[WikiEN-l] Consumerium

Sat May 8 00:22:36 UTC 2004

Fred Bauder wrote:

>It seems that way. But as I review some of the articles regarding which I
>have made serious efforts I notice that although leftists win a few fights
>they don't really carry the day. And probably never can unless they can find
>some way to prevent editing by the public. One thing to keep in mind is that
>those of us who are sceptical about the practical realities of communism as
>we have lived with it during the last 80 years may be equally sceptical
>about George Bush (and his ilk).
>
There is more to the left than just "communism".  That's one of those 
words that is sometimes used as a conversation stopper; that word has 
come to carry with it the connotative baggage of something that is evil 
beyond redemption.  Many people who see value in the philosophy of 
communism are just as disgusted with the excesses of someone like 
Stalin.  They deeply resent those rightists who manoeuvre them into an 
apparent defence of Stalin then use that as a straw man to discredit all 
the positive elements of their beliefs.

What's wrong with your view is that you are starting from the position 
that there is a fight in which one of the combatants must carry the day. 
 What you say could be said equally well and equally accurately with 
terms for left and right interchanged.  And that would be equally wrong.

Ec