Re: [Marxism] Tea time in the moderator's parlor

[Louis Proyect <lnp3@xxxxxxxxx>]

Anthony Boynton wrote:
> So, the only people I am for expelling are the cops who come here to gather
> information and try to foment animosity among the real leftists on this
> list.

Anthony and Marla have both referred to "expelling" Walter. I have to 
take exception to that. People are expelled from organizations that like 
the SWP or the CPUSA that put huge demands on their time, their loyalty 
and their money. There is nothing like this at all about Marxmail. 
"Joining" Marxmail simply requires filling out a form on the Utah server 
and that's that. We don't have a Marxmail Youth Alliance that allows us 
to evaluate full-fledged party candidates, nor do we put pressure on 
people to turn over their tax refunds to me or Les for the sake of the 
revolution.

Furthermore, when you get expelled from a Trotskyist, Maoist or 
Stalinist sect, there is no turning back. Unless it is something like 
Tim Wolforth rejoining the SWP after being expelled 30 years earlier. I 
would never think about forcing someone to be unsubbed for 30 years 
before rejoining us. In fact, some people have been unsubbed 
(voluntarily or involuntarily) enough times that they look like Charlie 
Chaplin in a revolving door.

Being expelled (or forced to resign) from a group like the SWP is a 
deeply traumatic experience. For 3 years after I was eased out of the 
SWP, I walked around with a psychosomatic illness. I would hope that 
being unsubbed from Marxmail will not cause anybody to get a migraine.

I should add that I know what it is like to be unsubbed from a listserv. 
I have been booted from the Radical Philosophy and Socialist Register 
mailing lists for good reasons. After being unsubbed, I shrugged my 
shoulders and went elsewhere. I have also been unsubbed at least 5 times 
from PEN-L, always on a temporary basis. I have survived this as well.

Finally, I would encourage anybody who is unhappy with the way I 
moderate this list to start a Marxism list on Yahoo. I would even post 
an announcement to the list. The last thing I need is subscribers 
feeling like they are trapped on Marxmail.




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