Antisemitism?

Paul Mackin paul.mackin at verizon.net
Mon Nov 5 06:26:17 CST 2001


----- Original Message -----
From: <KXX4493553 at aol.com>
To: "Pynchon-L" <pynchon-l at waste.org>
Cc: <an.meyer at freenet.de>
Sent: Monday, November 05, 2001 5:59 AM
Subject: Antisemitism?


> Has the following statement you can read below the smell of antisemitism
or
> not? I could agree with many of what this Mr. Calhoun says but
"plutocracy"
> is an antisemite metaphor, isn't it?
>

Definitely not.

If he'd said "ruled by meritocracy" one might be suspicious because Jews and
Asians are often perceived to be (on average) high achievers. However "ruled
by meritocracy" would more likely merely  be stating a (nonracist-motivated)
truth about America. It may not be the whole truth. The influence of Wealth
is obviously and natuarally very considerable. Social barriers to success
are low however. And of course merit is positively related to wealth.

            P.

> Datum:  05.11.01 07:53:58 (MEZ) Mitteleuropäische Zeit
> From:   hoon at APK.NET (Stephen Calhoun)
> Sender: NETDYNAM at MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU (NetDynam / Network Group Dynamics
> Mailing List)
> Reply-to:   NETDYNAM at MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU (NetDynam / Network Group
Dynamics
> Mailing List)
> To: NETDYNAM at MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU
>
> all,
>
> The United States is a plutocracy with a rancid patina of Democracy
> effected to fake most people who actually vote, out.
>
> The Supreme Court's decision in the election dispute was a total political
> end-around the constitution; the congress's "Economic Stimulus Act" even
> the secretary of treasury called it by its true intention; and voter
reform
> in the form of four different bills, and campaign finance reform, will not
> soon meaningfully be enacted here. Republicans have been staunchly against
> universal motor registration and *every* Federal legislative attempt to
> significantly increase voter participation over thirty years.
>
> Dick Armey at the beginning of last week all but came out and directly
said
> federalization of aviation transport security would create a new group of
> democratic unionized voters, thus he was ag'in it.
>
> Then there is the long and appalling history of what our government's
> attitude toward democracy in other countries is, when that 'other'
> democracy elects someone we do not like at all. (At times what we have
done
> is have those democratic winners murdered.)
>
> I could go on and on. Voting rates track class, education, and race in
> significant ways.
>
> My own opinion is that our democratic system is completely corrupted by
> money, mendacity, and marketing.
>
> Plutocracy; governance by the wealthy to the benefit of the wealthy.
That's
> the 'way of life' Dubya is referring to when he speaks of the reasons. . .
>
> ***
>
> regards,
>
> Stephen
>
>
>
> Kurt-Werner Pörtner
>




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