[Peace-discuss] Fw: Support The Nadler Initiative Against The
Planned Bush Blanket Pardons
E. Wayne Johnson
ewj at pigs.ag
Thu Dec 11 17:05:06 CST 2008
We were taught that prophesying is the delivery of exhortation,
edification, or comfort, rather
than in the common connotation of prediction, and that is the sense in
which I meant in "prophesy".
I suppose that the critic is examined by all.
LAURIE SOLOMON wrote:
>
> First, your quote obviously assumes a set of values and value
> judgments which one can agree or disagree with. I am sure that one
> can find just as many good quotes suggesting the opposite.
>
>
>
> Second, critics point out (or can point out)strengths as well as
> weaknesses, rights as well as wrongs, missed alternatives as well as
> recognized alternatives in their analysis of how things work, what
> assumptions are needed to make them work, and what prerequisites are
> necessary for the recognized phenomena to be meaningful and valid.
> However, they have no obligation to do so or to be "fair and balanced"
> just for the sake of being "fair and balanced." Critics do not have
> to engage in prophesy or prediction, nor do they have to exhort action
> or inaction. The certainly do not have any obligation or
> responsibility to show anyone how they could do better. It is enough
> to reveal the assumptions being presumed and quality of what is being
> or has been done. If anything, a good social critique -- if it
> exhorts anything -- exhorts the audience to engage in the analysis and
> to attend to the findings of the analysis . Based on conclusions that
> the audience may draw from the analysis, it calls for the audience to
> consider the implications of the conclusions; but it does not
> necessarily require the critic or the audience to come up with
> particular or specific concrete courses of action, remedies to
> problems, solutions to issues, or analytic or practical answers to
> questions. They may opt to do so and they may even opt to make those
> recommendations public; but they are no more obligated to do so than
> they are to do the critique itself or make it public.
>
>
>
> Thirdly, a social critic may engage in an exegesis of a situation, a
> policy, a philosophy, etc. to see how it works, how it solved internal
> problems or contradictions, if it is logical or illogical while not
> necessarily seeing the subject of the exegesis as being the analytic
> or practical problem which is in need of a solution. Seeing the
> subject of the exegesis as a problem in need of a remedy or solution,
> a given course of future action , or modification or not seeing it as
> such will always be a value judgment which the critic logically is not
> required to engage in. There is no reason why a social critic has to
> be also a social activist or has to make recommendations to social
> activists, become their strategists or tacticians, or serve as
> "legitimizers," " rationalizers," "justifiers," or "apologists" for
> the reforms and actions undertaken by social activists. If I sit
> down and observe a community and upon analysis find that there is a
> lack of solidarity in that community, as an analyst isn't it enough to
> report the findings of my analysis without offering an evaluation as
> to if that is good or bad, productive or not, etc. or furnishing a set
> of alternatives and solutions to the lack of solidarity or ways to
> keep solidarity from occurring in the future. In other words, social
> critics do not necessarily also have to be participants I or involved
> in the subjects of their study and analysis.
>
>
>
> *From:* E. Wayne Johnson [mailto:ewj at pigs.ag]
> *Sent:* Thursday, December 11, 2008 3:31 PM
> *To:* jencart13 at yahoo.com
> *Cc:* 'John W.'; LAURIE SOLOMON; peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net
> *Subject:* Re: [Peace-discuss] Fw: Support The Nadler Initiative
> Against The Planned Bush Blanket Pardons
>
>
>
> Certainly the critic, partly as prophet, partly as teacher, plays an
> important role, but
> good prophesying exhorts to action. I appreciate your insightful
> critiques, Laurie, but
> finally we must take action.
>
> I was immediately reminded of this quote---
>
> /"It is not the critic who counts;
> not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles,
> or where the doer of deeds could have done them better.
>
> The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena,
> whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood,
> who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again;
> because there is not effort without error and shortcomings;
> but who does actually strive to do the deed;
> who knows the great enthusiasm, the great devotion,
> who spends himself in a worthy cause,
> who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement
> and who at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring
> greatly.
