[lbo-talk] Yoshie: "dialogue" takes listening on your part, too

Carrol Cox cbcox at ilstu.edu
Wed Jul 12 14:20:34 PDT 2006


Charles Brown wrote:
>
> Eric Beck wrote:
>
> I want to spin some
> > cautionary tale about how easily statist-socialist politics can
> > warp into statist-reactionary politics, or about how for many on
> > the left principled anti-racism, -sexism, and -imperialism is a
> > disguise for/must take a backseat to anti-Americanism. But that
> > would be churlish and not in my character
>
> ^^^^^
> CB: "Anti-Americanism" is a term used to cover for American chauvinism and
> imperialism, the worst terrorism in existence. Socalled anti-Americanism is
> the essence of anti-imperialism, anti-racism today, given the role of
> America in today's world system.

Eric is thinking, for his statement here is incoherent. He claims that certain leftists are not leftist but, fundmentally, anti-american. In other words, "anti-americanism," for Eric, exists independently of any other feelings, opinions, values, but merely takes on those other feelings as cover. This is incoherent non-sense because he can't begin to define what he means by anti-american without immediately contradicting himself, for he will have to say that because certain people are anti-imperialist and _therefore_ are anti-american. But that is just what he began by denying, because he has claimed that anti-imperialism isn't a reason for anti-americanism but a _disguise_ for anti-americanism, and for that to make any sense whatsoever anti-americanism has to exist as an independent attitude, based on what (?), which searches for disguises.

You have better things to do Charles than waste your time disputing such incoherent garbage.

Carrol



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