Doyle Universalism, generalizations, commonalities exist in the world. It is fundamental to how we think. I like Oliver Sacks essay on the man who had Korsakov’s (sp?) syndrome where the person has no short term memory, and confabulates constantly an explanation of events around him. To me the need to provide an explanation (in a general sense) is fundamental to our lives. The capitalist methods fail to universalize their system. That we know. However, I can well understand why universities call themselves "universities" because in whatever system we would want to find a way to construct the universals. I have a great deal of problems with questioning "universals" when one means the failures of this system. Universals are not the problem, the economic patterns of capitalism are.
Doyle Max Sawicky has started replying to people who call him a beltway inhabitent with Max's own brand of name calling. Max called Doug a beatnik from New York. In some sense name calling is about taking a magic power to characterize reality from someone whom one targets I suppose. But Max can't you just relie upon the truth of the work you cite, and let go of things like Doug or anyone calling you a beltway denizen. We all have to occupy some piece of the landscape. That doesn't mean it determines things for us, it just means it influences us, and we are free to leave those influences behind, or not. Surely calling Doug a beatnik is not dignified for you. regards, Doyle Saylor