> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Nathan Newman" <nathan at newman.org>
> most of the left is currently unwilling to do, preferring to
> > bemoan inevitable corruption.
-This is what makes Nathan's view of the world, He is incapable of criticizing a position -he disagrees with -- he can only attack the personalities of those who -hold that position.
I'm not sure of the distinction here, since I was criticizing the position of those who concentrate on failures in national politics at this abstract level, while not dealing with the complexities of local organizing. Saying that some folks don't pay attention to local complexities but instead "bemoan" national corruption seems like a pretty tame description of a political position, compared to the accusations I get of supporting NATO death squads and being a flack for corporate Democrats :)
This list roils with descriptions of various people as being imperialists, sell-outs, and various other insults of an even more personal nature. I know of many folks who lurk for fear of the verbal mud-wrestling here. Maybe a bit more gentility all around might encourage more folks to join in, but there are probably at least thirty folks who would have to tone down the rough-and-tumble of this list for that to happen.
The reality is that Doug had asked me a question of what based on my analysis of the media was the left doing wrong and how should they change. I replied with a substantive response and rather than making a substantive reply, Carroll changed the subject to my alleged personal failings. It's a nice rhetorical trick which may derail debate on this particular thread in favor of process discussion.
BTW I thought John Mage's example of the attack on the Star Tribune's editorial policy agains use of the word "terrorist" applying in Israel was a useful example of the specific struggles that happen over local media. Check out Freerepublic.com and you'll see quite specific debates about various local newspapers and campaigns to "freep" (attack) their coverage of various issues.
-- Nathan Newman