Post
by perezoso » January 6th, 2005, 12:34 pm
Nurse Jimbo--
A "great social thinker" doesn't sign up with the maoists because it was the chic thing to do in 1965 (as Sontag did); a "great social thinker" knows something about economics and psychology, which Sontag apparently didn't. Although she claimed to be marxist at one point, she doesn't address Marxist theory or practice, and in her essays she often dismisses thinkers from the greeks to Freud to anyone remotely resembling a rationalist. An essay by Russell--who actually argues for his points of view, but is also capable of eloquence and wit (not found in the sludgy prose of Sontag) --is worth a crate of Sontag. And Russell protested 'Nam (along with Sartre) but based his unemotional protest on research, data, and inferences made from the evidence. Sontag was never so methodical or cool or logical.
She wrote some effective criticism, but criticism is at best anecdotal and usually subjective rhetoric--mere rhetoric. If it floats yr boat, great, but in terms of political or psychological analysis, her writing is shallow stuff. We are not compelled to approve any writer. I happen to think that those writers who do know something about empiricism, logic, econ.--not to say western scientific rationalism--are to be preferred to critics, intuitivists, metaphysicians, mystics, post-modernists, etc.
I'm sure that view upsets some hipsters around here. But e-dog's ideas (and most of the other St. 8-er's ideas) regarding leftist obligation and duty hinge on rather sentimental views of ethics and human nature. I do not approve of Republicans but I don't play the "if GOP evil; if Dem, good" game. I have met plenty of corrupt, injust leftists anyways. Kennedy and LBJ are as much to blame for 'Nam and world destruction as Nixon ( who was a nutcase as well however). Eisenhower was in ways more of a liberal than the dems. Yes, New Deal policies were admirable, and I support higher taxes, oppose BushCo, and approve of some Dem policies, but as people, Dems may be as much scumbags as right wingers .
The beats themselves saw that the communists and leftists could be just as hideous and corrupt as right wingers. There is no "great, big union" man. People are pretty much vile, conniving, sadistic gluttons whereever you go. YR in the asshole of the world, Capn'...
heh heh heh heh