[Peace-discuss] EC, Process, and Assumptions

[Alfred Kagan]

Robert,

You have completely missed the point.  I am not 
referring to your ideas, but the nasty method you 
chose to express them.


At 7:08 PM +0000 10/18/04, Robert Dunn wrote:
>Al, "AWARE has worked patiently with Robert over 
>a long period of time." This sounds like I am a 
>client of AWARE.  What do you want someones 
>viewpoints to be censored off of a listserve 
>because you vehemently oppose them? "Robert 
>should keep his comments off of the AWARE list 
>as far as Im concerned." Should Carl keep his 
>comments off because he does not subscribe to 
>the mainstream leftist viewpoint too? Al, your 
>comments have furthur proved my point of the 
>lefts intolerance of different views. I weep for 
>the peace movement because it keeps on getting 
>distracted by petty problems such as identity 
>politics and hating Bush more than hating the 
>war. How can you say that someones comments be 
>censored and protest censorship of alternative 
>views in the mainstream media? Does anyone see 
>the hypocrisy in that statement?
>
>I sure do,
>
>Robert
>
>  >From: Al Kagan <akagan at uiuc.edu>
>  >To: Peace-discuss at lists.cu.groogroo.com
>  >Subject: [Peace-discuss] EC, Process, and Assumptions
>  >Date: Sun, 17 Oct 2004 12:52:44 -0500
>  >
>  >I would like to respond to the discussion around EC and AWARE
>  >process.
>  >
>  >First of all, I want to address Robert Dunn. I want him to realize
>  >that although he has apologized, it is not OK to send such messages
>  >and then think that all can be righted by sending an apology.  AWARE
>  >has patiently worked with Robert over a long period of time.
>  >Whatever his new political perspective is in his new place of
>  >residence, I would have though Robert would have some warm feelings
>  >for us.  As far as I am concerned, Robert should keep his further
>  >comments off the AWARE list.
>  >
>  >Carl has made some political assertions that need to be addressed. I
>  >certainly don’t want to debate EC with him since his opinions are
>  >his own and are long-standing. There is obviously room in AWARE for
>  >people with various views.  We established the 90% rule in order to
>  >accommodate this diversity while also being able to take positions
>  >and act when the overwhelming majority are in support.  Whether or
>  >not Carl was in attendance when we made this process decision seems
>  >unimportant. I hope he can accommodate himself to the will of the
>  >organization, and I hope he will stop protesting the 90% rule.
>  >
>  >Carl asserts that there is more principled criticism of the neoco
>  >program and the Iraq war on the Right than on the Left.  He states
>  >that the Left has been reduced to 2 groups, the liberal imperialists
>  >and the defenders of identity politics, and that Noam Chomsky falls
>  >outside these two groups.
>  >
>  >First of all, it seems to me that Chomsky is highly regarded
>  >throughout the Left and he is therefore quite in the Left
>  >mainstream.  It seems bizarre to me that he could be considered in
>  >any other way.
>  >
>  >Secondly, I don’t understand how liberal imperialists could ever be
>  >considered part of the Left. By definition, liberals are not
>  >leftists.
>  >
>  >Thirdly, Carl seems to disparage “identity politics.” If by this he
>  >means groups that identity along lines of race, gender, or sexual
>  >orientation, he is right that there is a wide diversity of such
>  >groups within the Left.  There is a reason why such groups exist,
>  >namely because  people in these groups are systematically
>  >discriminated against and repressed by the mainstream society.
>  >Naturally people will organize to defend their collective rights
>  >based on the nature of the oppression. So  it my view, there is
>  >nothing wrong with “identity politics.” In fact, I wish that AWARE
>  >was more sensitive to these issues in general. I think this is one
>  >of our weaknesses.
>  >
>  >Finally, I am very surprised to see that Carl thinks the Right has
>  >criticized the war more than the Left.  Unless this refers to some
>  >kind of theoretical armchair discussions of which I am not aware, it
>  >also seems absurd on its face. Just who is it that goes out all over
>  >the country (and world) to protest the war? Just look at our own
>  >local situation for example, or look at who organizes the huge
>  >Washington protests.  Do we see rightists coming out in any large
>  >numbers to actually protest the war?  I think not.
>  >
>  >The above points relate to the assumptions behind our work. I think
>  >it is good to get them on the table.
>  >
>  >Al Kagan
>  >Africana Unit, Room 328
>  >University of Illinois Library
>  >1408 W. Gregory Drive
>  >Urbana, IL 61820
>  >USA
>  >
>  >tel. 217-333-6519
>  >fax 217-333-2214
>  >akagan at uiuc.edu
>  >_______________________________________________
>  >Peace-discuss mailing list
>  >Peace-discuss at lists.cu.groogroo.com
>  >http://lists.cu.groogroo.com/cgi-bin/listinfo/peace-discuss
>
>
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-- 


Al Kagan
African Studies Bibliographer and Professor of Library Administration
Africana Unit, Room 328
University of Illinois Library
1408 W. Gregory Drive
Urbana, IL 61801, USA

tel. 217-333-6519
fax. 217-333-2214
e-mail. akagan at uiuc.edu
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