[lbo-talk] American hit parade

Jim Devine jdevine03 at gmail.com
Wed Aug 24 09:47:57 PDT 2005


Wojtek:
> By publishing his [Louis Proyect's] delusional rants, Counter Punch
> stooped lower than tabloids. The latter claim to be nothing more than low
> brow entertainment, the former pretends to be serious.

some of LP's "rants" are worth reading, others not. But the above kind of personal attack is worse than a delusional rant.

Back when I lived in Berkeley and acted as an amateur sociologist, I noticed the dynamic of sectarianism on the left. Central is the merger of political difference with personal animosity. (Comrade X isn't just a "social democrat." He's a "sleaze." Etc.) The two reinforce each other, encouraging permanent splits and animosity. Personal attacks make it almost impossible to "agree to disagree" on certain issus while agreeing on others.

I think my observations also fit with the very common phenomenon of intra-academic sectarianism and and with the sectarianism that's seen in all walks of life.

People on the left have to get rid of personal attacks. Instead, what's needed is clear argument, involving (perceived) facts, logic, and dialectical completeness. Argue about such things as "what is to be done?" rather than about personalities. -- Jim Devine "living a life of quiet desperation -- but always with style!"



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