Re: Iraq
something in line with this: Responding to a recommendation that progressive tax reforms should represent a first measure to expand fiscal public spendingin a very poor and underdeveloped third world country, a government offical sitting behind his desk said that is socialist and as you know socialism failed. Although the person he was addressing would have to keep cool in situations like this, he answered and said do you the state you are in a success. that really pissed him off."Devine, James" [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: the pundits on US NPR and Public TV blather about the possibility of Iraq being a "failed state" if the US pulls out. But what is the "Coalition" Provisional Authority but a failed state?Jim Devine Do you Yahoo!?SBC Yahoo! - Internet access at a great low price.
Re: Iraq
last sentence corrected: do you consider the staete you are in as a sucesssoula avramidis [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: something in line with this: Responding to a recommendation that progressive tax reforms should represent a first measure to expand fiscal public spendingin a very poor and underdeveloped third world country, a government offical sitting behind his desk said that is socialist and as you know socialism failed. Although the person he was addressing would have to keep cool in situations like this, he answered and said do you the state you are in a success. that really pissed him off."Devine, James" [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: the pundits on US NPR and Public TV blather about the possibility of Iraq being a "failed state" if the US pulls out. But what is the "Coalition" Provisional Authority but a failed state?Jim Devine Do you Yahoo!?SBC Yahoo! - Internet access at a great low price. Do you Yahoo!?SBC Yahoo! - Internet access at a great low price.
Re: question for the list
I would assume the redistribution of state property to private ownership that occurred in Russia in the 90s exceeded the US experience. Moscow now has more billionaires than New York. It used to have zero. -Original Message- From: Michael Perelman [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Date: Tue, 18 May 2004 21:20:16 -0700 Subject: [PEN-L] question for the list Writing about the transfer of wealth to the rich in the US, would it be fair to say, United States has witnessed in recent decades what is probably largest transfer of wealth and income in the history of the world -- larger than what occurred during the Russian or Chinese revolutions.
Hate radio
When the torture story first broke, Rush Limbaugh made a number of outrageous remarks about the revelations, including calling the abuses by U.S. soldiers pretty thoughtful and a brilliant maneuver. But two of his fellow right-wing shock jocks have since spewed rhetoric on the air waves that makes Limbaugh's comments look like child's play. The sentiments speak for themselves, but what is perhaps most disturbing is their reach. Savage Nation's syndicated radio host Michael Savage, already infamous for telling a gay caller to get AIDS and die (MSNBC fired him for that), boasts 6 million American listeners per week, according to the nonprofit watchdog group MediaMatters.org. On May 11, while repeatedly calling Abu Ghraib Grab-an-Arab prison, he launched into this little tirade: I think there should be no mercy shown to these sub-humans. I believe that a thousand of them should be killed tomorrow. I think a thousand of them held in the Iraqi prison should be given 24 hour[s] -- a trial and executed. I think they need to be shown that we are not going to roll over to them ... Instead of putting joysticks, I would have liked to have seen dynamite put in their orifices and they should be dropped from airplanes ... They should put dynamite in their behinds and drop them from 35,000 feet, the whole pack of scum out of that jail. The next day Savage added that Arabs were racist, fascist bigots, and purported to speak for a majority of Americans regarding the war. He offered several all-American solutions to our problems in the Middle East. Right now, even people sitting on the fence would like George Bush to drop a nuclear weapon on an Arab country. They don't even care which one it would be. I can guarantee you -- I don't need to go to Mr. Schmuck [pollster John] Zogby and ask him his opinion ... The most -- I tell you right now -- the largest percentage of Americans would like to see a nuclear weapon dropped on a major Arab capital. They don't even care which one... I think these people need to be forcibly converted to Christianity ... It's the only thing that can probably turn them into human beings. He also made sure to plug his credentials. I'm going to give you one further example from my background as an anthropologist just so that you -- I'm trying to put context on this because you can go crazy if you don't have the context on this, because I'm going to lead up to something of what we must do to these primitives. Because these primitives can only be treated in one way, and I don't think smallpox and a blanket is good enough incidentally ... Smallpox in a blanket, which the U.S. Army gave to the Cherokee Indians on their long march to the West, was nothing compared to what I'd like to see done to these people. full: http://www.salon.com/opinion/right_hook/2004/05/19/apology/index1.html -- Marxism list: www.marxmail.org
A column on John Kerry
