Sociology and Explanations (Re: Hitchens responds to critics

[Carrol Cox]

Doug Henwood wrote:
> 
> kelley wrote:
> 
> >does anyone psychoanalyze the masterminds of our war machine?
> 
> I don't know, but someone should. Why not?
> 

Why? I honestly don't understand why anyone (orther than his/her spouse,
therapist, etc) would have more than merely aesthetic interest in the
psychology of either terrorists or masterminds. Surely every
personality, even of identical twins at birth, is unique, but yet there
are innumerable people who could/would fulfill any social function
(terrorist or, at a lower level of humanity, secretaries of state or
chiefs of joint chiefs of staff) that one might mention. Were
psychological theory X true and complete, and had we perfect
psychological profiles of the whole of Nixon's administration, it might
have a sort of sunday supplement interest (sometimes I do read sunday
supplements), but it would surely not increase in any way our
understanding of the Vietnam War.

Carrol