Re: population: real problem, or capitalist plot?

On Wed, 31 May 2000, colin s. cavell wrote:

> 
> Richard,
> 
> Your ad hominem attack against Andrew Austin not only suggests the
> bankruptcy of your own position but as well implicates you in red-baiting,
> for those still susceptible to such cowardly tactics.  

Colin-

Noone is engaged in redbaiting.  We're all some sort of marxists around 
here, or hadn't you noticed?  If Andy would stop labeling everyone he
disagrees with a capitalist reactionary he would find a much reduced level
of hostility in return.

What matters is not
> that Andy may reframe "everything in terms of orthodox marxist-leninist
> ideology" (though you know that Andy has NOT argued for the validity of
> an "orthodox marxist-leninist" position on the question of population) [by
> the way, what do YOU mean by "orthodox marxist-leninist ideology"?], but
> rather whether what he argues has any validity in that it corresponds to
> and/or reflects the actual interplay of social policies and their
> outcomes.  If what Andy states has validity--and to date there has
> been on this list no compelling countervailing argumentation to the
> contrary--then perhaps it is you who needs to "stop and reflect" and
> adjust your frame of reference.


If *you* think there has been no compelling countervailing argumentation,
that just indicates to me that perhaps you share Andy's dogmatism,
whatever he and you would like to call it.

RH