[Marxism] Re: "niggardly" and "bitch-slapped"

["acpollack2@xxxxxxxx" <acpollack2@xxxxxxxx>]

An anecdote in support of Fred's position, from "James P. Cannon as We Knew 
Him."  Cannon used "niggardly" once in a speech to a Black audience, and a 
previously receptive crowd went stone cold. He didn't realize why until 
afterward -- and never used the word again.

Is there a precise meaning to the word not adequately summed up in a synonym? 
Perhaps; but to legitimate its casual use would require educating all potential 
hearers on that. The expenditure of energy is not yet (perhaps ever) socially 
efficient.

P.S. In the same book there's another anecdote in the same vein, where Cannon 
chastised a Jewish comrade for saying approvingly of a nonJewish comrade, "he's 
got a Yiddisher kopf" (i.e., he's as smart as us Jews).

---------- Forwarded Message ----------

On niggardly, I don't think using it is very constructive in political
discussions, since it sounds legitimately offensive to people and is
hardly an indispensable word.

What's the alternative position, to demonstrate superior knowledge of
philology, and greater preparedness to win big on Jeopardy? Useful to
point out the word-origin facts but not useful to insist on the word.

Fred Feldman

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