[Marxism] Cyberia the Beautiful

["Carlos A. Rivera" <cerejota@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I fully agree with Calvin Broadbent comments, and that Barry for hitting it
right on the head as to regards with what went wrong in the discussion. If
only we all shared such a capacity of criticism with self-criticism, in
paractice, we would indeed move forward.

I'll add that I believe some people need to realize that there is a
difference between discussing the nature of ideas and political positions
and discussing people. I get accused of being ad hominem, while actually I
am the only one one being ad hominized.

My ideas and political postions get reduced to ad hominen characterizations
of "sectarianism" and worse, while actual sectarian attacks, such as Joaquin
Bustelo's hilarious-if-completely-ad-hominem attack on the ANSWER and TONC
goes on celebrated and adored.

The funny thing is I am not a member of a sect or group in the USA, and have
participated with both ANSWER and UFPJ (and other left groups) in different
level of meetings, so I don't even know the material basis for accusing me
of being "sectarian".

The bartender analogy has an unexpected validity: I have been both a
bartender's favorite and a bartender (I had a co-worker who was in the
FI!!!) in many bars throught time, and playing favorites is how bartenders
operate. So any claims about a dislike of X or Y politics are not true, in
so far others display the same, or worse, behaiviour, and yet remain in the
list without much ado.

I will do an exercise of self-agrandizement:

I have much more practical expirience dealing with anti-sectarianism of the
deed than any and all of you combined. My political practice, and political
education, has been both in a core organization that merged Maoist, Hoxhaist
and soft-Trots, and as part of a 15 year old permanent united front of the
Puerto Rican socialist left, the Socialist Front. This unites all of the
revolutionary socialist groups in Puerto Rico, except the ISO (which left,
and we want back). It is hard, back-tiring, contradictory, challeging work
that generates humongous amounts of fights and contradictions that coupled
with the usual personalist vendettas all politics have, makes it for an
incredible skin thickening formula.

It also generates a left capable of acting in unison and that is much more
than the sum of its parts. And I am both a member of and a leader of this
process. And I can say without a doubt that the self-congratulatory clique
here that calls itself anti-sectarian has not a clue about what being
anti-sectarian is. My dad called me "liberal" when I fought for unity. He
ended up with one of the socialist front independent's leaders....

That is all I have to say about me being purged. The rules won't allow more.


sks


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