HTML can be used for structure and style. CSS is only style, not structure. CSS was introduced to separate style from structure with ideal of leaving HTML for purely semantic mark-up.
"...but if you start with design before the basics, you begin to post problems in our forum", what rubbish smoovo, problems in our forum? Is that supposed to make any sense?
When you learn html, it doesn't take a genius to pick up CSS at the same time; the two are interdependent! It's also pretty basic stuff. Most adults have more than enough brain cells to cope.
By learning both at the same time, you gain an understanding of what's presentation mark-up and what's structure, you learn the interdependence. Else you wind up with bad habits; using width, height, align, and other tag attributes for style.
smoovo, your advice of learning pure html first and ignoring css, especially in a DESIGN forum, is borderline patronising. Give other members some credit - they're not simpletons.