[OPE-L] Raya Dunayevskaya Myths and Legends

From: Jerry Levy (Gerald_A_Levy@MSN.COM)
Date: Sat Nov 12 2005 - 21:56:45 EST


> Have you once refuted my claim that RD's interpretation of
> Capital is virtually identical to HG's, right down to the claim
> of successive approximations, to a shortage of mass of
> surplus value crisis theory, to a critique of Luxemburg's
> use of the reproduction schema and underconsumption?
> Do remember that you claimed that RD's interpretation
> of Capital was quite different from HG's. That is absolutely
> false. But no one is expecting for  you to admit that you are
> wrong. We know that you do not do that.

What delicious and exquisite irony that at the present time _you_
should be accusing _anyone else_ of not admitting mistakes!  I
love it.

Even more delightful in an Orwellian sense is your charge
that I have not "refuted" your claim.  You are quite right --
I have no even responded to it directly.  This is for two
reasons:

1) I will not dignify your charges against Dunayevskaya with
a direct response to your allegations:  I do not believe your
insulting inferences should be taken seriously. And, more
significantly:

2) _you_ made the accusation against Dunayevskaya, but all
I have heard is unsupported allegations.  If we are not to abide
by  Inquisition rules and aspire to a higher moral and ethical standard
than the Moscow Show Trials, we should expect that the person
making such serious charges provide evidence for such a
charge or retract it:  the burden of proof is _clearly_ on you!

(Note that I have asked no questions above.)

Now I have some questions for *others* on the list:

*  Is there anyone on the list _other than Rakesh_ who believes
the bizarre and off-the-wall speculation Raya Dunayevskaya and
Bernice Shoul were the same person?

*  Is there anyone on (or off) the list _other than Rakesh_ who
believes that Dunayeskaya "basically took over Grossmann's
interpretation of Capital without citing him",  "simply failed
to cite her source" and should have "dealt with the  problem
much more honestly"?

*  Is there anyone on the list  _other than Rakesh_ who
believes that I  was "absolutely false"  in my claim about the
relation of  Dunayevskaya and Grossmann and believes that
I should "admit" that I was wrong in that regard?

* [_Not counting Rakesh_], is there anyone else on the list
who does not agree with me when I suggest that what he has
claimed without providing evidence amounts to a character
assassination of (the already dead but much maligned)  Raya
Dunayevskaya?

=> If anyone on the list _other than Rakesh_  who thinks that his  i
nsulting and unsubstantiated allegations should be taken seriously,
I'd like to hear from you ... please.  <=

In solidarity, Jerry


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