Carlos, I merely posed the question rather than offered the answer! I
suppose I am tempted to think at times that Marxism is the opium of the
Marxists. I am not hostile to Marxist descriptions - it is when it seeks to
prescribe that we run into all matter of difficulties. It leads me to think
that it is just people with an eye for opportunity trying to create what
they feel is a power vacuum and then move to persuade or coerce the rest of
us into believing that the vacuum can only be filled by 'the party.' The
best way to problematise the matter in my view is to move to the level of
micro power and look at how each of the dominant institutions you referred
to is constituted in terms of their own internal dynamics and discourses.
This avoids the Marxist problem of finding some hidden societal essence
which will come through once the veil of mystification has been pulled away
leaving us to gaze on how capital in fact constitutes each of the
institutions. Then we avoid the problem of thinking that the dissidents you
refer to are brought together as a result of their class consciousness -
their dissent, their oppositionalism is to be situated in the peculiar
discourse of their particular institution. Consequently, they may never find
common purpose. The Marxists in turn will then ask if this is not just a
reversion to pluralist thinking. Although in both pluralism and Marxism the
question of power is deal with as a resource - power is a battery rather
than the electricity that comes through the battery. Some way to go yet in
finding a problematisation that is stronger and more persuasive than the
counter problematization it invariably throws up
Anthony
----- Original Message -----
From: "Carlinhos Puig" <carlinhospu@xxxxxxxxx>
To: <foucault@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Monday, December 15, 2003 2:59 PM
Subject: Re: combats with AIDS, and Foucault's personal attitude
> Anthony,
>
> Thank you, here you got me!
> I do not like the Marxist analysis. But, as a beginner, I see myself
caught
> in that discourse. Could you help me out? How can we problematize this
issue
> in a better way?
> We have a "truth" considered by the majority as so, which is that HIV
causes
> AIDS. We have many scientists that question that truth. We have cases of
> people, individuals, and we have a context of media, official scientific
> press, and a culture of fear over the syndrome. How could we problematize
> that, in dispite the fact that we don´t know whether those scientists so
> called dissidents are, in fact, aproaching the issue in a way that ...
that
> what? I don´t even know how to put it.
> I don´t know whether it is whorthwhile, but this could be a good exercise.
>
> Thanks again,
>
> Carlos
>
> Em 14 Dec 2003, foucault@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx escreveu:
>
> >Carlos, this seems very true but how would it differ from a Marxist
> analysis
> >of the same subject? The marginalisation, demonisation, role of the
> >pharmecutical companies all seems to be the way Marxists would describe
it
> >
> >Anthony
> >----- Original Message -----
> >From: "Carlinhos Puig"
> >To:
> >Sent: Sunday, December 14, 2003 12:16 PM
> >Subject: Re: combats with AIDS, and Foucault's personal attitude
> >
> >> Anthony,
> >>
> >> Well, yes, I must agree with you, but that similarity does not change
the
> >> problem of HIV/AIDS. Dissidents are people who are doctors, phisitians,
> >> researchers, people from all around the world, and they do describe the
> >> problem in a very reasonable way. Their view is that aids could be
caused
> >by
> >> the way of life of a person - using drugs, starvation, compulsive sex,
> and
> >> they do include cigarette smoking as an activity that causes
> >> immunodeficiency.
> >> What strikes me in that controversy is the fact that very reliable
> >> scientists cease to have a voice in the official medical press, are
> >> ridiculized in the media, after just questioning a more accurate
research
> >> before stating something as a truth.
> >> Personally, I am acquainted with quite a number of people who are HIV
+,
> >but
> >> do try to live a healthy life (some of these people just refuse to take
> >any
> >> medication at all) and none of them is getting sick, in a period of
over
> >ten
> >> years. Actually, they seem to be healthier than me, and I do smoke
> tobaco,
> >> but I´m not labeled HIV+.
> >> I cannot be sure about what is really happening, but a fact is that
those
> >> scientists do have a good point on the issue, but the world deals with
> >aids
> >> in a very sensationalist way. And no one can deny that the
farmaceutical
> >> industry does have quite a big lot of profit out of selling medication
to
> >> that syndrome.
> >>
> >> Carlos
> >>
> >> Em 13 Dec 2003, foucault@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx escreveu:
> >>
> >> >Carlos, while there is merit to your point do you not think that a
> >> >similarity can be drawn with the tobacco industry which disputes the
> link
> >> >between cigarettes and cancer?
