--- Michael Perelman <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
wrote:
> Tim, who
> studies Chico full-time, has an imperfect analysis
> of the this small corner of
> the world...
I think the difference is that I don't get paid to
only sit around and think about it, and dream up
theories and so forth. I very much enjoy being a
lookie-loo on this list, but many of the arguments and
the things people find important simply escape me.
Maybe that reflects my lack of eduaction, but I think
that in no small part it reflects you academics'
disconnect with the real world. No offense intended;
I'm learning a lot just reading through my hundreds of
PEN-l messages, but I often find the list, well,
arcane and obscure. I hold a broad marxist view of the
world and am willing to keep it at that while trying
to relate to the broad populace through my newspaper.
I find discussion about 17th century Latin America
interesting, but it's a long, long way from an
interesting read on the Incas to encouraging Butte
County workers to organize against their employers, to
give just one example.
There's been some excellent rhetoric (which I hope is
reflected in action) on this list about supporting
workers movements and so forth, but of late that seems
to be eclipsed by heated arguments over subjects that
not one worker in a thousand would understand.
Theory's all well and good, and I appreciate the role
of intellectuals, and I greatly admire some of the
intellect apparent of this list, but I've got a
newspaper to put out, I've got ads to sell, I've got
bills to collect and others to pay, I've got to worry
about whether or not my carriers are going to show up,
etc, and then I have to find something to write about.
For all this, I seem to have a paper that popular in
at least some local circles, and has contributed to
some, albeit small, political change.
I guess I'm just trying to interject a bit of
proportion to the conversations. I'll keep on the list
and wade through the particulars of this or that take
on whoever, but I would hope that PEN-lers at some
point realize that they themselves are rather
privileged to be having the conversation at all.
Isn't the point to have some of real effect on the
world, as opposed to being caught up in discussion
group with no apparent relevance?
Tim
=====
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