Though I tried in my last post to provide a measured and careful response
to Andrew Kliman, I'm afraid my polemical zeal got the best of me in the
final paragraph. I apologize to Andrew for impugning his commitment to
the socialist cause (as he understands it), by remarking that some of his
comments struck me as "an arhument for the abandonment of the struggle,
apparently in favor of endless ruminations on the 'dialectic of the Absolute
Idea." I don't know Andrew personally, am not familiar with his political
practice or convictions, and I had no right to imply that he had
abandoned the struggle. I also agree with Jerry that the form of this
particular argument is no longer productive. Having said that, I do want
to register my disappointment with the abusive and hot-headed quality of
Andrew's last post before his "apology," (OPE-L 2760). Even without Jerry's
firefighting intervention, I would not have considered this post worthy
of a response.
Murray Smith