Re: Staggering Death rate for black pregnant women

[Wojtek Sokolowski <sokol@xxxxxxx>]

At 11:43 AM 8/31/99 -0400, Charles B. wrote:
>
>
>>>> Wojtek Sokolowski <sokol@xxxxxxx> 08/31/99 09:56AM >>>
>At 06:36 PM 8/30/99 -0400, Andy wrote:
>
>>Your notions of "grievance industries" and what-not are high rhetoric on
>>right-wing radio programs like Rush Limbaugh or the Doctor Laura show, but
>>they don't cut muster on a listserv where the participants know better --
>>and know you should know better.
>
>
>Well, even the bible says soemthing about seeing a saw dust in the eyes of
>your brethern but not seeing a plank in one's own - if that means anything
>to you.  It's easy to criticize others, much harder to be self-reflexive.
>
>((((((((((((
>
>Charles: Since you are championing self-criticism, what is your
self-criticism ?



Charles, that was a very priestly maneuver, indeed.  First, I discuss the
institutional ramification of knowledge production that affect us all as a
class (I presume most of us on this list are members of the scribbling
class) and as for a critical, self-reflexive evaluation of how these
ramifications affect what we produce (i.e. to be a bit more critical of the
opinions in our own camp, not just those in the opponents').  Then, with
the agility of a priest, you turn that around and individualize it by
implying that my critique is personal, directed as a specific individual
rather than the institution, and then reply "are you without a sin?"  This
way the thrust of my criticism has been deflected from its original target
-- the institution of knowledge production - and neutered.

Very clever - but i've been too long in the intellectual commodity
production business to fall for that trick.

wojtek