Luke:
Oh, boy. This one does truly suck! For those of you who missed the 1960s, Neumann's is vintage stuff. Pure Cocteau, Foucault, and --most of all- essense of Frantz Fanon. Its all "rape is progressive because it is an act of existential self-affirmation by the oppressed against what the oppressor holds dear. " (Calvin Hernton) It's all "he threw the bottle of beer into the schoolyard because that's what countryfolk do back home" (Charles Silberman). Or "it's okay to shot at or even firebomb firetrucks because the city response rate in Third World neighborhoods is abominable, and until there is equality of public service provision, firebombing firetrucks is a rational response." (I probably said that one. Bring back memories to anyone else, does it?)
And Neumann's argument that the strategy--which he isn't sure is a strategy that anybody actually adopted or thought up--did indeed lead to a good outcome (more coordinated relief) is really thin. Favorite line: "If anyone adopted the strategy I imagined, it seems to have worked." In other words, "it" worked as a strategy even if "it" didn't exist. And this guy is a philosopher. I can't wait to read his book on Israel. Be still my beating heart.
One more I liked: "Would this make you take aim at a rescue helicopter? You don't know; you weren't standing in that water. Were any of the snipers thinking anything like what I've suggested? And if they were, would that be any kind of excuse? You don't know and neither do I....I also know that much is permitted to people fighting for their lives, and the lives of others."
Any wonder Lenin called the Anarchists "liberals with bombs"
Query to Michael P: This is Franz Neumann's son? That should put paid to the debate over nature vs nurture.
Mike Hirsch ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ , Heh, Smash The PMC Petty-Boooooorrrrrjjjjjjjwwwwwwaaaahhhhhhhh "Left"