From: "ricardo" <davidb-AT-ak.planet.gen.nz>
Subject: M-I: The Czar and his Censors
Date: Sat, 18 Oct 1997 09:07:55 +1300


Here's Jerry Levy's defence against his banning.
Dave

> ------- Forwarded Message Follows -------
> Date:          Thu, 16 Oct 1997 05:43:05 -0400 (EDT)
> From:          Gerald Levy <glevy-AT-pratt.edu>
> To:            marxism-general-AT-jefferson.village.Virginia.EDU
> Cc:            marxism-international-AT-jefferson.village.Virginia.EDU
> Subject:       M-G: The Czar and his Censors
> Reply-to:      marxism-general-AT-jefferson.village.Virginia.EDU
> 
> > Date: Wed, 15 Oct 1997 20:47:33 -0400 (EDT)
> > From: louisgodena-AT-ids.net (Louis R Godena)
> > Subject: M-I: A note to the list
> > 
> > To marxism-international:
> > 
> > Jerry Levy is going to be sitting this one out for a few days.  After
> > threatening to start a flame war on m-i
> 
> I didn't "threaten to start a flame war." The basic point of "bombs
away!"
> was that *you* were threatening the list by your violation of list rules
> and preferential treatment of a friend and non-subscriber. The reason the
> thread was called "bombs away!" was because that was what *you* were
doing
> to m-int when you forwarded the spam from another list. Moreover, many
> others have protested your conduct in this matter and you, wearing the
> Imperial Robe of Co-Moderator, have decided to ignore them.
> 
> > (*sans*, apparently, any type of
> > political content) he was dropped into the nopost file.
> 
> What is "political content"? From my perspective, the entire content of
my
> posts were political. Is it then apolitical when someone challenges the
> hypocritical and unprincipled behavior of individuals calling themselves
> "Marxist"?  
> 
> >  He is still
> > subscribed to the list, and is still receiving messages.  His messages
to
> > m-i, on the other hand, are being forwarded directly to the moderators,
who
> > will forward those with political content to the list.  Those purely of
a
> > personal nature will be returned to Mr Levy.
> 
> Mocking history, the moderators are now acting the role of the both Czar
> and the Czar's censors. *They* will now decide what posts have "political
> content" and what posts do not.  They will decide what constitutes posts
> "of a purely personal nature" despite the claims of the author. And they
> have decided that such censorship should -- for now -- only be directed
> against one individual. 
> 
> > Mr Levy is free to decide whether he wishes to participate
*politically* on
> > the m-i mailing list, or whether his personal agonistes take precedence
over
> > the political concerns of marxism-international.
> 
> I decided that my *political* participation should include a defense of
> Bob M (and Hugh and Dave B) against the outrageous and malicious charge
that
> they are US government agents.
> 
> What happened to the person making that charge -- in violation of list
> rules? Well ... everyone knows on m-int that list rules don't apply to
> Proyect. Everyone has also seen Czar Louis G "bend" (i.e. blow apart) the
> list rules for his own benefit.
>   
> > List members are reminded that forwarding posts from a suspended member
(one
> > who has been barred from posting directly, like Jerry Levy) is grounds
for
> > temporary suspension.  It will be enforced.
> 
> 
>                        *Welcome to the Gulag!* 
> 
> Here are the rules:
> 
> 1. If you say anything we don't like we will label it as "not political"
> and suspend you (but we won't have the common courtesy to tell you first
> that you have been suspended).
> 
> 2. If anyone else speaks on behalf of a suspended prisoner or is observed
> showing other prisoners messages from that person, then they will be
> "suspended" as well.
> 
> 3. Anyone who protests this or any other action or statement by the Camp
> Commandant (and Czar) will be "suspended."
> 
> 4. The Commandant (and Czar) reserve the right to be hypocritical and
> unprincipled.
> 
> > I, for one, have had enough.
> 
> So have I.  
> 
> Jerry
> 
> 
> 
>      --- from list marxism-general-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu ---
> 
> Dave Bedggood


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