At 04:27 PM 1/24/98 -0500, Louis Proyect wrote:
[SNIP]
>I don't mind discussing these questions, but if people are serious about
>it, they're going to have to approach them in a rigorous and scholarly
>fashion. Otherwise, I will treat them with the contempt they deserve. I
>have been following Cuban developments closely for 30 years and I take them
>seriously. Anybody who blathers on about Castro supporting capitalism is
>not really worth my time. The speech that Castro made when the Pope arrived
>could not be made by somebody who favored capitalism.
>
>Louis Proyect
>
Louis,
With rare exception I find your contributions to this list to be quite
valuable, informative, provocative, and engaging. I have taken the liberty
of sharing many of your postings with others outside the PEN-L. However,
you occasionally demonstrate a level of arrogance and intellectual and
political snobbery that detracts from your message and thus from your
influence. This is one example. Your condescension and belittling of
others communicates to many who may not be willing to engage in
interpersonal cyberfisticuffs with you or an exchange of vituperous insults
the message that they should just butt out of the debate or refrain from
posting their views at all. Not everyone who subscribes to this list is a
"scholar" and not all have a command of the literature that you appear to.
Some will post ideas that are half-baked or not fully thought through. You
(and I) may disagree with any number of concepts or political assumptions,
not to mention factually erroneous points. But responding with patronizing
and arrogant, even abusive insults wins no arguments, educates no one, and
merely demonstrates your prowess at "scoring points." This is especially so
when you talk down to those who may be (presumably) younger, less educated
or well read, less certain, or just unwilling to engage someone who
expresses such condescension toward those with whom he disagrees.
(I hope this criticism does not make me the next object of your scorn.) You
are always at your best when you attempt to educate rather than humiliate
the rest of us.
In solidarity,
Michael E.
