I am always perplexed by the combination of an obsessive preoccupation of Americans with sexual relations, and a puritan christianist morality which stigmatises a frank and open discussion about it, which seems to lead to the idea that expressing or using sexual imagery is okay, if it markets or sells a product, but not if you are actually consciously communicating with somebody in public space. You can sort of see how the whole twisted culture fits together, but it's perplexing anyhow. In Holland, same sex marriage has been legal for some time, but caused no earthshaking controversy. Sometimes I have wished I was gay, because it would solve some problems of life, but it's an illusion really.
The most intriguing development in this area that I have watched in the course of my life is how people who have "got around" or alternatively watch a lot of TV, claim to know the sexuality of others when they don't, i.e. the meaning of sexuality is changed so that it acquires an objective ontology which it doesn't really have. If American focus on controversy about gay marriage in order to disregard other social questions, that just shows the immorality of their society promoted by fascist-type christian fundamentalist ideology. Why don't Americans completely rip up the whole PNAC clique ? Or are they so scatterbrained, that they need a Strong Leader to tell them what to think ? The mind boggles. If I am correct in thinking that the pursuit of attention is the ultimate frontier of the market (not love, but attention) then the human eye becomes the ultimate device for private appropriation. At least, this is what I take it to mean when people say that "somebody has got dollar signs in his eyes". The cultural contribution of christian fundamentalism is to add to this by hanging a chain with a cross around our necks. Lately I have been thinking about the operative principles involved in extending the market into outer space - would there be buyers somewhere out there beyond the stars ? Who knows, NASA may yet provide an answer. Jurriaan ----- Original Message ----- From: "Michael Perelman" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Wednesday, November 19, 2003 5:40 PM Subject: [PEN-L] the next wedge issue > It looks like gay marriage will be the wedge issue next year to take > people's attention away from the war in Iraq, environmental ravaging, > corporate looting, and other assorted crimes. It will also be useful in > marginalizing the few progressive Democrats left in politics. > -- > Michael Perelman > Economics Department > California State University > Chico, CA 95929 > > Tel. 530-898-5321 > E-Mail [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > >
