Blackscare

You might have misunderstood what I mean by "philosophically militant materialist". I do not advocate politically banning religions or culturally discriminate against religious people. To be a philosophical militant materialist is to take an uncompromising position of rational and scientific criticism against religious superstition.

I think it is clear that Marxism is based on materialism rather than idealism, and based on science rather than superstition. Also, Marxist Historical Materialism suggests that nothing is "just abstract", everything has got a concrete socio-economic, political and historical dimension. A "private idea" that is wrong is both a manifestation of something wrong or deformed at the level of the economic base and can also potentially negatively influence the economic base in the concrete sense. You sound as if "private abstract ideas" are totally independent from the economic base, that's obviously against the central principles of Historical Materialism.

Do you ever play chess? In chess you need to look several moves ahead, rather than only starting to respond to your opponent when you are just one move away from being checkmated.

Being directly reactionary is not the only way to be reactionary. It is also possible to be indirectly reactionary. Don't just start to respond to reactionaries when they have already clearly manifested themselves, but destroy them while they are still "in the cradle".

There is nothing intrinsically wrong with just being non-materialist or non-militant materialist in a neutral sense, just like a religious person can still join a socialist or communist party. However, to be actively anti-militant materialist or to be an actively evangelical religious person is indeed at least indirectly reactionary. Because in the end such moves would likely produce a net-effect that is reactionary in nature.

dude, you got AIM, WLM, or just in IRC revleft?

I was hoping someone would get it!

Blackscare, where you been? I gonna come to NYC in December to hook up with you!

Yes, you're back.

Join the Kasamist or PLPist!