Re: Chickenhawks - Hall of Shame (flash video)

[Louis Proyect <lnp3@xxxxxxxxx>]

> I've been reading the A-List archive from time to time.  I've been mainly
> posting to LBO-talk (which one of my cyber-pals affectionately
> characterizes as "mixed nuts," ranging from raging red-baiters, social
> democrats, anarchists, Greens, Marxists, to lively independent leftists
> such as Chuck Grimes whose opinions Lou has posted here). I've meant to
> participate in Marxmail once a major debate arises.  It seems, though,
> that the confusion about Yugoslavia, East Timor, etc. that generated sharp
> debates here (and other left-wing mailing lists) has cleared up (how can
> it be otherwise, with today's naked imperialism).  Do we agree too much to
> have a debate?
> --
> Yoshie

Marxmail has changed a lot since we had the kind of debates we had when you
participated here on a more frequent basis. It has doubled in size and is
far more representative of the Marxist movement worldwide than it was 2
years or so ago. My guess is that close to half the subscribers are from
outside the USA. Since many of these folks are (fortunately) not privy to
the sort of internecine squabbling that characterizes the US left, the
discussion is less vitriolic nowadays. This is not to say that we do not
have debates. We had sharp exchanges over Irish politics involving around a
dozen veterans of the Irish struggle a few months ago that were a model for
the kind of discussion that is needed in the broader left. I would say that
the same thing is true for the current discussion about the character of
the Labor Party.

Including "restrict post" people like yourself, we have about 440
subscribers. I am not sure that we "agree too much". I think rather that we
have focused our attention on understanding the ruling class and developing
strategies based on a correct assessment of our class and the enemy class's
strength. To pursue this discussion effectively, we need to subordinate
"secondary contradictions".

I think that most people here understand that given the rather intense
differences we have over historic questions such as the role of Trotsky,
etc., that given a less firm hand from myself that all hell would break
loose. Fortunately, except for skirmishes around the perimeter from time to
time, most of us understand the value of having a tightly controlled agenda.

Although, I must say that the LBO-Talk archives do come close to provoking
me into a visitation under an assumed name on occasion. The virulent
red-baiting that goes on there is something to behold. Four years ago on
May 1, 1998 both this email list and LBO-Talk were launched. For a period
of a couple of months I wondered what need there was for Marxmail when so
much "action" was happening at Doug's list. Thank god I kept this list going.


Louis Proyect
www.marxmail.org


~~~~~~~
PLEASE clip all extraneous text before replying to a message.