[Marxism] "Discipline" in the cyber-world?

["Walter Lippmann" <walterlx@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On the internet, just like in left groupings,
some people think that threats of discipline
are ways to handle difficult questions. This
once happened to me in the Socialist Workers
Party, USA. I was charged with indiscipline
for having a political conversation in the
party office, with another member, at a time
when someone who was not a party member might
have overheard our discussion. I kid you not.
This was the basis for my expulsion after 21
years in the SWP-YSA. Really, no kidding.

The whole point of these discussions is so
that perhaps some light can be shed on the
many questions which aren't 100% resolved.

Marxmail is Louis' project, and one I'm glad
to participate in and support. Sometimes I've
posted more than he thinks I should and then
have received warning messages after which
I've written less. I didn't like receiving a
reprimand that way, but what the hell. This
isn't an organization. No one pays dues and
no one has the right to anything other than
common courtesy.

None of this is life and death. Ultimately,
it's only electronic mail. Most of us are
frustrated by living in a difficult world
where most people don't consider Marxism a
philosophy or praxis worth adhering to, so
the occasional sharp word is hurriedly sent.
If we only take out our frustrations on the
occasional keyboard, little harm is done,
but it's better to model how we want others
to act by acting that way by modeling the
behavior we hope others will emulate.
==========================================

LES EVENCHICK WRITES
David should be suspended from this list and
required to apologize to Michael and myself by
implication since I generally agree with
Michael's analysis.





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