Subject: Re: PKF: terrorist sweethearts
Date: Fri, 31 Mar 2000 07:35:41 +0200



> Good to see finally what is behind Alexander's claims that Chomsky
> supports terrorists.  (Only now they're "figmentive but potential".)
Well, yes...but you still dont read me right.

> Second, even Thompson's attack on Chomsky does not interpret him
> as defending terrorists.  Thompson is doing two things.  One is
> violently disagreeing with Chomsky's analysis : "tripe" etc.; but he
> does not argue for this.  Rather, he focusses on the second thing:
> arguing that (even if Chomsky is/were right in what he said) it is
> irresponsible to say such things in public, because evil men
> read selectively and are likely to take things out of context as
> genuinely justifying their own crimes.
Indeed.

> I suspect Chomsky _is_ right.
And here I am saying so in a discussion
> group where at least some people may well read selectively,
> influenced by political hatreds!  Which makes me not only
> irresponsible according to Thompson, but by your criteria, Alexander,
> a supporter of terrorists.  (I've been called that before - and a
"nurturer
> of potential stormtroopers", in the press - for arguing against
> student protesters against the Vietnam war being expelled from a
> University without a hearing.  My explicit positions were not taken as
> particularly relevant; I was also a notorious pacifist, but so what?

I would not say that is anything to be proud of...may I refer you to
the Canadian John Hasek´s (Czechoslovak origin, for what it is worth)
book The Disarming of Canada (maybe you know about it).
I am sure you will not like it, but he was a decent man and wrote
truthfully.

> There is a point to the Thompson type criticism.  My arguing that the
> Vietnam war was barbaric and indefensible did influence some to
> oppose it, who went on to do so violently.  So I contributed to that
> outcome.  Should I then have shut up and not opposed the vast carnage?
> I think not.  And I hope Chomsky doesn't shut up either.

I hope his comments have not already, as you claim yours have, influenced
some who have gone on to be violent in their actions.


> Best wishes
> John Fox
>
> John F Fox
> School of Philosophy
> La Trobe University
> Bundoora, Vic 3083
> Australia
>
>
> **********************************************************************
> Contributions: mailto:feyerabend-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu
> Commands: mailto:majordomo-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu
> Requests: mailto:feyerabend-approval-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu

**********************************************************************
Contributions: mailto:feyerabend-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu
Commands: mailto:majordomo-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu
Requests: mailto:feyerabend-approval-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu