Date: Wed, 02 Aug 1995 15:12:45 EDT
From: greeman-AT-uhavax.hartford.edu
Subject: state cap:greeman reply





On Aug. 2 Louis Proyect to Richard Greeman:

There is more than a hint of scorn in addressing you as "professor". I am 
a 
50 year old man who has been organizing demonstrations and other forms of 
solidarity on behalf of "capitalist" Cuba and Vietnam for the better part 
of 
29 years while people like you and the slimy Max Schachtman were saying 
"a plague on both your houses". Standing on the sidelines while nations 
such as these were facing bombs and blockade from the government you 
pay taxes to earns my total contempt.

Richard Greeman replies:
	This is my second day out in this discussion group and from reading
the instructions I didn't expect to receive an ad hominem attack for
holding a different theory than another discussant. 
	My argument would be good (or faulty) even if I had stood on the 
sidelines. In fact I didn't. 
	I happen to be older than you, Louis, and I've also organized a few 
demos, including one at the CIA to protest the Bay of Pigs attack before 
it happened. I founded the Fair Play for Cuba Committee in Connecticut 
and organized the first student trip to Cuba in 1961. Much more recently 
(1984) I was on the border of Nicaragua and Honduras planting trees and 
listening to the chatter of machine-guns as a Witness for Peace getting 
in the way of the Contras, for what it's worth. And yes, I considered it 
my right (and revolutionary duty) to criticise the opportunism of some of 
the Sandisistas, just as I criticised Castro when he starting jailing 
trade-unionists and lording it over labor.
	I really think it's very unproductive to attack a person with scorn 
and contempt for his background or profession or whatever instead of 
demolishing his argument with a better one. But please, if you must 
descend to personal attacks, attack somebody you know something about.
	So for your information I enclose is my CV for you to shoot at, but 
I really wish you wouldn't as I find this kind of low-level tit-for-tate 
a degrading waste of time unworthy of socialists. (I tried to post it 
earlier as an "Introduction" but I'm very inept at computers and I think 
it got lost.)

Hello Marxism!
I'm new here and it sure is exciting (and a bit confusing) to join your 
discussion. Brief introduction: I've been an active socialist since the 
1950's. Started in the ISL just as it joined the YPSL. Went to France as 
a student and joined "Socialism ou Barbarie." Also hung around the PSU 
(created out of old UGS). Anti-Algerian war stuff. Returned to U.S. and 
worked with "News & Letters" (Marxist Humanists) for 15 years or so 
(still am a sympathiser). Active in anti-Vietnam war, civil rights, 
labor, SDS. Participated in 1968 Columbia University revolt. Got jobs as 
French teacher.   Was kicked out of Wesleyan for anti-war speech. 
Collected unemployment for two years under liberal Nixon. Translated 
novels of Victor Serge (Franco Russian writer and revolutionary 1890-
1947). Now I'm working on a Serge biography. Finally got job at 
University of Hartford.Active locally with Central America Solidarity 
groups, etc. Write occasionally on Serge, Marxism, Russian and 
international questions for New Politics, Against the Current, 
International Socialism, Z and the local press. Latest project: "Books 
for Struggle: Sending Political Dynamite to Russia." Interested in state-
capitalism discussion. Will attempt to post on both if I can make this 
machine obey.
	Please write me greeman-AT-uhavax.hartford.edu since I don't know how 
long I can stay subscribed and deal with so much incoming mail (I'm 
overdrawn on my VAX account) so will probably go "marxism-digest" soon as 
I'm leaving town.


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