I agree with Charles Brown. I'm currently struggling with a flame-war involving people far less considered in their opinions than Brad on another left list, where a number of members have called for the expulsion (or purging, as it were) of the flamers. We've decided not to kick them off for precisely the reasons Charles suggests--the Left has been crippled throughout the long twentieth century by internal intolerance, and I for one have always found it more useful to have to articulate a position to someone who disagrees with me than someone who already thinks the way I do.
Jamie
On Tue, 21 Jul 1998, Charles Brown wrote:
> Yes, I agree. We wouldn't want to treat liberals
> the way the U.S. liberal regime treated Debs and
> the opponents to U.S. workers dying in the WW I
> imperialist war or the
> Communists and other Lefts in the Palmer Raids ,
> and other 20's arrests for political ideas or the CPUSA
> and other Lefts during McCarthyism.
>
> We Lefts should
> have a higher standard of tolerance than liberals have
> had in history.
>
> Charles Brown
>
> >>> michael perelman <michael at ecst.csuchico.edu> 07/21 10:59 AM >>>
> I have written several posts criticizing Brad DeLong's anti-communist claims.
>
> I also run a list (pen-l, the progressive economists network), where I have had
> occassion to remove disruptive people.
>
> I do not find Brad Long to be disruptive. His anti-communist claims are often a
> bit shallow, but he also brings a great deal of knowledge and insight to our
> discussion when he comments on economic matters.
>
>
> --
> Michael Perelman
> Economics Department
> California State University
> Chico, CA 95929
>
> Tel. 530-898-5321
> E-Mail michael at ecst.csuchico.edu
>
>
>