Doug Henwood wrote:
> Ex-Marxist turned neo-Confederate Eugene Genovese, his wife Elizabeth
> Fox-Genovese (recently converted to Catholicism), and some of their cronies
> (including Richard Pipes and Donald Kagan) have started The Historical
> Society. Info is at <http://home.nycap.rr.com/history/>. They're defending
> the old ways of doing History against the barbarian hordes. Their publicity
> is being handled by Jeff Rosenberg, who does PR for a raft of cultural
> conservatives, including the Independent Women's Forum (anti-feminist
> women), the National Fatherhood Initiative (neo-patriarchs who use a lot of
> psyhcobabble), and a group of black conservatives whose name escapes me
> right now.
>
> But, of course, The Historical Society isn't political, or conservative, or
> anything - they're just doing History. I love this paragraph from their
> mission statement:
>
> >We are pleased to announce the formation of a new and genuinely
> >"diverse" organization. The Historical Society is open to all who want
> >to do serious history, whatever part of the political and ideological
> >spectrum they come from. It will be a place in which significant
> >historical subjects are discussed and debated sharply and frankly in an
> >atmosphere of civility, mutual respect and common courtesy. All we
> >require is that participants lay down plausible premises; reason
> >according to the canons of logic; appeal to evidence; and prepare to
> >exchange criticism with those who hold different points of view.
>
> >We have no interest in endless controversies and "cultural wars" with
> >those who are satisfied with the status quo. We intend to concentrate on
> >the constructive work of reshaping our profession by building the kind of
> >historical association whose functions historians will want to attend
> >simply because they are intellectually profitable and offer warm
> >collegiality.
>
> All those other folks are irrational, implausible, and rude!
>
> Doug
-- Michael Perelman Economics Department California State University Chico, CA 95929
Tel. 916-898-5321 E-Mail michael at ecst.csuchico.edu