> >> >
> >> >Anthony
> >> >----- Original Message -----
> >> >From: "Carlinhos Puig"
> >> >To:
> >> >Sent: Friday, December 12, 2003 10:55 PM
> >> >Subject: Re: combats with AIDS, and Foucault's personal attitude
> >> >
> >> >> Hi,
> >> >>
> >> >> I really believe Foucault would be another personallity signing the
> >list
> >> >of
> >> >> the "Dissidents of Aids", the group of scientists who question the
> fact
> >> >that
> >> >> there is no scientific proof that it is the HIV virus that causes
the
> >> >> sindrome. I think Foucault would line up with South Africa´s
> president,
> >> >> standing up for having food for people who die of symptoms that are
> >> >> considered aids, in Africa, but who are starving, and have not been
> >> tested
> >> >> (an HIV test would cost an amount that is unafordable to people who
> are
> >> >> starving, starvation have very similar symptoms to those attributed
to
> >> >> AIDS).
> >> >> I think Foucault would question the farmaceutical industry, whith
> >bilions
> >> >a
> >> >> year involved in the discussion. He would argue and stand for a
Nobel
> >> >Prize
> >> >> scientist who has no voice any longer in the official medical press,
> >the
> >> >> same one who developed the exam that tells HIV+ people the "quantity
> of
> >> >> virus" they have, and he has told the world, after receiving the
Nobel
> >> >> Prize, that what he had developed wouldn´t be good to test HIV, and
> so,
> >> he
> >> >> was "banished" from the medical society.
> >> >> If anyone here is thinking this brazilian student is being
"paranoic"
> >or
> >> >is
> >> >> having "conspiratory thinking" do search for the words 'Aids
> >dissidents'
> >> >and
> >> >> see their point of view. Power? That´s a good example IF they are to
> be
> >> >> right.
> >> >>
> >> >> Carlos
> >> >>
> >> >> _________________________________________________________
> >> >> Voce quer um iGMail protegido contra vírus e spams?
> >> >> Clique aqui: http://www.igmailseguro.ig.com.br
> >> >> Ofertas imperdíveis! Link: http://www.americanas.com.br/ig/
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >
> >> >----------
> >>
> >> _________________________________________________________
> >> Voce quer um iGMail protegido contra vírus e spams?
> >> Clique aqui: http://www.igmailseguro.ig.com.br
> >> Ofertas imperdíveis! Link: http://www.americanas.com.br/ig/
> >>
> >>
> >
> >----------
>
> _________________________________________________________
> Voce quer um iGMail protegido contra vírus e spams?
> Clique aqui: http://www.igmailseguro.ig.com.br
> Ofertas imperdíveis! Link: http://www.americanas.com.br/ig/
>
>
suppose I am tempted to think at times that Marxism is the opium of the
Marxists. I am not hostile to Marxist descriptions - it is when it seeks to
prescribe that we run into all matter of difficulties. It leads me to think
that it is just people with an eye for opportunity trying to create what
they feel is a power vacuum and then move to persuade or coerce the rest of
us into believing that the vacuum can only be filled by 'the party.' The
best way to problematise the matter in my view is to move to the level of
micro power and look at how each of the dominant institutions you referred
to is constituted in terms of their own internal dynamics and discourses.
This avoids the Marxist problem of finding some hidden societal essence
which will come through once the veil of mystification has been pulled away
leaving us to gaze on how capital in fact constitutes each of the
institutions. Then we avoid the problem of thinking that the dissidents you
refer to are brought together as a result of their class consciousness -
their dissent, their oppositionalism is to be situated in the peculiar
discourse of their particular institution. Consequently, they may never find
common purpose. The Marxists in turn will then ask if this is not just a
reversion to pluralist thinking. Although in both pluralism and Marxism the
question of power is deal with as a resource - power is a battery rather
than the electricity that comes through the battery. Some way to go yet in
finding a problematisation that is stronger and more persuasive than the
counter problematization it invariably throws up
Anthony
----- Original Message -----
From: "Carlinhos Puig" <carlinhospu@xxxxxxxxx>
To: <foucault@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Monday, December 15, 2003 2:59 PM
Subject: Re: combats with AIDS, and Foucault's personal attitude
> Anthony,
>
> Thank you, here you got me!
> I do not like the Marxist analysis. But, as a beginner, I see myself
caught
> in that discourse. Could you help me out? How can we problematize this
issue
> in a better way?
> We have a "truth" considered by the majority as so, which is that HIV
causes
> AIDS. We have many scientists that question that truth. We have cases of
> people, individuals, and we have a context of media, official scientific
> press, and a culture of fear over the syndrome. How could we problematize
> that, in dispite the fact that we don´t know whether those scientists so
> called dissidents are, in fact, aproaching the issue in a way that ...
that
> what? I don´t even know how to put it.
> I don´t know whether it is whorthwhile, but this could be a good exercise.
