Microcosmographia Academica [lbo-talk] prefiguring utopia

[Shane Taylor]

Doug Henwood:
> Aside from 8/13's 9 messages, Justin's been keeping
> within the limits lately. But calling people "stupid"
> or their discourse "boring" is pretty annoying - and
> god knows Justin isn't the only one who does that
> (see also a certain retired English prof in Illinois).
> It's not just bad manners and hostile to conversation
> - it's really offensive politically too. We're supposed
> to be leftists or socialists or whatever, and in favor
> of a less hostile, less hierarchical, and less
> exploitative society. So why not try to enact some
> of that in the present instead of waiting for that
> endlessly deferred revolution?

Yoshie Furuhashi:
> My wishful thinking is that "prefiguring utopia" at
> LBO-talk means that there will be no more long
> LBO-talk threads titled, for instance, "Dull, dull, dull"
> (Cf. <http://squawk.ca/lbo-talk/0308/index.html>).

Speaking of debate this side of The Revo, here is a little gem:

Microcosmographia Academica
Being a Guide for the Young Academic Politician
by F.M. Cornford

http://www.uq.edu.au/philosophy/microcos/

It is a catalog of obfuscation and evasion.  Peculiar, but familiar.

-- Shane

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