Vanishing Marxism on LBO-talk

[Yoshie Furuhashi]

At 7:02 PM -0500 2/6/03, Doug Henwood wrote:
>>Nonetheless, I do think that there are fewer posts from Marxists on 
>>LBO-talk than there were near the inception of the list (in 1998?). 
>>There are still some Marxists and fellow travelers left here -- 
>>let's see, yours truly, Jenny Brown, Carrol Cox, James Farmelant, 
>>James Heartfield, John Mage, Lou Paulsen (whom I hope will stay), 
>>Michael Perelman, Stephen Philion, Marta Russell, Justin Schwartz, 
>>etc., but few of them post regularly.
>
>I guess I no longer qualify as a Marxist, though I do post a lot 
>here. Funny Justin qualifies, though he rejects the label, and I 
>don't, though I accept it.

I thought you would object to being in any camp, much less a "Marxist 
Camp," except maybe in the sense of being a connoisseur of Camp (as 
in Susan Sontag's "Notes on 'Camp'").  Heavens, in a "Marxist Camp" 
with Michael Perelman, there might be even folk songs and vegan 
dishes provided by an organic food conspiracy.

BTW, I forgot to name Todd Archer, Joanna Bujes, Alexandre Fenelon, 
Christian Gregory, Sergio Lopez, Mark Pavlick, and Albert Sonntag. 
(I reiterate my hope that those included in the "Marxist Camp" above 
won't object to inclusion.)  I may be still forgetting some here.

At 7:02 PM -0500 2/6/03, Doug Henwood wrote:
>And many of the people you list *are* frequent posters. Some of the 
>most frequent, in fact.

Well, the only posters in the "Marxist Camp" who have earned a lot of 
frequent poster mileage are yours truly, Carrol Cox, & Justin 
Schwartz (a Midwestern Marxist Camp?).  The rest seldom post here 
nowadays or have already departed -- hence the difference in 
atmosphere.

At 7:02 PM -0500 2/6/03, Doug Henwood wrote:
>But part of the reason I started the list, and continue with it, is 
>that I want Marxists to talk to non-Marxists, and vice versa. I keep 
>hoping that they can have fruitful exchanges rather than call each 
>other names.

I've enjoyed exchanges with a number of non-Marxists here: Gordon 
Fitch (no longer on LBO-talk?), Michael Pollack, Carl Remick, Max 
Sawicky (who has posted much less often ever since he started 
blogging), etc.

The only non-Marxists whom I've consigned to the trash file are those 
who can't format their posts and/or those with big chips on their 
shoulders who are given to baiting, name-calling, rumor-mongering, 
etc.

At 10:54 PM -0500 2/6/03, Max B. Sawicky wrote:
>Heartfield a Marxist?  LOL!

Heartfield is at least not an "ex-Marxist" -- "ex-Marxists" tend to 
become obsessed with establishing their bona fides by trashing all 
things Marxist.  Besides, I believe he chose his last name in the 
spirit of homage to a Communist artist John Heartfield.  Very good 
taste, I say.
-- 
Yoshie

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