I think Sabri is not only quite correct here but his point is politically crucial. Moral judgments have the same political weakness as do conspiracy theories: they completely change the focus of debate from capitalist relations and capitalist ideology to debates over invisible motives. Debates over motives smother politics under endless nonsense.
I too have had many friends who believed, really and sincerely believed, serious nonsense. Hah: One of those 'friends' was myself before 1965. In 1953 I swallowed whole all the vicious nonsense the Washington Post and the NYT were putting out about Mossedegh: not because I was either corrupt or stupid; I simply was mistaken. Ditto the people sabri is talking about. Ditto all the attacks on university professors. Such nonsense corrupts political thinking. Carrol Carrol -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Sabri Oncu Sent: Thursday, June 14, 2012 1:20 PM To: pen-l Subject: [Pen-l] Fwd: (Fwd) Commons theorist Elinor Ostrom, RIP > Jim: > >> in other words, they aren't charlatans >> as much as ideologues. > > Neither. They are just unquestioning believers, most of whom with well intentions. > > I know many of them. Many of them are my friends, some are good friends. > > Best, > Sabri _______________________________________________ pen-l mailing list [email protected] https://lists.csuchico.edu/mailman/listinfo/pen-l _______________________________________________ pen-l mailing list [email protected] https://lists.csuchico.edu/mailman/listinfo/pen-l
