--- Nathan Newman <nathan at newman.org> wrote: > ----- Original Message -----
> Ignoring the sexual politics, my argument was
> that there is a tendency for the media and elite to discredit people only on
> personal failings, while urging respectability and political confirmation
> for those able to avoid scandal, no matter how extreme their political views
> since the latter makes such less interesting copy.
>
the point being tragically missed here is that a liking for unprotected anal sex is not a "personal failing" tout court, in and of itself. It's only a personal failing in the context of a system of political values which makes it a personal failing. One doesn't have to be committed to the pejorative sense of "the personal is political" to acknowledge that the "scandal" only exists in the context of the political views. And the phobia of interesting copy is perhaps part of the reason why I only subscribe to two left-wing publications.
dd
===== ... in countries which do not enjoy Mediterranean sunshine idleness is more difficult, and a great public propaganda will be required to inaugurate it. -- Bertrand Russell
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