I’ve appreciated very much the readers who’ve come here from Mutualist Blog, and I believe we’ve had some very productive discussions.  But there’s something I feel I have to say, as awkward as it is.

This blog is like a house that I’m sharing with my cobloggers.  So when some friends from my old digs come by for a visit, and start a fight with other visitors in the living room, it’s reflects badly on me and suggests a lack of consideration on my part toward my “roommates.”

The comment threads under two of my posts here have been hijacked by acrimonious (and totally off-topic) debates over racism.  The first such derailing, under “Libertarianism and Liberalism:  What Went Wrong,” started with an (in my opinion utterly erroneous) accusation of neo-nazism against commenter Keith Preston by another commenter, and led to a free-for-all that took up most of that 80-odd comment thread.   The second occurred in the comments to “Barrack Obama:  Hamiltonian?“  One commenter, by mentioning a white supremacist website, inadvertently attracted a couple of white supremacist types who made comments about “White pride” or some such thing, and sparked another serious of acrimonious exchanges.  Among other things, one of the trolls made some offensive anti-semitic remarks directed at a valued friend and reader who has supported my work for a long time.

So enough is enough, already.   The general idea behind this blog, I think, is to appeal to liberals and libertarians who are open to some cooperative action with the “other side,” by demonstrating that not all the people on the other side are batshit insane.   I don’t think it really fits in with this general purpose for the blog for it to get a reputation as the place for a friendly chat with any white nationalists who decide to pop by.

So, to the overwhelming majority of all the appreciated visitors here, here’s my request:

1)  Please don’t post links in the comments that might, inadvertently, attract people from the racist right.

2) For the love of God, please Don’t Feed the Trolls!  If somebody shows up and starts spouting off about “White power,” or “White pride,” or whatever, just don’t respond.  I promise from here on out I’ll delete the comment as soon as I notice it (I check at least once a day).

3) Please don’t make extreme personal attacks on other commenters–especially other commenters who have also been valued readers and supporters of mine over the years.  And if you’re the object of such an attack, please just let it slide–I promise, again, from now on I’ll delete it.  And I’ll do so even when the attack is initiated by another valued reader.

I apologize for not acting sooner.