New SPACE course starts tomorrow; fighting suppression of dissent

[Anne Jaclard <ajaclard@xxxxxxxxx>]

 reminder:

The New SPACE (The New School for Pluralistic
Anti-Capitalist Education)
Presents:

FIGHTING SUPPRESSION OF DISSENT:
ANOTHER LEFT IS POSSIBLE

Facilitators: Andrea Fishman, Joshua Howard, Anne
Jaclard, Andrew Kliman,
and Seth G. Weiss (the New SPACE Organizing Committee)
4 Sessions: Alternate Thursdays, 7:00 ? 9:00 p.m,
Nov. 2 ? Dec. 14.
Tuition: $45 ? $60, sliding scale

?[T]he most important effect of suppression is not
on the dissident ? but on others who observe the
process. Every case of suppression is a warning
to potential critics not to buck the system. And
every case in which suppression is vigorously
opposed is a warning to vested interests that
attacks will not be tolerated.? ? Brian Martin

This four-session workshop will provide tools for
recognizing, understanding, dealing with, and
combating suppression of dissent, and it will serve
as a support group for victims of suppression.

Drawing on New SPACE organizers? extensive experiences
during the last several years, we will often focus on
suppression of dissent within the Left. Yet
suppression of dissent on the Left generally takes
the same forms and has the same dynamics and
motivations as suppression of dissent elsewhere.
Thus, everyone who has been a victim of suppression
and/or who wants to fight suppression anywhere in
society is encouraged to participate in the workshop.
It will be of value to you as well, and your own
experiences and thoughts will be most relevant and
welcome. (Proponents of suppressive practices are
also invited to come and argue with us!)

The basic premise of the workshop is that ?diversity?
is not enough. New, liberatory ideas and ways of life
develop through the engagement of opposing ideas and
perspectives, and cannot develop without this.  It
is necessary to encourage, protect, and engage with
dissident voices within our own groups and
communities,
and to fight suppression of dissent.  It is also vital
that, in order to help show that ?another world is
possible,? we begin to prefigure this other world by
fighting suppression of dissent within the forums,
publications, e-mail lists, and other institutions
of the Left itself.

Recognition that suppression of dissent is quite
prevalent on the Left is a crucial  component of the
workshop.  Leftists tend to view themselves
as victims, but not also perpetrators, of suppression.
As we will discuss, however, the Left frequently
internalizes and reproduces within its institutions
the suppressive practices, and the authoritarian
attitudes that foster these practices, that prevail
elsewhere in this society.  The main classes of
suppression identified by Brian Martin, an important
anti-suppression activist and anarchist thinker ?
?direct suppression? (attempts to stop or penalize
dissidents), ?indirect suppression? (ignoring
dissidents, denying them access to resources and
opportunities, etc.), and ?self-censorship?
(in order to avoid ostracism, harassment,
rumormongering, etc.) ? are all very common within
Left groups and institutions.

Of course, these groups and institutions currently
lack the power to deprive their internal dissidents
of freedom of expression and movement elsewhere in
society ? i.e., if they go away.  Thus, as we shall
discuss, a key objective of the suppressive practices
employed within the Left is precisely to force or
?encourage? dissidents to go away.  Internal
democracy,
protection of internal dissent, and internal means to
challenge those who wield power, which are needed in
order to ensure engagement of opposing ideas and
perspectives, are frequently absent.

Countering attempts to justify this exclusionary
behavior is another crucial feature of the workshop.
For instance, we will examine the argument that
people should be able to associate with whom they
want.  We will argue that exclusionary behavior
toward dissidents is in fact a new form of enclosure,
a monopolization of scarce social resources. Denying
or limiting dissidents? access to these resources
is very different from associating only with those
you want.  We will also argue against monopolization
of scarce social resources on the ground of the
?right? to private property, and we will show how
the ?freedom of association? gambit has historically
been used to justify racial discrimination in housing,
employment, and education.

Recognizing and dealing with the ?blaming the
dissident? tactic is a third crucial component of the
workshop.  On the Left, and in general,
suppression is almost never admitted to.  Instead,
the suppressors and their apologists try to justify
their actions against dissidents by blaming the
dissidents? performance, personality characteristics,
methods (?you?re going about this the wrong way?),
motives, etc.  We will discuss Brian Martin?s ?double
standard test? and how to apply it in order to expose
the hypocrisy and illegitimacy of the ?blaming the
dissident? tactic.  We will also discuss its
authoritarian character, noting that, when dissidents
are blamed and actions are taken against them, they
are frequently deprived of the right to confront
their accusers, to refute charges against them, to an
impartial hearing, and other democratic rights.

Most of the readings for the workshop will be taken
from Brian Martin?s invaluable ?Suppression of
Dissent?
website, www.uow.edu.au/arts/sts/bmartin/dissent,
available free of charge.  For the first session,
participants should have read and be prepared to
discuss ?Suppression of dissent: what it is and what
to do about it? (www.uow.edu.au/arts/sts/bmartin/
dissent/intro/DNAleaflet.html).
________________________________________________

The New SPACE teachers, speakers, and organizers
include:
Stanley Aronowitz, Erika Biddle, Roz Bologh,
Jack Z. Bratich, Stephen Eric Bronner,
Crystal DeBoise, Andrea Fishman, Jeannette Gabriel,
Loren Goldner, David Graeber, Andrej Grubacic,
Robin Hahnel, Jesse Heiwa, Charles Herr, Joshua
Howard,
Anne Jaclard, Andrew Kliman, Louis Kontos, Joel Kovel,
Eric Laursen, Houzan Mahmoud, Len Mell, Alan W. Moore,
Bertell Ollman, Howard Seligman, Stevphen Shukaitis,
Marina Sitrin, Tom Smith, Alex Steinberg,
Bill Weinberg, Seth G. Weiss
________________________________________________

New SPACE classes and talks meet at the Clemente
Soto Vélez Cultural & Educational Center:
107 Suffolk Street, NYC (located between Rivington
and Delancey Streets). F train to the Delancey
Street station or J, M, Z to Essex Street station.
________________________________________________

The New SPACE
(The New School for Pluralistic
Anti-Capitalist Education)
http://new-space.mahost.org
new-space@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Tel: 1 (800) 377-6183





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