File spoon-archives/marxism-general.archive/marxism-general_1996/96-12-05.074, message 12


Date: Mon, 02 Dec 1996 07:15:48 +0000
From: Richard Bos <Richard.Bos-AT-hagcott.meganet.co.uk>
Subject: M-G: Re: M-I: To hell with anonymity


Hugh Rodwell wrote:
> 
> Louis P and Richard B have been grooming each other on M-I:
> 
> >You are sweet Louis. I award you a big cyber-hug!
> 
> They are thrilled to bits at finding a soul mate who isn't committed to
> building a real, disciplined party to fight for the overturn of capitalism.
>

Richard:
On this point I disagree with Louis. I am a Marxist-Leninist, and
commited to building such a party, so you missed my point Hugh. So if
you must comment on me or others to other lists, then you should do it
in context, otherwise they will think that you are telling the truth.
 
> Be that as it may, the thrust of their thread was directed against
> anonymity, and as such, wrong. An argument among Marxists based on
> scientific, socialist principles should be able to stand on its own feet.
> Providing the logic's OK and the facts are verifiable, it doesn't matter if
> the piece is signed by Ulyanov or Lenin.
> 
> In countries where the horrors of imperialism include hunting down
> dissidents of all kinds -- not just committed Marxists -- no one in their
> right mind would insist on writers or speakers serving up their identity to
> the cops on a platter. Even in their most heated battles the Bolsheviks and
> Mensheviks respected the need for anonymity.
> 

Richard: 
This is true. The main thrust of the thread though, was that we were
pissed off by being bombarded by statements, often duplicated, from a
number of organisations that we had never heard of. If a member of one
of those groups wants to participate in discusion as an individual, then
she or he should have a name. It may well not be their real name, but
they should use it consistantly.

> And anonymity can improve discussion by evening the playing-field a bit.
> Nothing like an unsigned page or two of polemics to test the mettle of all
> the comrades in a schooling session.
> 
> Cheers,
> 
> Hugh

Richard:
I am not on this list to test anyone's mettle, and I do not think that
it does even any playing fields. It just means that it is more likely to
get binned without reply.

- 
Comradely,

Richard.                     
      New Worker Online http://www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/2853




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