[Marxism] A New Blog: Marx redux

[Anthony Boynton]

This is definitely not Marx in a Tux, but Mat Russo and I have set up a blog
where we will post our contributions to Marxist theory and other stuff. The
content so far includes:


   - God peed, and it was good I really have no
ide...<http://marxredux.blogspot.com/2008/08/god-peed-and-it-was-good-i-really-have.html>
   - By way of an introduction Part 1: Scientific
Soc...<http://marxredux.blogspot.com/2008/08/by-way-of-introduction-part-1.html>
   - By way of an introduction Part 2: Academic and
b...<http://marxredux.blogspot.com/2008/08/by-way-of-introduction-part-2-academic.html>
   - By way of an introduction Part 3: Engels and
Mar...<http://marxredux.blogspot.com/2008/08/by-way-of-introduction-part-3-engels.html>

God Peed is a little travelogue, the other three are a little more serious.

Here's how God Peed begins...

*God peed, and it was good*

* *

I really have no idea why the place is called "Agua de Dios"- 'Water of
God', but it conjures up in my mind a picture of Zeus or Thor standing up in
the clouds and peeing.



Whatever the reason for the name, we just spent a long weekend at a "finca"
near Agua de Dios. The area is about 100 KM due west of Bogotá, which means
two hours driving time when there isn't much traffic, and three or four or
five hours driving time on three day weekends when there is a lot of
traffic.



There are two ways to go: the highway to Melgar, and then on to Giradot, or
the highway through La Mesa. Both have been privatized under the patronage
regime of Colombia's beloved President Alvaro Uribe. Not completely
privatized, but leased out. The results have been a large infusion of
private investment into state infrastructure, in return for which motorists
have to stop fairly frequently to pay high tolls to the lucky beneficiaries
of Uribe's largesse. It's a mixed blessing for travelers, because the state
of the roads in Colombia was terrible, and now is better.



And things are a lot better now than when the roads were first leased out.
At first the private contractors invested money in toll booths, and nothing
else! This did not sit well with the rest of Colombia's capitalists who
believe in privatization only up to the point where it benefits them, and
they need good roads. It also didn't sit too well with the country's
military strategists, who also want good roads, since this is one the
principal means of drying up the seas in which the guerrilla used to
swim.....