> So that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls
> who know neither victory nor defeat."
> /
>
>
>
>
> Jenifer Cartwright wrote:
>
> Ahhh, well, that certainly explains what's at the root of my
> difficulties w/ so many of the peace-discuss contributors:
> they're social critics who see their role as analysis, period!!! No
> interest or focus on solutions, just critical analysis. Wow. Thanks,
> Laurie, very enlightening!
>
> --Jenifer
>
>
>
> --- On *Thu, 12/11/08, LAURIE SOLOMON /<LAURIE at ADVANCENET.NET>
> <mailto:LAURIE at ADVANCENET.NET>/* wrote:
>
> From: LAURIE SOLOMON <LAURIE at ADVANCENET.NET>
> <mailto:LAURIE at ADVANCENET.NET>
> Subject: RE: [Peace-discuss] Fw: Support The Nadler Initiative
> Against The Planned Bush Blanket Pardons
> To: "'John W.'" <jbw292002 at gmail.com> <mailto:jbw292002 at gmail.com>
> Cc: peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net
> <mailto:peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net>
> Date: Thursday, December 11, 2008, 12:26 PM
>
> I don't think we can do so from within the system; the
> probabilities of doing so from outside the system are very slim
> for the present. I think that the economy, environment, and
> government need to get a whole lot worse before anything will be
> possible; so we probably should be contributing to making things a
> whole lot worse in order to realistically stand a change of
> changing thins for the better.
>
>
>
> However, I do not see it as the social critic's job to do anything
> more than analyze situations; they have no obligation to furnish
> solutions or courses of action to remedy flaws and problems that
> their analysis suggest. Social criticism is analysis (taking
> apart to understand the working so as to reveal strengths and
> weaknesses, it is not merely being negative -- although there is
> rarely any reason to point out the good in social criticism since
> thoswe factors are typically already known and accepted).
>
>
>
>
>
> *From:* John W. [mailto:jbw292002 at gmail.com]
> *Sent:* Thursday, December 11, 2008 11:27 AM
> *To:* LAURIE SOLOMON
> *Cc:* E. Wayne Johnson; peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net
> <mailto:peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net>; unionyes
> *Subject:* Re: [Peace-discuss] Fw: Support The Nadler Initiative
> Against The Planned Bush Blanket Pardons
>
>
>
>
>
> On Thu, Dec 11, 2008 at 11:13 AM, LAURIE SOLOMON
> <LAURIE at advancenet.net <mailto:LAURIE at advancenet.net>> wrote:
>
> I am inclined to concur with this. I think that such an effort
> could only come from either someone who has supreme confidence in
> the system and its working in a just and ethical fashion and faith
> in the integrity of the players or someone who is a fool. Take
> your pick. People seem to enjoy playing Candide rather than face
> realities.
>
> Dear Laurie,
>
> Please list all of the ways in which, in your opinion, we as
> individuals can realistically make a positive difference in the
> world. Here, I'll get you started:
>
> 1.
> 2.
> 3.
> 4.
> 5.
> 6.
> 7.
> 8.
> 9.
> 10.
>
>
>
>
>
> *From:* peace-discuss-bounces at lists.chambana.net
> <mailto:peace-discuss-bounces at lists.chambana.net>
> [mailto:peace-discuss-bounces at lists.chambana.net
> <mailto:peace-discuss-bounces at lists.chambana.net>] *On Behalf
> Of *E. Wayne Johnson
> *Sent:* Thursday, December 11, 2008 9:49 AM
> *To:* unionyes
> *Cc:* Peace-discuss List
> *Subject:* Re: [Peace-discuss] Fw: Support The Nadler
> Initiative Against The Planned Bush Blanket Pardons
>
>
>
> Interesting.
>
> But note that Congress had good reason to Impeach Bush and go
> after his gang,
> but they did not.
