From: "Good Soldier Svejk" <goodsoldiersvejk-AT-hotmail.com>
Subject: AUT: Re: IMHO, You Both Are Wrong (Chris & N&L)
Date: Fri, 5 Oct 2001 02:03:31 +0100


There's room for debate about tone and content, but the News & Letters
response was a repugnant smear.
Chris a Nazi? A Strasserite? Oh get away.
That sort of insult is not just gratuitously abusive, but a complete
abdication of response. Whenever someone can't deal with the matter at hand,
they reach for the Third Reich.

John

----- Original Message -----
From: "Thomas Seay" <entheogens-AT-yahoo.com>
To: <aut-op-sy-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu>
Sent: Thursday, October 04, 2001 6:23 PM
Subject: AUT: IMHO, You Both Are Wrong (Chris & N&L)


> Chris,
>
> In my opinion both letters (yours and N&L) are
> nitpicking and nasty.  They have nothing to do with
> civil discussion.  It is surprizing because I know
> that you are above this type of behavior.
>
> For example:
>
> >this basis that we have to call the people who did
> this the "most
> >reactionary, backward elements imaginable"?  Is this
> act more cruel
> than
> >the one million people killed in Iraq by the US since
> 1991?
>
> Now, you read N&L as saying that this act was
> MORE reactionary than some of the US actions.  I dont
> read it that way.  I read it as saying that it was an
> incredibly reactionary act...which it was.  Rather
> than zeroing in on the word "MOST" and ASSUMING that
> by that they meant that these actions were MORE
> reactionary than some of the US actions, why could you
> not have just asked?
>
> <<So why the references to 'mindless', 'the most
> reactionary, backwards
> >elements', the denial of rationality, and so on?
> This kind of
> approach
> >does nothing more or less than support the racist
> construction of all
> >Muslims as irrational, mindless fanatics.>>
>
> To call the terrorists mindless is not tantamount
> to calling all Muslims terrorist.  It's seems that is
> a connection that you make.
>
> Chris, I am very impressed by your analysis in most
> cases on this mailing list.  However, I really think
> that your criticism in this case was exaggerated and
> tended to project on to the N&L commentary meanings
> that were not there.
>
> Now maybe as a result of your personal connections
> that you have with them, you know more than I do about
> their position..My comment is based strictly on these
> letters.
>
> Quite frankly, this exemplifies one of the problems
> that I see on the Left.  Very often when there is a
> difference, we make the very worst assumptions about
> those with whom we share the difference.  Instead of
> trying to understand their position and question them
> about it, we tear them apart.  I am not suggesting
> that differences be ignored, but I am suggesting civil
> dialogue instead of "kicking ass".
>
> Thomas
>
>
>
>
>
>
> __________________________________________________
> Do You Yahoo!?
> NEW from Yahoo! GeoCities - quick and easy web site hosting, just
$8.95/month.
> http://geocities.yahoo.com/ps/info1
>
>
>      --- from list aut-op-sy-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu ---
>


     --- from list aut-op-sy-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu ---