu
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