>
> The most obvious reason why they did not go after Bush was
> that the opposition party wanted to retain
> the Anti-constitutionally broadened Executive powers, and let
> the aspersions for doing that fall on Bush.
>
> So what makes you think that all your cards and letters are
> going to make the opposition party go
> after Bush now that the reins of government power are falling
> into their hands? They have little
> to gain by pursuing Bush at this point.
>
>
> unionyes wrote:
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
>
> *From:* theteam at peaceteam.net <mailto:theteam at peaceteam.net>
>
> *To:* activist.thepen at gmail.com
> <mailto:activist.thepen at gmail.com>
>
> *Sent:* Thursday, December 11, 2008 7:39 AM
>
> *Subject:* Support The Nadler Initiative Against The Planned
> Bush Blanket Pardons
>
>
>
> Ask Your House Member To Co-Sponsor H.Res. 1531 Against The
> Bush Preemptive Pardons
>
> Another day, another non-denial denial that Bush is planning
> midnight preemptive blanket pardons for his entire gang,
> including himself. In an article in the New York Times the
> other day, current attorney general Mukasey is quoted as
> asserting it would not be "necessary". Please take careful
> note he did not say it wouldn't happen, because unless we
> speak out now it WILL.
>
> The best shot we have is H.Res. 1531 which puts the
> administration on clear notice that there will be strong push
> back from Congress if they attempt such a scurrilous stunt.
> Please submit this action page to ask your House member to
> sign on as a co-sponsor of this measure.
>
> Support H.Res. 1531 Action Page:
> http://www.usalone.com/hres1531.php
>
> We all know that George Bush as someone without even the guts
> to face his own music, he who sent more that four thousand
> brave Americans to their senseless graves, for a premeditated
> and knowing lie in Iraq, tens of thousands of American
> crippled and mutilated for life, trillions looted from our
> economy, and he doesn't even have the simple courage to risk
> the accountability of having to defend his numberless crimes
> in a fair trial.
>
> It is now known that Nixon seriously considered pardoning
> himself, but even he was not THAT despicable. George Bush
> most certainly is. And remember that his administration has
> been infested with Nixon era cronies like Cheney and Rumsfeld,
> so it is no surprise that the malfeasance of the Nixon era has
> been magnified in the last eight years.
>
> Nixon infamously said, "If the president does it that means it
> is not illegal", conveniently after his own blanket pardon by
> the way. That has been their creed. The entire Bush
> administration has been one ongoing criminal enterprise since
> day one, a wrecking ball to the Constitution and rule of law,
> with torture, illegal surveillance, obstruction and perversion
> of justice in the firing of U.S. attorneys, not to mention
> national level election fraud, the naked treason of outing
> Valerie Plame, and on and on.
>
> And the only way we can make sure nothing like this EVER
> happens again is to demand full accountability, so that all
> America truly understands what a miserable, lying, cowardly
> creep we were so foolish as to allow get away with stealing
> two successive presidential elections.
>
> Please call on your members of Congress to immediately sign on
> to H.Res. 1531, and let's have a real national debate on the
> coming greatest outrage of all, before they get away with that
> too.
>
> Support H.Res. 1531 Action Page:
> http://www.usalone.com/hres1531.php
>
> And you can also still get an "Impeach Both!!!" cap from the
> return page from the action page submission. We're not going
> to say "while supplies last", because we'll manufacture as
> many as you can wear, right up until the last minute. Another
> 600 are going out today, for a total of upwards of 2,000 more
> in just the last two weeks. So if you have already requested
> yours, it is most likely already on the way.
>
> Please take action NOW, so we can win all victories that are
> supposed to be ours, and forward this alert as widely as possible.
>
> If you would like to get alerts like these, you can do so at
> http://www.usalone.com/in.htm
>
> Or if you want to cease receiving our messages, just use the
> function at http://www.usalone.com/out.htm
>
>
>
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