An Open Letter to a Marxist Professor Richard Wolff and Professor Jordan Peterson
Greetings Professors Peterson and Wolf:
Re: An Invitation to a Debate on Marx and Social Justice
I understand that Prof. Wolf has challenged Prof. Peterson to a debate. I challenge both of you to add me to this debate. I was scheduled to appear together with Mr. Bannon at the conference organized by Dr. Cheok.
I was born and grew up in the Eastern Block under the Communist regime. I now live in the USA. I hold a master’s degree in anthropology. I will be getting a law degree in January.
I will bring a different perspective seldom discussed in the West - an empirical experience of living under communist/socialist regime, and surviving martial law and starvation rather than a theoretical discourse on political, social and economic changes that occurred in Eastern European countries.
My topic will be “Prohibition of all individualistic expression and the development of the totalitarian mind: Marx, Lenin and the death of democracy.”
Rather than deploying post-structural methods and insights that aim to develop an over-arching theory that transcends the positive/normative divide, I will take you straight into the heart of the matter. I will compare Eastern and Western strategies used to control people’s mind and free speech. I will discuss communism versus populism and the concept of freedom of speech where constraint under the old system is replaced by another form of constraint of the new system.
We should also discuss why we, the survivors of Marxism, are almost never invited to any of these debates and conferences. Let’s break the barrier and start a new era of real inclusion.
I also would like to be a host and a moderator of this debate if you agree.
I live in Detroit.
Here’s the link to the conference organized by Dr. Cheok: http://parrhesia.online.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Yours,
Jane Smith
M.A., J.D.,
Union Steward
Update: This letter was sent to their literary agents on December 13, 2018. No answer.
