From ‘Left-Fascism’ to Campus Anti-Semitism: Radicalism as Reaction
http://dissentmagazine.org/democratiya/article.php?article=226
Incidentally, I was led to the article by Catherine Liu's book American Idyll. Doug had an interview with her a few months back. It is also quite provocative and I was surprised at how unusual it is - and how closely her argument tracks those resistant to the notion that antiintellectualism is a thoroughly disabling starting position for a radical movement. She also digs deeply into the origins of testing in education (tying it to the misappropriation of Dewey and pragmatism in general by opportunist, reactionary elites.) I think this was the main topic of Doug's chat with her, but there is really a lot more to her book than that. Sometimes it sees to wander a bit, but that may be because this is the first serious book like this I've attempted to read on the Kindle. Messes with you.
Anyway both seem of interest to people on the list so I thought I'd see if anyone had read or talked about these works. Liu also has a very nice recuperation and contextualizarion of Adorno's long essay on the astrology column of the LA Times, "The stars down to earth." Has sent me to the latter work, which is an amazing discussion of the irrational in culture - a much more sophisticated and empathetic Thomas Frank a la What's the Matter with Kansas. Good stuff.
Hope all's well, Sean