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Dear Clay Clairborne, I don't know you, so forgive this intrusion. I saw on the Marxmail list that you had posted an essay called "More Opportunist Lies on Syria from Counterpunch." In that article you write, "Counterpunch has time and again shown that it has no integrity when it comes to reporting on people's revolts against its 'anti-imperialist' heroes like the fascist dictatorships like Mummar Qaddafi and Bashar Assad." I have written for Counterpunch from the 1990s. Since the move to the web, I have regularly written for the website. During the Arab Spring, I have been on of the stable of people who have written for Counterpunch, mainly regarding the struggles in Libya. By making the kind of sweeping generalization that you make, you erase the writing that people like myself do on the Counterpunch website. It would be inconceivable to portray the work I have done as treating either Qaddafi or Assad as anti-imperialist heroes. In fact, my work runs on a much different track than what you denounce. Are you suggesting that the writing that I, and others, do on Counterpunch does not define its work "time and again"? Jeffrey is better equipped to say this, but I will give you my impression: Counterpunch is an anti-systemic website with a wide range of writers, many of whom would not agree with each other (one of the regulars is Lou himself). There is no strict editorial line, as far as I can tell, and that is for the better. The editors obviously have a view, which is a good thing, but they do not publish only what is strictly in accordance either with their views or with that of their other writers. I was one of the first to sign the petition that Bricmont attacks. I think his comment on the statement was very poorly done. But that's his mess. You are of course entitled to draw broad strokes denunciations of whom you wish. To be more credible, however, you (and Bricmont) would be better suited to a bit more nuance and accuracy. Best Wishes, Vijay. ________________________________________________ Send list submissions to: Marxism@greenhouse.economics.utah.edu Set your options at: http://greenhouse.economics.utah.edu/mailman/options/marxism/archive%40mail-archive.com
