Subject: Re: A few questions
Date: Wed, 1 Aug 2001 08:31:01 -0500


What about intimidation?
M

----- Original Message -----
From: Sissy <sissy-AT-ix.netcom.com>
To: <lyotard-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu>
Sent: Tuesday, July 31, 2001 11:53 PM
Subject: Re: A few questions


> and how do you think of intimidation?
>
>
> Matthew Asher Levy wrote:
>
> > Yeah.  I think so.  I think of hate is a feeling caused by experiences,
not
> > a theory caused by reasons.  Don't get me wrong.  People have theories
> > backing up their racism that end up being used as rationalizations for
hate.
> > But there are plenty of racist people who feel no hatred whatsoever.
They
> > have bought the ideas of racism and enjoy the thought that they are
above
> > other people, but they don't particularly hate those people.  They might
> > pity them.  Often they are kind to them in a patronizing way.
> >
> > Take the relationship between prosperous Jews and not so prosperous
> > African-Americans in the south.  Most southern Jews in the civil rights
> > years were still so busy trying to assimilate, busy trying to "be
white,"
> > that they bought into the racism in U.S. culture.  At the same time,
they
> > had no hard feelings or hatred towards blacks.  So patronizing
relationships
> > formed.  Jewish families "took care of" their black servants' familes
during
> > race riots, mob lynching periods, or times of police brutality.  Yet,
many
> > Jews still thought they were superior to their black servants:  southern
> > chivalry, noblesse oblige, etc.  They bought into a racist theory, but
felt
> > no hate.  You could argue that a more insidious psychological violence
was
> > still being waged by Jews against African Americans, but it had nothing
to
> > do with bad intentions or hate.
> >
> > Hatred is an energy that can be channeled by rationality, but I think
hate
> > comes from something that happens to the person who hates, not from a
set of
> > ideas.  This is why no amount of reasoning can get through to someone
who is
> > angry or hateful.  I think they need to be soothed or fought, not
reasoned
> > with.
> >
> > Consider the occassional scapegoating of Jews in 19th Century Europe.
> > Theories of Jewish meglomania, inferiority or filth stuck around for
years
> > and years with nothing happening.  Then there is a crises--unrelated to
the
> > Jews--from which anger and hate is generated and a pogram is directed at
the
> > Jews.  Hate gets taken out on the Jews because of antisemetic theories,
but
> > it "comes from" something else, for instance, economic upheaval.
> >
> > Reasoning with an angry person is like trying to pursuade a hungry hog
not
> > to eat.  Isn't there a cliche that goes something like that?  It's
pointless
> > for the person and frustrating to the pig?
> >
> > Matthew
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: Sissy <sissy-AT-ix.netcom.com>
> > To: <lyotard-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu>
> > Sent: Tuesday, July 31, 2001 9:09 AM
> > Subject: Re: A few questions
> >
> > >
> > >
> > > Matthew Asher Levy wrote:
> > >
> > > > when you say "the limits of paralogy" it reveals that you are
thinking
> > of
> > > > paralogy as a program.. in psychology it might make sense to talk
about
> > the
> > > > limits of paralogy because it refers to a certain set of approaches.
i
> > > > don't think of it as certain set of approaches.  it is just the will
to
> > take
> > > > different sorts of approaches.
> > > >
> > > > > > what are the bases on which we can rule some kinds of reasoning
or
> > > > > > outcomes of reasoning out? on the basis of their flagrant abuse
of
> > > > others,
> > > > > > of the hate they reproduce, of the terrorization of others they
> > imply,
> > > > of
> > > > > > the intimidation their reproduction supports? these or other
bases
> > for
> > > > > > ruling some kinds of reasoning out.. or understanding that
perhaps
> > these
> > > > > > are circumstances in which paralogy is not beneficial?
> > > >
> > > > Abuse, hate, terror and intimidation are not reasoning.  If you see
> > them,
> > > > stop them, if you can.  But don't use these horrors as an excuse to
tell
> > > > other people how to think.
> > >
> > > Guess this can be a problem then at least if some folks think the way
to
> > > stop them is to inquire respectfully have people elaborate and further
> > > explain, how you come to hate, while agonistical challenging the idea
of
> > hate
> > > with other reasoning as the only way to stop hate.
> > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > Matthew
> > >
> > > --
> > > -----------------------------------------------------
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> > > http://www.gohip.com/free_video/
> > >
> > >
>
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