File spoon-archives/lyotard.archive/lyotard_2001/lyotard.0102, message 16


Date: Wed, 14 Feb 2001 05:32:21 -0500
From: hugh bone <hbone-AT-optonline.net>
Subject: Public Intellectuals


Don and Eric, et.al.

 1) Who are the public intellectuals?  Maybe they're like the
Abominable Snowman, roaming the forest in theory, but never seen in the
flesh.

 2) Are they free to speak as they wish?

 3) What do they believe in?  What is their stance?  Where are they coming
from?

 4) What is their function, vocation, mission, message?

 5) What is their scope of operations?   National, Global,     Political,
Economic, Religious, Philosophic, Scientific, Artistic.

 6) Can they affect public policy?  Do they want action?  Coalitions of
Third-Parties, Million Mom marches?

Where were they, or their spiritual ancestors, in the fight for Labor Rights
in the Thirties, Civil Rights in the Sixties, Women's Rights and battles
against the Vietnam War in the Seventies? Are they ready for another Gulf
War or Kosovo?

 In Stuart Ewen's book, "PR", he describes how Pres. Wilson and later,  FDR,
hired and used as public intellectuals, experts  who had previously  served
business and  educational institutions as advertising specialists and
college professors.

According to Ewen, the WWI propagandists organized the support of  business
and civic groups down to the community level.

"Four-Minute men" would appear in movie theaters.

Just before the movie started, they would make a short speech to stir up
sentiment against the "Hun", persuade the audience to buy War Bonds etc.

Hugh





   

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