I and my comrades in Russia want to read Vladimir Bilenkin`s point of view
on problems disturbing us in living discussion with all other participants
of your list.
I hope, you will heed our request and correct the situation.
Comradely,
Svetlana Baiborodova
I think Vladimir was thrown off not for what he wrote about Russia, but
what he wrote about the USA:
"The big problem in Florida was that democratic operatives gave voters the
wrong information. They bused illiterate blacks to the polls and told them
to punch a hole on every page - forgetting there were 2 pages of
presidential candidates. . . .The reasons the dems didn't want to join in
on the black complaints was simple. Black voting in Florida was up 65%. A
full 16% of all votes cast in Florida were cast by black voters. Yet, only
13% of Florida's population is black. It's almost impossible to make a
claim that they were disenfranchised, when they were actually
overrepresented at the polls."
This business about busing "illiterate blacks to the polls" is racist.
Frankly, I was shocked to read this. I haven't seen anything Vladimir has
written in probably 5 years when he was one of the most disruptive
Trotskyists in cyberspace. I am afraid he has shifted far to the right.
Louis Proyect
Marxism mailing list: http://www.marxmail.org
Louis, Vladimir is an internationalist. I know this exactly. You haven't
seen anything written by Vladimir in nearly 5 last years but I have read his
recent articles on different subjects including problems of nationalism and
I know his practical activity in development of the working class
organizations in Russia. Vladimir is a genuine communist, fighting against
any chauvinizm, depend upon me.
I have to express my view-point to an aspect important for the list, to my
mind.
Firstly, when I have met with this case on this list, I have supposed that
it is a contingency, misunderstanding. But the further, the more I wonder
and become perplexed. You wrote that Vladimir was thrown off for he wrote
the following:
"The big problem in Florida was that democratic operatives gave voters the
wrong information. They bused illiterate blacks to the polls and told them
to punch a hole on every page - forgetting there were 2 pages of
presidential candidates. . . ." etc.
But you have not seen, that the indicated phrase belongs not to Vladimir but
to his friend, whose letter was published on the Leninist-International
list. Look once again at Vladimir Bilenkin`s letter "Re: [L-I] Well, what
the heck?", January 14, from which you have taken this fragment.
He wrote:
"I forwarded this article to a friend of mine who took the mess in Florida
rather close to heart and researched it. ... Anyway, THIS IS WHAT MY
FRIEND, who has a more than healthy doze of scepticism about both right and
left, WROTE TO ME."
Or I should not trust my own eyes?
How could this fact not be noticed by you?
I am in bewilderment and do not understand what is this. May be this is any
eyelight disease? In that case see a doctor, please.
Moreover, I think the fact that anybody publishes some article on the list
for discussion does not signify that the sender agrees with position of the
article.
As I see, Vladimir forwarded his pal`s letter with debatable vew-point
because Vladimir consider that the class method of approach should include
the analysis of national aspects in research of all social problems. And I
agree entirely with him. Otherwise we shall have only poor, abstract
substitute of the class method of approach.
May be I am mistaken because of my imperfect English but, in my opinion, the
fraze from that letter "They bused illiterate blacks to the polls ", means
not that the author considers that all Negro race is illiterate, but the
indication to the fact that the operatives from the democratic party used
dishonestly the illiterate, retarded representatives of this race at the
elections.
Whether the racial oppression in USA is already overcome completely and
there is no more retarded blacks?
I can not know whether the fact indicated in the letter took place or not in
reality, but if it really has taken place it is incorrect to ignore it
because the fact of manipulation by the backward part of the black
population by various political forces is manifestation of racism too, in my
opinion.
And the ignoring of this fact, refusal of discussion of it because of fear
that it will be recognized as racism, - is not it capitulation to racism?
And even if Vladimir`s friend is mistaken and Tony Abdo is right writing:
"I think that you have made some pretty wild comments here..." (attributing
it by mistake to Vladimir Bilenkin), - why you, comrade Luois, and your
colleagues - moderators deprive me and my comrades of a possibility to learn
what happens in USA in reality?
Tony has presented arguments against an expressed hypothesis, he has
explained why "the idea that the Black population gets a fair shake PLUS in
Florida is incredible" and
