Comments on: André Gorz http://crookedtimber.org/2007/10/09/andre-gorz/ Out of the crooked timber of humanity, no straight thing was ever made Mon, 13 Feb 2012 03:14:53 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Jon Pike http://crookedtimber.org/2007/10/09/andre-gorz/comment-page-1/#comment-213298 Jon Pike Wed, 10 Oct 2007 09:29:04 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2007/10/09/andre-gorz/#comment-213298 That would be Paul Lafargue and Laura Marx. Lafargue's last testimony doesn't exactly take a Gorzian line: "Since years ago I have promised myself not to surpass the age of seventy; I have fixed the season for my departure from this life and prepared the means to execute this decision: a hypodermic injection of cyanhydric acid. I die with the supreme happiness of having , <i> the certainty that very soon will triumph the cause to which I have given myself since 45 years ago.</i><i> Long live Communism! Long live the International"</i> That would be Paul Lafargue and Laura Marx.

Lafargue’s last testimony doesn’t exactly take a Gorzian line:
“Since years ago I have promised myself not to surpass the age of seventy; I have fixed the season for my departure from this life and prepared the means to execute this decision: a hypodermic injection of cyanhydric acid. I die with the supreme happiness of having , the certainty that very soon will triumph the cause to which I have given myself since 45 years ago. Long live Communism! Long live the International”

]]> By: ejh http://crookedtimber.org/2007/10/09/andre-gorz/comment-page-1/#comment-213248 ejh Tue, 09 Oct 2007 18:35:39 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2007/10/09/andre-gorz/#comment-213248 As did the ex-Marxist Arthur Koestler and his missus. And their dog, I think. Also see <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Horse" rel="nofollow">Harry Horse</a>. As did the ex-Marxist Arthur Koestler and his missus. And their dog, I think.

Also see Harry Horse.

]]> By: DC http://crookedtimber.org/2007/10/09/andre-gorz/comment-page-1/#comment-213245 DC Tue, 09 Oct 2007 16:58:31 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2007/10/09/andre-gorz/#comment-213245 Quite the hallowed Marxist way to go though, didn't Paul Lafargue and Jenny Marx do the same thing? Quite the hallowed Marxist way to go though, didn’t Paul Lafargue and Jenny Marx do the same thing?

]]> By: novakant http://crookedtimber.org/2007/10/09/andre-gorz/comment-page-1/#comment-213242 novakant Tue, 09 Oct 2007 16:02:58 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2007/10/09/andre-gorz/#comment-213242 And you guys really believed in all that stuff? Wow! Makes me kind of glad that I grew up in the rather disillusioned 80s - but your honesty is greatly appreciated. And you guys really believed in all that stuff? Wow!
Makes me kind of glad that I grew up in the rather disillusioned 80s – but your honesty is greatly appreciated.

]]> By: Chris Bertram http://crookedtimber.org/2007/10/09/andre-gorz/comment-page-1/#comment-213226 Chris Bertram Tue, 09 Oct 2007 13:43:16 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2007/10/09/andre-gorz/#comment-213226 Actually Ajay, what he wrote was: "The working class will neither unite politically, nor man the barricades, for a 10 per cent rise in wages or 50,000 more council flats. In the foreseeable future there will be no crisis of European capitalism so dramatic as to drive the mass of workers to revolutionary general strikes or armed insurrection in defence of their vital interests." I don't think 1989 is a challenge to that. Actually Ajay, what he wrote was:

“The working class will neither unite politically, nor man the barricades, for a 10 per cent rise in wages or 50,000 more council flats. In the foreseeable future there will be no crisis of European capitalism so dramatic as to drive the mass of workers to revolutionary general strikes or armed insurrection in defence of their vital interests.”

I don’t think 1989 is a challenge to that.

]]> By: Marc Mulholland http://crookedtimber.org/2007/10/09/andre-gorz/comment-page-1/#comment-213222 Marc Mulholland Tue, 09 Oct 2007 13:28:40 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2007/10/09/andre-gorz/#comment-213222 This is shocking! Ironically given the the of the book, I have never read a better explanation of why Marx thought the working-would would incline towards socialist preference formation than in the first few pages of 'Farewell to the Working Class'. This is shocking!

Ironically given the the of the book, I have never read a better explanation of why Marx thought the working-would would incline towards socialist preference formation than in the first few pages of ‘Farewell to the Working Class’.

]]> By: ajay http://crookedtimber.org/2007/10/09/andre-gorz/comment-page-1/#comment-213221 ajay Tue, 09 Oct 2007 13:25:28 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2007/10/09/andre-gorz/#comment-213221 <i>Gorz was a kind of Cassandra of the left: in the 1968 Socialist Register he published a piece telling us that the great era of revolutions was over. Just a few months later he was ridiculed as May 68 unfolded. But he was right.</i> What happened in 1989, in that case? Gorz was a kind of Cassandra of the left: in the 1968 Socialist Register he published a piece telling us that the great era of revolutions was over. Just a few months later he was ridiculed as May 68 unfolded. But he was right.

What happened in 1989, in that case?

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