From: LeoCasey-AT-aol.com
Date: Mon, 4 Mar 1996 21:12:00 -0500
Subject: Black Helicopters and Blue Berets


There is a moment in a Woody Allen movie somewhere in which the leading
actress describes the Woody Allen character to his face as "a Upper West
Side, New York, Jewish, social democrat who attended socialist summer
camp..." (or words to that effect.) The Allen character responds: "I love
being reduced to a stereotype."

That pretty much sums up Doug Henwood's approach to my posting on "conspiracy
theories." I could take it step by step, and show how it misrepresents what I
say at virtually every point, but that would be tedious for me and painful
for those on the list with the will to work through it, and it would not move
the discussion forward an inch. So let me limit myself to one illustrative
point, when Doug concludes thus:
>It amazes me how often "radical democrats" show no faith in actual people,
>but use their love of "democracy" only as a way to denounce Marxists, whom
>they reduce to Stalinists. Prove me wrong, Leo.

This is such a unrecognizable caricature of the way I have conducted myself
on this list that it is near impossible to know how to respond to it. If it
is a honestly held view, I don't know how to reconcile my and Doug's
perceptions. I suspect, however, it is just some lazy thinking which allows
Doug to avoid engaging what I actually think and say. There ain't no law that
says he should have to engage me, or the political views I represent, but it
would be good form to admit that he simply doesn't want to do so rather than
making what I say into something it isn't.

Leo



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