(11-04-2012, 09:50 PM)FireIceTalon Wrote: The reform vs revolution debate was settled for me a long time ago, and the science of history, role and development of the state in relation to class society, and the objective material processes in them are enough that not only is there no reason for me to change my mind, but that doing so would be in error.
It is you though, that is interested in ideology, not me. Marxism isn't an ideology (religions, capitalism, and communism are ideologies), and in fact, we kind of view ideology as a dirty word, because it is generally class based. We are interested in scientific workings of economic and social systems, not subjective ideological agendas.
Certainly nobody could ever make an argument that you, in your wisdom, have not already considered, right? You've thought of it all? Seen all the evidence? Know all the facts? Rejected all potential ways in which you could be wrong about this, and therefore have no need to discuss it further?
Your loud dismissals remind me of nothing more than creationists, unwilling to be sucked into evolutionist "traps." They discovered their unerring truth long ago, and to seriously consider other ideas would be an "error." And there's certainly no need to debate any of it, or consider the actual record of evidence, because it's all been figured out ages ago by the quasi-mythical prophet who gave us the truth!
I am interested in ideologies. Notably, I'm interested in how people stick to their received capital-T Truth, which is definitely-not-an-ideology-because-mine-is-right-unlike-all-those-other-ones. I agree, ideology is a dirty word. It denotes dogma, a religion of ideas, a rejection of the difficult, messy process of getting closer to the truth. And you, sir, have one with bells on.
-Jester