Japan's economy in freefall

[William S. Lear]

[!#@!$!! had to resend this to LBO 'cause I sent it to only Lou
directly --- apologies, Lou, for the misdirection].
On Fri, September 18, 1998 at 11:38:11 (-0400) Louis Proyect writes:
>...
>Doug, your problem is that you seem unconstitutionally incapable of taking
>a position. This is the difference between you and Marxist revolutionaries
>like Ernest Mandel. Everything that Mark Jones and I write represents
>advocacy of one sort or another. That is how socialism will come about, as
>the force of our arguments persuade growing numbers of people.

I'll let Doug fend for himself here, but I should point out that just
the other day Lou criticized Robin Hahnel because his argument for
ParEcon "appeals to the intellect".  Here he is saying that persuading
people by "the force of our argument" is what is important.


>While you are tremendous asset to the radical movement, I don't think that
>you will ever be able to make the shift and it is probably just as well
>that you continue to provide the kind of services you are providing now.

Just as Noam Chomsky has never made such a "shift", nor should anyone
without solid evidence.


>The problem with your interview with Hugh Patrick and many of your
>interviews is that you seem to style yourself after McNeill-Lehrer.

Are you trying to be purely abusive here?  McNeill-Lehrer was, and in
the form of Lehrer alone, remains an insult to intelligent people ---
it is a shallow, pseudo-serious load of self-satisfied pap.


>                                                            ... Of course,
>the problem is that you don't want to take a stand so the point is moot.

Seems to me Doug is quite willing to take a stand on many things not
based on intellectual Jell-O.

Bill