This is a PLURAlist

["Chris, London" <100423.2040@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Like I guess many others, I have been unable to follow the details of
some particularly fiery sectarian exchanges, in order to get anything positive
out of them. At the general level they seem to consist in saying that
Organisation A is deplorably deficient or culpable about point X, while
on the contrary Organisation B is deplorably deficient or culpable about
Point Z.

There are some awful truths about this. Probably everyone is at least
partially right. Probably no organisation, and no individual can avoid
being one-sided, partial, limited, blind, selfish and opinionated.

Probably it is earth-shatteringly true that the organisation which is
without fault and is just about to lead us to world revolution, is
unfortunately not subscribing to this list.

It is probably true that however execrable the other organisation is,
you can do nothing to ensure it will be driven off this pluralistic list.
You can at best only set up a kill-file, so you never have to read about it.

But it is also true, that this list has dungeons, garderobes, and oubliettes,
entry to which, and duration in which are a particularly painful form of
voluntary torture.  These are the chambers in which you are locked up
with your own worst enemy, (probably the electronic projection of everything you
secretly fear and despise in yourself - after all you do not really know
your opponent from a South Korean housewife - with many apologies to South 
Korean
housewives). Your chances of convincing this opponent and making him, probably
him, change, are minimal, because you are doing everything to re-inforce his
survival instincts that the last thing he should do is change.

But even worse, the one group of people to whom your mail should really be
addressed (not to your opponent), because they might potentially listen, middle
elements, are passing you by because of the sectarianism, sound and fury of
your exchanges.

You have truly been forgotten, in you own private oubliette, with your own
worst enemy.

Let us know when you want to come out.



Chris B, Co-moderator.


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