- Capitalism and Alternatives -

Tolerance is a two-way street, and you haven't been exactly very tolerant of people who disagree with you.

Posted by: NJ ( DSA, MA, USA ) on February 10, 19100 at 13:40:38:

In Reply to: The Congo, again (yes NJ, avert thine eyes). posted by Frenchy on February 09, 19100 at 23:20:19:

: This post is primarily for Barry Stoller.
: I've been pretty busy this past week and haven't had much time to throw an occasional log on the bonfire, but I'm back and refreshed.
: First, I have to say 'thank you' for your defense of me. I scrolled through the posts that I missed and did read that one. I have to admit, I felt quite humbled. You are at the antipode of my political position yet you stood up in my defense. I admit that I sometimes don't understand your rational, but I also have to say that I'd rather share a country with a person who is willing to listen and tolerate dissent than be under the thumb of party loyalists who would be willing to 'liquidate' their opposition on orders from primadonnas. Just between you and me, by 'primadonna' I mean Samual Day Fassbinder, Nickel Jack and other over-educated poseurs that this board attracts.
: Anyhow, I have a question for you.
: Nickel Jack often uses the example of King Leopold II's claiming the Congo basin for his own use at the turn of the last century as an example of Capitalism.
: 1. Considering that raw material was being taken out of a country (the Congo)for processing in another country (Belgium), wouldn't Mercantalism more accurately describe King Leopold's actions?
: 2. For Nickel Jack, if your reading this after all, have you been keeping up with the news of the shananigans of those wonderful Congolese? Think they've surpassed 10 Million yet? How will we know? Do you care?

Frenchy, you know as well as me that every post I ever made to you 9and some of them got pretty nasty, I'll admit) was in REACTION to a post of yours. I don't believe I've ever directed a post to you, unprovoked. I'm satisfied to let you have whatever views you want, but when you start badmouthing things that mean a lot to me, that I care about, then I'm not going to let it go unchallenged. What am I supposed to do when you make insulting remarks about teh Sandinistas? Not respond? In that case, what gives YOU the right to respond to MY posts, and not vice versa? Tolerance is a two-way street, and you haven't been exactly very tolerant of people who disagree with you. I can cite you chapter and verse if you want.

And I don't believe I've ever insulted you to the tune of what you called me, 'overeducated poseur'. I don't believe I've ever questioned your sincerity, only your debating tactics and political views. Juts an observation...

Secondly,imperialism is certainly capitalism. Lenin apparently called it the highest stage of capitalism or something like that. Thirdly, the DRC may be going to hell in a handbasket (thanks to the despotic 30-year rule of a man named Mobutu, one of Reagan's favorite African allies) but I don't believe they've come anywhere nnear the 10 million mark. Right now they're believed to have suffered about one percent of that number of casualties, actually.




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