Here we have two examples of actually existing socialism. They have made achievement but they also have problems. However, Western Marxists have made no effort in trying to help these countries. There are no Western Marxists who have made any serious analysis of the economic problems of contemporary Cuba and North Korea, they have made no policy recommendations, they do not engage with the leaders, planners, engineers, economists etc of these nations.

The same was observed during the time of the USSR. While the USSR was struggling to deal with the practical aspects of building socialism, related to matters of economic calculation, organizational structures, production efficiencies etc, Western Marxists simply contended themselves with denouncing the Soviet Union and made no effort with starting a constructive dialogue with the scientists, engineers, economists and politicians of the USSR.

  • weshallovercum [any]
    6·
    4 years ago

    Yes they would give a shit if it was useful and based on sound scientific research. And Cuba and NK are second world, third world doesnt just mean "non-white countries". Developing nations take policy advice from think-tanks all the time.

    • CEO_of_TrainGang [he/him]
      ·
      4 years ago

      Brb starting a think tank and spying on the DPRK’s government to gather enough intel about the inner workings of their political economy so I can tell them how they should run their country so I can finally be a good leftist

      • weshallovercum [any]
        7·
        4 years ago

        Good one. When I say economist, politicians, engineers etc, I'm definitely referring to you.

        • CEO_of_TrainGang [he/him]
          ·
          4 years ago

          AND HOW TF DO THEY GET THE INFORMATION THEY’D NEED TO DO ANY OF THIS?!?!?!?!?! WTF DO YOU WANT THEM TO ACTUALLY DO?!?!?!?!?! THAT’S ALL I WANNA KNOW I PROMISE

    • Fakename_Bill [he/him]
      ·
      4 years ago

      DPRK and Cuba have their own Marxist political economists. Why should they take advice from Westerners who have only ever lived under capitalism? What could we possibly have to offer them?

      • weshallovercum [any]
        3·
        4 years ago

        What could we possibly have to offer them? Good question. When the bulk of Western Marxist intellectual activity is involved in psuedoscientific psychoanalysis and useless cultural criticism, they don't have a lot to offer. But there also exist a good amount of research done on political economy after Marx, and that would be very useful for any socialist experiment.

        • Fakename_Bill [he/him]
          ·
          4 years ago

          Don't you think it's patronizing to say that these "useless" Western leftists would be better at advising AES countries than the actual political economists born and raised under socialism? You're incoherent. You need to log off; this isn't the right hill to die on.

          • weshallovercum [any]
            4·
            4 years ago

            Yes by the "useless" Western leftists I mean the likes of Zizek and his followers. But people like Y. Varoufakis, Anwar Shaikh etc should definitely engage with these countries. But that's not my main question here. My question is why the relations between Western leftists and the people in AES states became one of derision or paternalism, rather than actual exchange of ideas and useful research.