Silverback wrote:
Disallowing a particular word order or a dependent
clause just because
someone hasn't used it in a citation before is abusing the rule and
results in a lot of the awkward language so many complain about in our
articles.
This is not the first time that SIlverback has misrepresented a conflict in
order to trivialize the importance of content and contents policies. The
specific issue with RJII is this: he has added -- several times over the
past several weeks, this definition of capitalism -- "private ownership of
capital" and he has claimed, on the talk page and in the edit summary, that
this definition comes from Marx. I am certain that this definition does
not come from Marx, and is not Marxist, as RJII claims. So how do we
resolve this dispute? I asked RJII to tell me where Marx said this or
anything like this, to provide a citation. I have asked him
repeatedly. He refuses to provide a citation.
This has nothing to do with word order or grammar, and for Silverback to
insinuate that it does serves no constructive purpose.
Elian was right to say, "Enforce it" (our policy). The problem is -- how
do we enforce it? Through what mechanism? Since RJII persists in adding
this definition and refuses to provide a source, I personally want to block
him from the article. But if I do so, I will be accused of abusing my
admin powers by using them against someone "I am in a dispute with." Okay,
I will leave it for others to do something. But I have to reiterate -- the
problem is not that I am in a dispute with him, the problem is he won't
follow policy.
And it doesn't help that whenever Silverback has an opportunity, he
belittles our policies. Silverback, your own "definition" of capitalism
only further muddies the waters. As you should know by now, your own
definition of capitalism (like mine, or RJII's) is irrelevant here. We are
researching an encyclopedia, and we are committed to NPOV and NOR. That
means providing different people's definitions of capitalism in a
verifiable way.
Please stop trivializing our project to write a good encyclopedia.
Steve
Steven L. Rubenstein
Associate Professor
Department of Sociology and Anthropology
Bentley Annex
Ohio University
Athens, Ohio 45701