Re: Jose Saavedra: "net.terrorist". A Speculation.

[cbcox@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (Carrol Cox)]

    I agree totally with Ken that we (the left) should never attempt to
gain our goals by strengthening the state power, and urging state
censorship is suicidal.

    But that does *not* mean that we cannot (through mass struggles of
one sort or another) attempt to silence (or at least cover up with
static) some forms of reactionary speech: I have racist speech primarily
in mind.

    At ISU back in the early 80s we succeeded in drowning out the speech
of a South African Consul who was invited by the College "Forum Committee"
to "balance" an anti-apartheid speaker they had sponsored. But we did
NOT ask the University to exercise a police function and forbid his
appearance; we just fucked up his appearance.

    Cases vary. I'm not sure there is any general principle to invoke
here--but I think that only under the most extreme and unavoidable
instances should we ever appeal to the police power of the state.
    Carrol


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