~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Weekly focus # 25 -- / what's hot (or not) on the pof-200 list / ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ (1) I have cleaned up the wiki (2) The proposal for a study group (3) The proposal for a leaflet (4) What do we tell the workers? (reply to comrade K) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hi folks, I'm quite tired so this will be short. ----------------------------------------------------------------- 1. I have cleaned up the wiki ----------------------------------------------------------------- I have done a fair amount of work recently cleaning up our our wiki home page. The basic problem was that the home page was saturated with dead or useless links. This is a remarkably effective method of saying "fuck you" to anyone who checks out the wiki. A more sober approach is to recognize the truth: that our wiki will never have a critical mass of worthwhile content until such time as we come together as a community and begin to work on the projects that are truly decisive for the re-emergence of a revolutionary movement. I have also created a better "front end" for the wiki (and our projects page) at http://MediaWeapon.com . The "projects" page is also cleaned up a bit -- I consolidated four columns into one so that it is not quite so confusing. Please check it out. If you see projects which you believe may be worthwhile -- go ahead and add your name to the list of people who "endorse" the projects (there is a form and a button for that purpose). Or add any comments or questions which you may have about any particular project. I have also created an index of my "weekly focus" posts going back to May. It can be see at: http://mediaweapon.net/mediawiki-phase3/index.php/User:BenSeattle :WeeklyFocus ----------------------------------------------------------------- 2. The proposal for a study group ----------------------------------------------------------------- DJ proposed a study group but we haven't heard back from him. Would a study of Lenin's "Imperialism, the Highest Stage of Capitalism" be acceptable? How about the other details of my counter-proposal? We need a definite group of people who want to particpate in this and make it happen. We got one response about breaking "Imperialism" (if we settle on it) into either 10 weeks -- or 15 weeks. I prefer the 10 weeks myself. I also note that Live Journal accepts anonymous comments -- so we could all make comments without having to go thru another registration process. There was some disagreement concerning my view that we should not bother sending a request for assistance email to the CPUSA. I believe that the CPUSA has become integrated into the trade union bureaucracy and promotes the influence of an imperialist party (the Democratic Party -- which specializes in sucking the militancy and life energy out of the mass protest movmements). Others here obviously disagree and said so. I would be willing to add my name to the signatures on an email which we sent to various groups (including the CPUSA) if the email contained a sentence indicating that the list of groups to which we sent it included suggestions by different people in our community -- and not everyone who has signed it believes that all the groups to which we are sending it -- is capable of leading a study of Lenin's work. The main thing is that if we want to see a study group really happen -- then someone needs to come forward and make it happen. I am willing to participate in the study group on the same basis as anyone else. But my hands are full and I cannot lead this project. If no one comes forward to make this project happen -- then it will remain just another idea that does not go anywhere. One more point -- those who felt that our community is in danger of sectarian exclusion of the CPUSA should probably take a look at my exchange with Michael on Nov 15, "Coopetition on the pof-200 list": http://groups.yahoo.com/group/pof-200/message/636 Michael is a CPUSA member who was on our list for a while. I told him that while I had contempt for the CPUSA's class collaborationist politics -- I welcomed having someone from the CPUSA here on this list. I believe that we cannot insulate ourselves from the various wrong ideas which exist in the left. We need to have these ideas here -- so that we can gain experience with them -- and learn how to confront them effectively with an economy of time, energy and words. ----------------------------------------------------------------- 3. The proposal for a leaflet ----------------------------------------------------------------- Marik proposed that we create a leaflet. I made a counter-proposal and asked Marik what he thought. What do you think Marik ? ----------------------------------------------------------------- 4. What do we tell the workers? (reply to comrade K) ----------------------------------------------------------------- Comrade K clarified his suggestions that we learn to write articles and so forth without using various "trigger words" like "communism". I had taken exception to his comments because I felt that they were written in the spirit of manipulating workers. In fact, however, I make it a point, in what I write, to avoid the use of certain words like "communism" and "socialism" because these words have become "weasle words" that mean very little. So I attempt to be more precise and talk about "overthrowing the system of bourgeois rule" and so forth. This kind of talk will still upset the bourgeoisie, of course, and their flunkies in the labor aristocracy. And that's just fine with me. So my suggestion to comrade K is that he read some of my articles -- and then get back to us all and let us know what he thinks. Sincerely and revolutionary regards, Ben Seattle ----//-// January 3, 2005 ----------------------------------------------------------------- "Isolated from one another we are easily defeated. Connected to one another no force on earth can stop us" The Media Weapon community -- http://MediaWeapon.com ----------------------------------------------------------------- (This is not a discussion list--the discussion list is pof-200) THEORIST LIST -------------- To unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Archive: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/theorist/messages Info: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/theorist/ POF-200 ------- home page:��� http://groups.yahoo.com/group/pof-200/ to subscribe:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Yahoo! 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