[Marxism] From Julio Huato

[Marvin Gandall <marvgandall@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Marv,

I learned about this statement by Louis Proyect on his list:

> There is no "line" as such, but from
> my experience on the list going
> back to its formation in 1998, there
> have been only a handful of people
> who view work within the DP as a
> tactic. Yourself, Charles Brown,
> Marvin Gandall--that's about it. And
> we are talking about over a thousand
> subscribers. Julio Huato used to
> post here about supporting the DP,
> but he unsubbed--I think to a degree
> out of frustration.

First off, I left Louis Proyect's list out of frustration with *him*,
with his incurably dishonest way of arguing; with his visceral,
disrespectful, tendentious, and neurotic way of managing the list.
(To be clear: I don't think managing an online discussion list is
easy.  If it were, even somebody as technically inept as I am could
start one.  However, LP's behavior typifies most of the things an
effective list manager should avoid.)

Aside from having been an initial gathering pole for a number of ex
SWPers, the list's appeal -- at least its sporadic attraction of
people outside of the U.S. interested in Marxism -- continues to
derive mainly from its name.  It is what you get if you google
"Marxism."  So, LP was lucky to appropriate the brand name early on.
Faith in the written word does the rest... at least until people learn
more about the actual way the list is steered.

I must say that, in spite of his dishonesty and mismanagement of the
list, i.e. in spite of LP, the list remains an important, useful
public service.  And, contradictorily, it is somewhat to LP's credit,
since he pays the bills and spends time dealing with the technical
aspects.  Frustrating as it is to deal with such an incoherent
personality, one can't be stingy in giving credit where credit is due.

Re. my viewpoint on the DP, I'm used to (and amused by) Proyect's
distortions.  Again, it's his modus operandi.  With casual
nonchalance, LP says that I advocated "supporting the DP." Thanks for
such a fair and comprehensive summary of views, but no thanks.  If
this is to give the impression that I'm in favor of *just supporting
the Dems*, then it is tendentious.

People a bit skeptical of LP's summary judgments should read my recent
posting on LBO-Talk, where I summarized my views on the matter:

http://mailman.lbo-talk.org/pipermail/lbo-talk/Week-of-Mon-20070806/014667.html

And here's a longer rendition:

http://www.swans.com/library/art11/jhuato01.html

A final point: I don't believe that the attitude of the left towards
the DP is "tactics."  That would be nice.  But it is not so.  As you
(Marvin) aptly argue, the DP is only the phenomenic expression of the
division and ideological subordination of workers in the country.  So,
dealing with the deeper causes of this division and ideological
weakness -- which in the political surface appears as dealing with the
DP -- is not "tactics," but strategy.

I'll appreciate it if you forward this to LP's list.


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