Ernst Nolte

[Spencer Thiel]

At 07:23 PM 6/23/00 +0000, Paul Mackin wrote:

>In America, for example, professors are
>supposed to be able to advance any premise they want and still keep their
>jobs. Even tenured professors can   get fired for falling asleep in class
>but not for saying outlandish things.  I suspect Nolte's words were
>anathema not so much for being unreasonable as for being perceived as
>dangerous.

This is a very interesting notion and comes quite close to addressing the 
problem that I perceive.  Clearly individuals like Nolte are propagating 
material that could be used as fodder for the fascist class.  In countries 
such as France, Germany, etc... places where the notion of electing fascist 
rule isn't as outlandish as it is in the US (don't get me wrong -- fascism 
is everywhere, but there is little to no chance that a politician or 
political group based on anti-semitic values will flourish in the US) I can 
understand the Universities feeling this way.  However, I am still a bit 
unsure I like the idea of anyone in power deciding what is a dangerous idea.

- st.