To the editor:
During my 60 years on this planet, I’ve learned to agree to disagree with a lot of people. I make it a point to respect others even if they do have conflicting world views and different opinions from mine.
Still, there are times when one simply must draw the line and call people on absolute falsehoods.
You can hold your opinion as sacred but if you assert two plus two is five, that is nonsense. You can insist the USS Iowa is a bass trawler, but you will only appear foolish. To be able to speak or blog on any given topic, one simply must have a working knowledge on the subject and not claim things to be true simply because one thinks one’s belief system is under attack.
Such was the case with Chris Tjapke’s saying that Richard Reich is “a rabid Marxist/Leninist” in his comment to the Laura Stebbins’ piece published here Oct. 18.
To begin with, I will state my qualifications. I was a yellow dog labor Democrat from 1977 until 2004. Since then, I have considered myself a Social Democrat who has a working relationship with not only Left-leaning Democrats but also Greens, Socialists and Eco-Socialists.
I am not a Marxist/Leninist, but I have made the acquaintance of a few on line. Even before the advent of Facebook, I had Internet friends who were Socialists living in England, Australia, Canada and New Zealand and this since 1999.
I took a semester of political science back at the old Ottumwa Heights College in 1977. I know the difference between Stalinism and Trotskyism. I never liked Chairman Mao, but I do know what he and his followers were about. I know what a Fabian is and have a rudimentary understanding of the welfare state systems in place in Scandinavia.
The bottom line is, if the workers do not ultimately control production, it is not Socialism. Period.
When I first read the good pastor’s comments, I was angry. Now that I am merely annoyed and not outright spiteful, I respectfully ask him to rephrase his original comment about Reich as I find it utterly false and offensive.
I am familiar with Reich and several other Lefty bloggers and can tell you all in no uncertain terms: he is no Marxist. Insisting that he is a Marxist is as absurd to me as Mr. Tjapkes would think I would be to say Mass is held at the Baptist Church every Sunday and that all his deacons will be donning bunny suits and leaving chocolate Buddahs on everyone’s doorstep come Thanksgiving.
Nick Eakins, Perry
