File spoon-archives/marxism-international.archive/marxism-international_1997/marxism-international.9706, message 473


From: cbcox-AT-rs6000.cmp.ilstu.edu (Carrol Cox)
Subject: Re: M-I: RE: The Bourgeois Right to Restrict Forums in which to Speak Free
Date: Thu, 26 Jun 1997 14:12:03 -0500 (CDT)


    This seems a topic on which it is possible to revolve endlessly, but
as I have followed it, I have not seen anyone make the distinction
between calling on the power of the bourgeois state and direct attempts
to silence certain speakers. A very simple example: About 20 years
ago a student committee invited a South African Consul to speak at
ISU; we made no effort to persuade the university to withdraw that
invitation; we simply massed as many people as possible in the
auditorium and hooted him down. Similar things were done on various
campuses when Shockley spoke, or when various Central American
dictators, etc tried to speak.

    I don't believe one should appeal to the bourgeois state--to the
police or the courts to suppress racist or fascist speech. I do believe
that where it is *possible* by mass mobilization to stop such speech
*without* appealing to "the law" it is proper to do so. We tried hard
back in 68 to prevent Vice-President Humphrey from speaking at ISU,
and while we failed, we did make him pick his way across the bodies
crouched in the hallway, and did make his speaking a rather tacky
affair. But invoke the bourgeois state to suppress any kind of
speech? My impulse is to say No, Never.

Carrol

>
>   >  Date: Tue, 24 Jun 1997 02:05:19 -0400 (EDT)
>   >  From: Andrew Wayne Austin <aaustin-AT-utkux.utcc.utk.edu>
>   >  Subject: M-I: The Bourgeois Right to Restrict Forums in which to
> Speak Freely
>   >
>   >  Dave,
>   > ......
>   > Communism is a progressive movement within the context of
> capitalism.
>   > Fascism is a reaction within the context of capitalism. While
> communism,
>   > born in capitalist society, transcends capitalism by negating it,
> fascism,
>   > also born in capitalist society, preserves capitalism by negating
>   > democracy, even if that democracy is liberal. Eliminate capitalism
> and you
>   > have probably taken care of fascism, for the material basis upon
> which
>   > fascism emerges as a form of capitalism is abolished. Exercise the
>    > bourgeois right to suppress speech by the denial of forums in which
> to
>    > speak freely, and you do nothing to advance democracy or to
> diminish
>    > fascism or to undermine capitalism.
>    >
>    > In other words, this particular antifascist principle is
> misdirected,
>    > wasted energy, and inconsistent with communist principles, which
> are far
>    > more deeply antifascist. This line actually undermines the effort
> to build
>    > a democratic society.
>    >
>    > Therefore, I would not say that the freedom of speech is a
> "bourgeois
>    > right," since I support free speech for communists. It would be a
>    > contradiction for a communist, who opposes the bourgeoisie, to
> restrict
>    > their personal freedom because they believed that personal freedom
> was
>    > tainted by its supposed class origins and character. And, besides,
> my beef
>    > with capitalists is not that they speak freely, it is that they
> control
>    > the forums in which we might speak. The goal is to abolish social
> class,
>    > not to shut the mouths of capitalists. (I depend too much on what
> the
>    > bourgeoisie says to want them to shut up. I want to know what they
> are up
>    > too.)
>
>
> I have to reply here, being in Australia and faced with the Pauline
> Hanson problem at present.
>
> It's nothing like a concrete situation to put theory into some sort of
> context. There are a lot of people who want to shut up Hanson. You see
> everyone is sick of having her views propagated day and night by the
> media.
>
> In fact the argument from the right wing of the anti-Hanson campaign is
> that militant action to close down her meetings adds to her free speech
> - since the media takes more of an interest.
>
> Hanson is trying to build a racist organisation. Hard-core nazis will
> use it as a means to further racial harrassment. When the first racist
> murders happen who's going to deal with it? - the police ? The same
> people who continue to imprison and kill aborigines at scandalous rates
> ?
>
> We dont live in the communist wonderland yet. There is going to be a lot
> of shit before we get there including a decidely undemocratic revolution
> (and possibly a war against the bourgeoisie).
>
> Not only should we in Australia prevent Hanson from speaking, but I
> think we should smash up her meetings and burn down the meeting hall.
>
> There is a lot more important things at stake than Hanson's free speech,
> including the confidence of the thousands of workers who regularly turn
> up to protest against her, to take collective action into their own
> hands
>
> Tony Hartin
> Socialist Alternative
>
>
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>



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