[lbo-talk] A PR disaster: Five views on Pussy Riot's war

Doug Henwood dhenwood at panix.com
Thu Aug 23 10:24:07 PDT 2012


On Aug 23, 2012, at 1:17 PM, "Carrol Cox" <cbcox at ilstu.edu> wrote:


> Every one is searching for some abstract principle that would decide this
> question: it doesn't exist. I defend the right of leftists in the u.s. to
> say anything they want to say anyplace. I defend the right of a regime
> opposed to the U.S. to suppress any speech that threatens that independence.
> The argument has to be political rather than moral or metaphysical. When
> free speech threatens capitalism we defend it. When free speech threatens
> anti-capitalist activity, we don't necessarily defend it. (I state this
> crudely and as stated it is incorrect but it points in the right direction.)
> Ravi is correct that as an abstract principle free speech is mostly a
> libertarian myth.

I'll side with Lenin on this one.

Doug



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