Daggers Drawn

[David Morris]

Choosing sides is a primal necessity.  Art transcends.

On Sunday, June 14, 2015, Mike Weaver <mike.weaver at zen.co.uk> wrote:

>  Curious contrast between your last two posts, Dave, taking that pollutant
> 'politics' to mean choosing sides.
>
> On 14/06/2015 08:41, David Morris wrote:
>
> Perfectly paralleled in today's political commentary. "Both Sidesism" is
> the current culprit. The mad rampaging elephant in the room? Let's agree to
> not see it, OK?
>
>  Art is polluted by politics.
>
>
> Personally I'd say Lot 49 was the last of the politically non-aligned
> books. The political anger is there in GR but he was sticking within the
> limits of John Fowles formulation:
>
> *In every field of human endeavor it is obvious that most of the
> achievements, most of the great steps forward have come from individuals -
> whether they be scientific or artistic geniuses, saints, revolutionaries,
> what you will. And we do not need the evidence of intelligence testing to
> know conversely that the vast mass of mankind are not highly intelligent -
> or highly moral, or highly gifted artistically, or indeed highly qualified
> to carry out any of the nobler human activities. Of course, to jump from
> that conclusion that mankind can be split into two clearly defined groups,
> a Few that is excellent and a Many that is despicable, is idiotic. The
> graduations are infinite; and if you carry no other idea away from this
> book I hope you will understand what I mean when I say that the dividing
> line between the Few and the Many must run through each individual, not
> between individuals. In short none of us are wholly perfect; and none
> wholly imperfect. (**Fowles**, The Aristos, 1964) *
>
>
>
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