Re: Laura's departure

[Louis Proyect <lnp3@xxxxxxxxx>]

Adam:
> Guess what, guys? The SWP is part of the socialist movement. And
> despite your own personal bitterness towards the group, if you're even
> halfway honest with yourselves about forming a multitendency socialist
> movement, you're going to have to deal with them.

No, Adam, this is not correct. Self-declared vanguard groups have to deal
with Marxmail on its terms, not theirs. This is not
alt.politics.socialism.trotsky, or any other parliament of fools. We keep
such groups on a very tight rein here. If members can adapt to the ecology
of the group, they can win respect for their group and even recruit. But in
almost her very first post, she had this to say:

"Hello, I am new to this list so forgive me if I'm not responding to this
thread with complete accuracy. The US Militant Newspaper, published by the
SWP of which I am an active supporter, has embraced the slogan BTTHN...see
http://www.themilitant.com/2003/6709/670920.html I believe this tactic is
part of a sagacious strategy for winning US folks to socialism. If you read
the article it undercuts the slogan with precise explanation of why these
sorts of slogans develop and criticizing the reformist nature of the movement."

Well, excuse me, but we have trouble enough overcoming animosities over
slogans here without somebody trashing the movement as "reformist". That is
what I was referring to when I spoke of similarities with the Spartacist
League. Frankly, I don't care how many Castro speeches the Militant prints,
when it is slandering the antiwar movement as "reformist". To be as blunt
as possible, these ideas are beyond the pale. I might even put something on
the subscription information page of Marxmail that says something like "If
you think that the antiwar demonstrations are reformist, please look for
another mailing list or newsgroup to join. You do not belong on the Marxism
list." When you combine this kind of nutty ultraleftism with a link to a
sectarian newspaper on your inaugural post to the list, it is guaranteed
that you will clash with people.

The fact that these views are being put forward by a group that fucked over
many people on the left only compounds the problem, but the problem would
exist from whatever ideological source.


Louis Proyect, Marxism mailing list: http://www.marxmail.org