Internet Perfidity (Fiction and history in M&D)

[andrew at cee.hw.ac.uk]

Peter Giordano writes:
> . . . There is a body of literature (history) which holds old facts
> up to the light and draws a new and different conclusion, uncovers
> new facts, or presents all the facts possible in great detail . . .

And then there is that body of literature which invents all the facts
all over again, or reinvents some old ones which got lost along the
way and throws them into the broth to see how they ignite. Facts are
cultural. Just try saying one and see how the very way you (are forced
to) frame it reveals everything about your culture and nothing about
the world. Let's take some of the most basic ones like 2 + 2 = 4 or
water = H2O. It's text, scribbles, an arrangement of marks. It means
something only in so far as we use it to signify. Without us it's not
even a pattern (not even fit to grace wallpaper unless we provide that
measure of fitness). True we record, communicate and employ these
facts for good reasons, but acknowledge we are now in the realm of
politics. Now go back to history and apply the same lesson to
historical fact, to your historical record (e.g. who `discovered'
America?).


Andrew Dinn
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How do you know but ev'ry bird that cuts the airy way
Is an immense world of pleasure clos'd by your senses five