Socialist Responds to Mocking Letter

To the Editors:

As a dues-paying member of the International Socialist Organization (ISO), I was appalled and outraged that your newspaper printed sophomore Mike Connor’s editorial on Dec 7. Not only was he extremely disrespectful, but his letter also reflects a dangerous, seditious perspective that we of the ISO cannot allow. His letter is a perfect example of why the freedoms of speech and press are outdated concepts that have no place in a revolutionary society such as that to which we aspire. Connor obviously has no idea of the implications of his words. To criticize us for trying to raise money for our organization is one thing, but to make fun of us is UNFORGIVABLE. To mock a revolutionary movement is to thwart it. Let me explain why.

According to Marx, those who control the capital in a capitalist society also control the press. As such, they also control the public discourse of said society. He who controls debate, controls minds: therefore your precious “freedom of speech” is an illusion. The bourgeois classes, then, are convinced through the rhetoric of the capitalist state that they have the freedom to say what they want. Thus is born Connor’s outrageous attack on the Socialist revolution. Since the masses are convinced of their freedom and prosperity, only by strictly controlling press, speech, gathering, religion and movement will we in the ISO be able win their hearts and minds. In short, we must do away with every freedom listed in the First Amendment, as well as repealing the Second. Once we can turn a reasonable number of minds in our favor, we will begin to purge the rest. I can only regret that Stalin didn’t live long enough to accomplish his own goals. Pro-capitalist speech, pro-imperialist speech, pro-white speech, pro-male speech, pro-American speech: all of these must be squashed like the World Trade Center. There is no freedom of speech, and there shouldn’t be.

When we come to power, which is inevitable, we will not allow this kind of debauchery. There will be no humor at our expense. There will be no humor. There will be no fun. We cannot allow ourselves to be bested by undergraduate humor any more than we can allow any risk of serious sedition. When the ISO comes to power, I suspect Mr. Connor and the editors of this publication will find themselves in a little bit of trouble - and digging a few ditches in Siberia.

Oh, and AIDS isn’t caused by HIV. It’s caused by the white, capitalist patriarchy.

–S. Andrew Smith
Conservatory senior