Aaron's message below sums up precisely and graciously exactly what I have
been wanting to say too for some time.
Will anyone take any notice???
John
----- Original Message -----
From: "aaron hoffer" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Tuesday, August 29, 2000 6:17 AM
Subject: Re: [CrashList] Self Determination- Support It!
>
> Hello everyone,
>
> I would like to make a couple of comments about marxism and common
sense
> etc.
>
> First of all I am not a marxist, even so I share a lot of the same
> values that most marxists I've come across have. One reason I do not think
> that I will ever be a marxist is that I simply don't understand what you
are
> talking about sometimes. Also, as Tom was saying, I sometimes get a sense
of
> arrogance, that seems to shut the door on any alternative views on the
> matter.
>
> I realize that on this list we are supposedly discussing the crash and
> what kind of societal structures we need to cope with, prevent, or lessen
> such an occurrence[ at least I think that's what we are doing, if I'm
wrong
> or missing something please tell me]. So we are definetly not writing to
> convince the public at large, as of yet. However, if we are to change the
> world, so to speak, we must at some point be able to express our views to
a
> much wider audience and be convincing to that audience. Now I'm certainly
> not the most educated or well read, or most intelligent person around. But
I
> do spend an inordinate amount of time,compared to the average person,
> thinking and reading about our society and its problems and how I would
like
> to see things be instead, and how maybe that could be done. What I'm
saying
> is, that if I find your arguments hard to follow and I spend the kind of
> time I do on this type of thing, how on earth are you going to be able to
> communicate with the average person who works 8-12hrs a day and has kids
to
> deal with, along with many other things. These people are going to tune
you
> out almost immediately unless you [we] are able to speak in clear and
> straight forward terms that does not also deteriorate into mere slogans.
>
> Please don't think I'm attacking anyone in particular, this has just
been
> something I've noticed with marxists on several lists, as well as in
person.
> I've also found this among economists, who like to refer to statistical
> models in the tenth dimension which only 10 other people in the world can
> understand. Of course most economists are happy with the status quo so it
> suites their needs to speak in impenetrable terms. That way no one is
> qualified to dispute them. Since we on this list are not here defending
the
> status quo, it would benefit us to make our arguments more accessible.
>
> I guess I simply am venting some of my frustration at what I see as
> fairly simple arguments being wrapped up in language that has no other
> purpose than to make the writer feel intelligent and the rest of us feel
> confused or dumb or both. Until recently I thought this was mainly the
> domain of post modernists.
>
> Sincerely, Aaron.
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