Charles writes:
> In a word, Brian, wrong.
Ya Vol Mein Herr.
> Discussion of Stalinism is never an isolated issue not related
to the crimes of capitalism - besides the fact that talking about
things in isolation and not holistically is bad thinking in general.
As a Buddhist I am quite aware of the holistic, interbeing nature of reality. Also, as a Buddhist I understand that to solve problems you work on a small local scale. The combined efforts of people working on different local scales is what changes/revolutionizes the world. Theorycrats such as yourself love to get lost in expansive theories that explain every jot and tittle, but provide little (if any) guidance to those who seek to solve problems.
> Your isolated analysis is the academic , unreal approach.
No Charles, it is the approach of someone who has lived in the world many years. Your approach is characteristic of one who has spent years in the halls of academe collecting degrees.
> No, we shouldn't talk about homophobia unrelated to imperialism
when we talk about Cuba.
Why? Because one het guy in Michigan says we shouldn't? Your overwhelming sense of heterosexual presumption is amazing. Is it that you simply don't get it or that are that infected with heterosexism?
> To the extent you attack Cuba, in the current world context, you
are with the enemies of the human race, and being in the project
of trying to help your queer brothers in Cuba doesn't get you off
that hook.
I attack homophobia. Wherever it occurs it is wrong. Imperialism does not compel anyone to commit a homophobic act. Last time I checked people have free will -- they chose whom to hate.
If Cubans do not believe homophobia is wrong -- fine. But claiming that because I live in America, Cubans can dismiss what I say is stupid. It is not the messenger that counts, it is the message. In all those years in school Charles, didn't anyone ever teach you that? If they didn't you should get your money back.
> 1) Claiming that Stalinism involved more tyranny than market
systems have in history
Who cares?!?! Was it a contest?
2) Failing to note that Stalinism is in significant part a product precisely of the market's wars and threats of wars on the SU from its very beginning, because the SU had to militarize itself in true self-defense, and tragically this militarization for physical survival was of course anti-democratic, and undermined the ability to build socialist democracy;
Did it have to be anti-democratic? Was there a choice? Why did Stalin support homophobia and have it written into the SU constitution? Was that necessary to help fight imperialism?
3) failure to emphasize that the downfall of the first efforts to build socialism , therefore, do not prove for all time that socialism and centralized planning can't work,
When did I say that?
> it was the world historic viciousness of the market state power that
prevented socialism from proving its viability.
And the visciousness of the market state also forced prevented socialism from being non-heterosexist?
4) Regularly, trying to make it sound like supporting the SU is endorsement or indifference to the enormous tragedy of the mass deaths, whether at the hands of Stalinists or imperialists.
I just do not believe in supporting a system that promotes homophobia. Maybe you have no problem with such a system. Kewl. Whatever floats your boat Charles. But your demand that queers be silenced becuase they contradict some pet notions of yours is way over top (and I have been involved with the drag balls of Harlem so I know over the top first hand). If you had ever walked a ball you certainly would have won the prize for Academic Out-of-Touch Femme Queen Realness.
Brian Dauth Queer Buddhist Resister
P.S.
You have to understand the way I am, Mein Herr. A tiger is a tiger, not a lamb. Mein Herr. You'll never turn the vinegar to jam, Mein Herr. So I do... What I do... When I'm through... Then I'm through... And I'm through... Toodle-oo!