I'll take up Cindy's bait on government and education. When Doug Henwood suggested that the left is losing its appeal partly because its becoming more "mealy-mouthed" he joined company with me (and Mussolini). Of course, that's only part of the story. I think that what is sometimes paraded as "government ideology" that supposedly pervades the public schools is a pathetic ghost. It can in no way compete with the media. It is the product of bureaucratized ideological and curricular conflict. Historically, the function of schools has been to deprovincialize rather than provincialize, and to put people together where the parents would most likely have forbidden it. The problems I see is when this function is not performed well enough. I am for secular cosmopolitanism, and am perfectly prepared to force that on others if I think I've got enough powerful friends to help me. The religions and other forces of provincialism have enough on their side that I don't worry about anything "precious" being lost through educational "imperialism." And I really don't see any way to address the world economy in a non-cosmopolitan manner. The nationalist/ provincialist method has been tried. I don't like it. If the government doesn't "impose its ideology," who will? Michael Brun -- Michael J. Brun ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) 408 W. Elm, #3, Urbana, IL 61801, USA, (217) 344-5961
