Date: Sun, 6 Apr 1997 01:01:53 +0200
Subject: M-G: Re: A clearer view?


Louis P has just devoted a long and very personalized post to me. Bob M
sums it up pretty concisely:

>Now the New York Librarian who after Hugh's great article on the
>Metropolitan crowd has written another one of his monthly "Trotsky sect"
>and they never buildt anything anywhere letters.

It's like a Tibetan prayer wheel going round and round ... (Maybe Louis's
aiming for a Chinese water torture effect -- you know, drip drip drip and
eventually it'll gouge a hole in a stone -- but for that you need at least
the substantiality of water...)

I'll let my own posts and positions (and those of other Trotskyists and
revolutionary comrades-in-arms) over the past fifteen months stand against
Louis P's (and his cronies) over the same period -- subscribers can judge
the quality and seriousness of the discussions for themselves.

However, Louis's opening remarks are amazing:

>Hugh, I have no intention of debating you on this list.

This is to unbelieve!!!

and:

>But for
>people who are fairly new to m-i, let me explain to you who Hugh is and
>what he stands for.

This anxious attempt to nobble newcomers really reflects Louis's
realization that the turf is slipping out of his gang's grasp. He's had it
with the old crowd -- everybody's seen the way he carries on. But he always
felt he had enough homeboys around to talk as if he was "everybody"'s
mouthpiece, Mr Consensus. Now he's unsure of himself. He needs to *explain*
because he can no longer even pretend to take agreement for granted. The
newcomers are obviously an untrustworthy bunch whose skittery views need a
firm introductory breaking-in and BIG blinkers (US blinders)...

Shall we start counting the days till Louis does a bunk to a safe little
cyber-haven of his own? Let's count from 1 April -- a symbolic sort of day
for the Louis's of this world...

Cheers,

Hugh








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