Date: Mon, 6 Jan 1997 09:46:00 -0500 (EST)
Subject: Re: M-G: self-introduction



Welcome and enjoy. Good Marxists welcome intelligent criticism. Ignore the
static on the list, of which there is a moderate amount. 

It's my view that what you experienced in Poland has a very tenuous
relation to Marxism face to face or in practice. Of course the Polish CP
called itself Marxist, but naming doesn't make it so. The system and
ideology of the former Soviet bloc was Stalinist rather than Marxist. Two
crucial differences are Marxism's unqualified commitment to human liberty
and to workers' power. Obviously POland and the other ex-Bloc nations had
little regard for either. This does not mean that what happened in Poland
has nothing to teach Marxists, on the contrary.

If you are up on current goings-on in Poland, I think we would like to
hear about them. Poland has largely dropped out of even the quality press
in the West in recent years.

--Justin 

> 
> 	I'm new to this list so I'd like to say hello to everyone who
> subscribes to marxism-general. I'm not a Marxist, however, and I'll try to
> discuss some hot issues with you - in strict compliance with what is
> announced in the e-mail from the list owners, i.e. openness to any
> reasonable and logical argumentation. I come from Poland so I've had my
> peculiar experiences while dealing with Marxism face to face and in
> practice.
> 	Hope you don't mind me being here.
> 						Leszek Smutek
> 
> 
> 
>      --- from list marxism-general-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu ---





     --- from list marxism-general-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu ---