----- Original Message ----- From: "Brian O. Sheppard x349393" <bsheppard at bari.iww.org> To: <lbo-talk at lists.panix.com> Sent: Friday, August 23, 2002 12:54 PM Subject: Re: war and the state (was milton, etc.)
> On Fri, 23 Aug 2002, Ian Murray wrote:
>
> > So authoritarianism is a malleable and continuously contestable concept. As is the notion of
> > self-defense. Polysemy's revenge.
> >
> > Ian
>
> It's precisely the opportunistic, ideological manipulation of
> language that I
> was addressing. Slavery doesn't equal freedom. Democracy doesn't equal
> capitalism. etc. Self-defense does not equal "authoritarianism."
>
> Brian
>
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So if Saddam Hussein launches WMD's at Israel along the lines of Israel attacking Iran's attempt to achieve nuclearization capabilities and attempts to justify his actions using the very rhetoric of self-defense that Dubya is using in his pathetic attempt at machismo diplomacy, is it self-defense or "authoritarianism" or both or neither? Self-defense is polysemy with a vengeance and is a realm of immense treachery.
Ian