Re: [Marxism] Ward Churchill Redux

[Jeff <meisner@xxxxxxxxx>]

At 15:57 07/05/09 -0400, Mark wrote:
>
>On the earlier point Jeff made, I would agree in general about
>sticking together in the face of witchhunting, but I reject the idea
>of replying to aa multi-dimensional issue as simple a question of
>timing.  There's always a witchhunt going on somewhere at some time,
>and a witchhunt against a single individual can stretch out for years,
>as it's doing in this case.

You make a very good point. The issue of "timing" was just me agreeing with
the previous post by John Thornton which cited the importance of "timing,"
but he would probably agree, as I do on reflection, that it isn't just WHEN
you make a criticism that might be welcomed by the enemy, but indeed WHERE
and HOW. In other words, writing on this list one might criticize someone,
while refraining from making the same criticism publicly. Most of the more
critical statements about Ward Churchill on this list would not have just
been sent for publication in the New York Times. And likewise one would try
to present criticism of other socialist groups in a more friendly way than
we attack the enemy (unless you're in the Spartacist league, etc.). So yes
you're right, it's much more than just timing.

Changing subjects, in response to WL:
> There is no such thing as a non class bias science..... a function 
>of ideology,  class and property.
Alright, thanks for the lecture......

> The science behind the atomic bomb "did 
>not just happen" as  the result of some individual being interested in the 
>atom and its structures
Actually that IS just about exactly what DID happen! You are so dogmatic
that you cite an example without even checking it out, assuming that your
knowledge of Marxism is sufficient to make claims about any arbitrary
historical instance which you're unfamiliar with! That just makes Marxism
look stupid :-(

While I think the class struggle permeates social institutions and thought,
it does not do so equally between the physical sciences (where equations
and experiments rule) and the social sciences which are much more affected
by ideological bias  and the social institutions from which ideology
arises. Those of us who work in the former category are fortunate in that
the content of our work is not directly subjected to ideological scrutiny.
(Of course things were much worse in the time of Galileo......)

- Jeff





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