From: Paula_cerni@msn.com
To: gerald_a_levy@msn.com
Subject: Re: did you receive the message I sent you re "OPE-L"?
Date: Thu, 18 Sep 2008 18:44:06 -0700
Dear Jerry,
Thank you for the useful information about the list's rules and methods. I am very grateful for your invitation to join, and I accept.
Greetings everyone.
May I introduce myself. I live in Seattle, but my roots are in Europe. Academically, my first love was for the humanities: poetry and fiction, as well as languages (fluent English and Spanish, acceptable French and Catalan). Next I did an MPhil in social sciences at the University of Sussex, studying the impact of Hispanic immigration on changing American notions of ethnic and national identity.
I was introduced to politics by my parents, who were CP supporters at a time when European CPs still enjoyed some popularity. I became very critical after reading Orwell's Homage to Catalonia and Trotsky on the Spanish Civil War. For a variety of reasons, however, my experience of the more left-wing alternatives has been disappointing. At present I am not affiliated with any political organizations or academic institutions.
Since finishing my postgraduate studies, I have written a number of book reviews, journalistic articles, and lengthier essays, to educate myself and also hopefully to assist in the clarification and development of Marxist ideas. I feel that, although Marxism is going through an extremely tough period, the potential for regeneration is great, and I would like to help realize it, in collaboration with others.
My interests range very widely, from the fine arts to the natural sciences and from tactics to philosophy. Political economy, however, is at the heart of my understanding of contemporary life. A favorite approach of mine is to explore the connection between structural economic change on the one hand, and broad cultural and intellectual trends on the other. For an example, please see 'The Age of Consumer Capitalism', just published at http://clogic.eserver.org/2007/Cerni.pdf, where I argue that today's society 'fetishises the commodity's use-value more than its value'. (Feedback would be much appreciated).
You can find most of my publications listed at http://360.yahoo.com/p.cerni. My plans for the next few years include writing about the service economy, and about the information society.
Thanks so much for inviting me in. I am honored to be in your company, and look forward to working with you all.
Sincerely,
Paula
Sent: Wednesday, September 17, 2008 3:17 PM
Subject: RE: did you receive the message I sent you re "OPE-L"?
Jerry, there is a short description of the list at the top of your archive homepage, but where do I find out more about its aims, scope and rules?
Hi Paula:
I told you about the rules: no flames. (there are some others: e.g. recommendations
for new members are to take place off-list).
If you think you have been flamed, address the matter off-list with me
rather than on-list.
If you think someone has committed a major ethical offense (e.g. plagiarism)
raise the matter off-list with the administrators, not on-list.
Over the years, we have developed a series of policies which are
archived (including an admissions procedure). If you have more specific questions,
I would be happy to answer them and provide you with a reference.
In more general terms, although we recognize that we are divided by theoretical
and political perspectives, we ask that members communicate on-list
in a comradely way.
The list is characterized by diversity (in terms of theoretical
perspective, area of expertise, international representation, etc.).
This diversity is welcomed and embraced by us. It's what allows
us to have meaningful discussions. If we all agreed on everything, what would
we talk about? The weather?
As for aims, we originally had an aim when we started out but our aim has
gravitated simply to the discussion of controversial issues in political economy.
We can however, if listmembers agree, take a position on specific questions:
we did that once this past summer. But, we are NOT a political party.
We are a collaborative group. That means that the list belongs to its members, not
to its coordinator (me). As you can see from the archives, we will be moving more
towards a directly democratic administrative procedure.
Our discussions have tended to be more on matters related to Marxian theory than
anything else, but listmembers can raise any questions for discussion that they
see pertinent (so long as it doesn't violate the injunction against flames). This is basically
left up to the good judgment of listmembers. For the most part, this has worked.
I have to go teach now so I'll break it off now. If you have any further - specific - questions,
please ask.
Comradely, Jerry