>
> Thanks again,
>
> Carlos
>
> Em 14 Dec 2003, foucault@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx escreveu:
>
> >Carlos, this seems very true but how would it differ from a Marxist
> analysis
> >of the same subject? The marginalisation, demonisation, role of the
> >pharmecutical companies all seems to be the way Marxists would describe
it
> >
> >Anthony
> >----- Original Message -----
> >From: "Carlinhos Puig"
> >To:
> >Sent: Sunday, December 14, 2003 12:16 PM
> >Subject: Re: combats with AIDS, and Foucault's personal attitude
> >
> >> Anthony,
> >>
> >> Well, yes, I must agree with you, but that similarity does not change
the
> >> problem of HIV/AIDS. Dissidents are people who are doctors, phisitians,
> >> researchers, people from all around the world, and they do describe the
> >> problem in a very reasonable way. Their view is that aids could be
caused
> >by
> >> the way of life of a person - using drugs, starvation, compulsive sex,
> and
> >> they do include cigarette smoking as an activity that causes
> >> immunodeficiency.
> >> What strikes me in that controversy is the fact that very reliable
> >> scientists cease to have a voice in the official medical press, are
> >> ridiculized in the media, after just questioning a more accurate
research
> >> before stating something as a truth.
> >> Personally, I am acquainted with quite a number of people who are HIV
+,
> >but
> >> do try to live a healthy life (some of these people just refuse to take
> >any
> >> medication at all) and none of them is getting sick, in a period of
over
> >ten
> >> years. Actually, they seem to be healthier than me, and I do smoke
> tobaco,
> >> but I´m not labeled HIV+.
> >> I cannot be sure about what is really happening, but a fact is that
those
> >> scientists do have a good point on the issue, but the world deals with
> >aids
> >> in a very sensationalist way. And no one can deny that the
farmaceutical
> >> industry does have quite a big lot of profit out of selling medication
to
> >> that syndrome.
> >>
> >> Carlos
> >>
> >> Em 13 Dec 2003, foucault@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx escreveu:
> >>
> >> >Carlos, while there is merit to your point do you not think that a
> >> >similarity can be drawn with the tobacco industry which disputes the
> link
> >> >between cigarettes and cancer?
> >> >
> >> >Anthony
> >> >----- Original Message -----
> >> >From: "Carlinhos Puig"
> >> >To:
> >> >Sent: Friday, December 12, 2003 10:55 PM
> >> >Subject: Re: combats with AIDS, and Foucault's personal attitude
> >> >
> >> >> Hi,
> >> >>
> >> >> I really believe Foucault would be another personallity signing the
> >list
> >> >of
> >> >> the "Dissidents of Aids", the group of scientists who question the
> fact
> >> >that
> >> >> there is no scientific proof that it is the HIV virus that causes
the
> >> >> sindrome. I think Foucault would line up with South Africa´s
> president,
> >> >> standing up for having food for people who die of symptoms that are
> >> >> considered aids, in Africa, but who are starving, and have not been
> >> tested
> >> >> (an HIV test would cost an amount that is unafordable to people who
> are
> >> >> starving, starvation have very similar symptoms to those attributed
to
> >> >> AIDS).
> >> >> I think Foucault would question the farmaceutical industry, whith
> >bilions
> >> >a
> >> >> year involved in the discussion. He would argue and stand for a
Nobel
> >> >Prize
> >> >> scientist who has no voice any longer in the official medical press,
> >the
> >> >> same one who developed the exam that tells HIV+ people the "quantity
> of
> >> >> virus" they have, and he has told the world, after receiving the
Nobel
> >> >> Prize, that what he had developed wouldn´t be good to test HIV, and
> so,
> >> he
> >> >> was "banished" from the medical society.
> >> >> If anyone here is thinking this brazilian student is being
"paranoic"
> >or
> >> >is
> >> >> having "conspiratory thinking" do search for the words 'Aids
> >dissidents'
> >> >and
> >> >> see their point of view. Power? That´s a good example IF they are to
> be
> >> >> right.
> >> >>
> >> >> Carlos
> >> >>
> >> >> _________________________________________________________
> >> >> Voce quer um iGMail protegido contra vírus e spams?
> >> >> Clique aqui: http://www.igmailseguro.ig.com.br
> >> >> Ofertas imperdíveis! Link: http://www.americanas.com.br/ig/
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >
> >> >----------
> >>
> >> _________________________________________________________
> >> Voce quer um iGMail protegido contra vírus e spams?
> >> Clique aqui: http://www.igmailseguro.ig.com.br
> >> Ofertas imperdíveis! Link: http://www.americanas.com.br/ig/
> >>
> >>
> >
> >----------
>
> _________________________________________________________
> Voce quer um iGMail protegido contra vírus e spams?
> Clique aqui: http://www.igmailseguro.ig.com.br
> Ofertas imperdíveis! Link: http://www.americanas.com.br/ig/
>
>