[OPE-L:5076] CONFERENCE REBUFFS LEVY'S DENUNCIATION DEMAND

From: Drewk (Andrew_Kliman@msn.com)
Date: Mon Feb 26 2001 - 09:30:34 EST


A significant victory for pluralism and freedom of expression was
won on Sunday, February 25, 2001, when participants in the
International Working Group on Value Theory (IWGVT) miniconference
declined to consider Gerald A. Levy's demand that it "denounce
Andrew Kliman."  In a surprise announcement made only moments
before, Levy withdrew his call that Kliman be denounced.

In an e-mail message posted to the OPE-L discussion list two days
earlier, Levy had called on the miniconference participants to
denounce Kliman.  The alleged motivation behind this demand was an
alleged threat that was allegedly made as an attempt to silence
Levy's criticisms of Kliman's "perspectives on political economy."

After the meeting, however, Kliman commented that Levy's demands
were part of an "ongoing campaign of personal vilification,
undertaken in order to discredit the IWGVT's struggle for
pluralism in value theory," especially the right of Marx's value
theory to contend as an alternative to the theories of other
Marxists.  "But Levy's far from alone in plying these ad hominem
attacks," Kliman said, declining to comment further.

Levy's e-mail message also contained a demand seemingly intended
to create dissension within the IWGVT.  It called on Alan Freeman,
one co-organizer of the IWGVT, to denounce the alleged threat made
by Kliman, the other co-organizer of the IWGVT.

Interestingly, it was Kliman himself who transmitted Levy's
demands to the IWGVT miniconference, which took place at the
Crowne Plaza Hotel in New York City.  Kliman read out portions of
Levy's e-mail message and placed the matter on the agenda for the
body to consider.  He then announced that he would recuse himself
from any decision.

At that point, Freeman, who was chairing the session, invited Levy
to express himself.  Levy repeated his allegations and asked for
an apology.  Then came the surprise announcement in which Levy
withdrew his demand that the miniconference denounce Kliman,
saying that he would not insist on it.

Freeman asked whether the body wished to consider the matter
further.  No one spoke up, and the meeting continued with other
business.

In addition to Levy, the owner of the OPE-L list, and Freeman and
Kliman, other members of the list who attended the meeting
included Duncan Foley, David Laibman, Ted McGlone, and Julian
Wells.



This archive was generated by hypermail 2b30 : Thu Mar 01 2001 - 14:01:40 EST