Date: Sun, 27 Oct 1996 18:31:49 +0000
Subject: Re: M-TH: r-e-s-p-e-c-t


Thanks to both John Mullen, and Chris Sciabarra for their mature
attitudes. I shall read what they have to say, and hopefully learn
something useful, but I can't guarrantee to agree. I would hope that you
do not think of me as an "adversary". 

I am involved in politics because I care about people and wish to see a
world without the man-made tradgedies of war, hunger, and poverty. I
want to play a part in creating a society where working people have a
real say in the way their country, work, housing, education, and health
services are run. 

It is a very sad situation for our class, when others, who I am sure
have the same motives for their political involvement, are not prepared
treat people in a way that they would expect to be treated. No wonder
that Marxists are fragmented into the tiny scattered factions that they
are. If we are to be real revolutionaries, then we have to start
talking, and stop wasting time.

<snip>
>         In this forum, I'd suspect that we should give our adversaries the
> benefit of the doubt, and hope that with engaged conversation, truth will
> win out.  The whole purpose of a dialectic of give-and-take, in the ol'
> Socratic tradition, is to engage one's adversaries so as to uncover
> argumentative contradictions.  This does not mean that one must be morally
> neutral -- but it does mean that with the uncovering of contradictions, we
> move closer to what is objectively valid.  Speaking for myself, I think it
> is morally reprehensible that anyone could even think of justifying
> genocide... but silencing those whom one might perceive as "apologists"
> for it, seems counterproductive to me.  If indeed, such individuals are
> apologists -- I, personally, would like to know WHY, and toward what
> purpose.
>         And speaking from experience... my own advocacy of markets has
> subjected me to all sorts of criticisms on the various Marxist
> lists, that I am an apologist for capitalist imperialism, or a lacky for
> the capitalist class.  If I'd been intimidated by such charges, I would
> have left here years ago.  Instead, I've stuck around, and now I'm
> co-moderating a group of Marxists!  Of all the inner contradictions!  But
> surely, by staying here, I've learned a lot.  And maybe, my "adversaries"
> have learned a lot too.  I'm simply saying that one should not, a priori,
> dismiss ANYONE for what appears to be an apologia for injustice.  We can
> learn alot -- even if such individuals, ultimately, are engaged in
> whitewashing history.
>                                         - Chris
> =================================================> Chris Matthew Sciabarra, Ph.D
> Visiting Scholar, NYU Department of Politics
> INTERNET:  sciabrrc-AT-is2.nyu.edu
> http://pages.nyu.edu/~sciabrrc
> =================================================
Comradely,

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



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