NY Observer, May 19, 2004 Sen. Kerry: Engage! Tour Iraq by Humvee, Drive Down to Najaf by Robert Sam Anson John Kerry got in touch the other day. Its always nice to hear from a chum of 30 years ago, and considering how busy hes been with the campaign, taking time out to write seemed awfully thoughtful. Especially with whats been appearing in this space. Bubbling with anticipation, I ripped open the envelope. If you checked Democrat last time you registered, you know what dropped out. Because you got the same letter requesting a most generous contribution to the Democratic National Committee. John wrote (excuse me, Senator Kerry wrote): Our tomorrow depends on it. A P.S. asking after the kids would have helped the medicine go down, but even in his allons mes amis! to the barricades days, John won no stars for being cozy. As fund-raising goes, though, the two-page missive wasnt bad. Mr. Kerrys signature appeared handwritten (testament to how clever computers are getting), and between the Dear and the Sincerely, he listed five good reasons to pull out the checkbook: Everyone would have a job. You wouldnt have to worry about breaking your neck or quitting smoking, as youd have affordable health insurance. Land, sea and air would be pristine. Every school would be just like St. Pauls. There wouldnt be any racial, gender or sexual discriminationand you could join a union, or have an abortion. In fact, you could even stick up a bank, if you wanted, confident that when the cops caught you theyd at least read your Miranda rights. Mr. Kerry was emphatic about that. When I am President, he promised, we will end the assault on our civil liberties and civil rights by appointing an attorney general whose name is not John Ashcroft. Readers with elephant memories will recall that in his convention acceptance speech in 1968, Richard Nixon made exactly the same promise. And sure enough, soon as Tricky took the oath, Ramsey Clark had to pack. So, General Ashcroft, be warned: Unless Mr. Kerry changes his mind between now and Inauguration Day (this could happen), those secret plans youve been making to stay on in the new administration will be inconvenienced. And what did Mr. Kerry say about Iraq? Not one word. Well, maybe he forgot; its been a hectic week. First, he had to stay on message health care premiums!when everyone else on the planet was talking about Abu Ghraib. Then he had to explain why, if he cared so much about the unemployed, he was off campaigning instead of staying in Washington and casting the one vote needed for the Senate to extend for 13 weeks benefits for the Americans whove flat run out of luck finding a job. Then he had to pretend he had a snowballs chance of carrying Arkansas by traipsing down to Little Rock, where he accomplished his actual missionpaying obeisance to the fund-raiser-in-chiefby lauding Bill Clinton for so many virtues (including turning him into a Razorback football fan) that the L.A. Times reporter lost track after a dozen. But Teresa no doubt filed away one suggestive line: Whatever President Clinton did, her husband said, it worked for him. Throughout, Mr. Kerry strove mightily to avoid saying boo about Iraq. Were all interested in whats happening, he told a reporter, assuring he was bearing up under all the pestering about the war. But life goes on and weve got to make America strong here at home. The Tar Baby finally stuck to him, when he was forced to view the unexpurgated Abu Ghraib slide show the military brass was putting on for Congress. Emerging from the snoop-safe Capitol Bijou, Mr. Kerry pronounced the images of torture and humiliation sickening and appallingsubsequently amplified by depraved and sad. His review was several shades paler than the seemingly genuine horror George Bush has been expressingbut sufficient for political purposes. Unfortunately, though, Mr. Kerry rambled on, wrecking what had promised to be his first flip-flop-free week in many moons by assigning blame to a group of people run amok, under what circumstances we have yet to determine. Quick as you can say Tom DeLay (who spent his week calling Democrats traitors), the Bush campaign pointed out that only days earlier, Mr. Kerry was pinning the Abu Ghraib rap on the entire chain of command, up to and including the Commander-in-Chief. The G.O.P. press release seemed to stir the normally stoic candidate, who shortly thereafter doubled back to his first version. Midst these events, Mr. Kerry issued what the Associated Press described as his fullest criticism yet of Mr. Bushs handling of the war: I mean, this is not a success, he said. I think that its been one miscalculation after another, frankly. Weigh that for outraged megatonnage. full: http://www.nyobserver.com/pages/frontpage4.asp -- Marxism list: www.marxmail.org
Hardening divide
The widely held view that the US-Europe rift is only a temporary one which will disappear with the Bush administration looks to be wrong, according to the latest Economist. The magazine says the transatlantic rift that opened up because of Iraq shows little sign of healing. On the contrary, it may widen. The Americans, contrary to expectations, have been unable to pressure the Europeans to bail them out in Iraq, and, although this is partly attributable to the deteriorating security situation, the Economist notes broader differences over trade, China, and the Israel-Palestine conflict. More generally, the unilateral exercise of US power has produced the popular belief in Europe, evidenced in recent elections, that the US is a dangerous, immoral power that needs countering. But the Economist thinks European prayers for a Kerry victory in November are misplaced, especially in relation to Israel and US deference to international institutions. While it is absurd to contemplate a revival of the kind of inter-imperialist tension which culminated in World War I, the notion that Europeans and Americans may increasingly be rivals rather than partners seems less implausible than it once did, the article concludes. Economist (sub only) article available on http://www.supportingfacts.com Sorry for any cross posting.
Oil prices continue to retreat...as speculators locked in profits
[So with all that price control in the oil industry, speculation has finally moved from the usual risky profit making environment to a riskless one more akin to arbitrage. Buying low and selling high for a riskless profit for the select few who will have knowledge of the natural market force price movements BEFORE they actually naturally occur. Hmm? Insider trading, eh? Diane] Oil Prices Continue to Retreat Cautiously Wed May 19, 2004 08:57 AM ET LONDON (Reuters) - World oil prices continued to retreat cautiously from record highs on Wednesday as speculators locked in profits, but traders said Middle East security fears and tight U.S. gasoline supplies kept losses in check. U.S. light crude (CLc1: Quote, Profile, Research) fell 22 cents to $40.32 a barrel by 1150 GMT, after sliding $1.01 on Tuesday as traders took profits from a rally to a 21-year peak at $41.85 at the start of the week. U.S. crude has traded above $40 for seven straight days. London Brent futures (LCOc1: Quote, Profile, Research) were down 25 cents at $36.70 a barrel, more than $2 off last week's 13-year high. This looks like a profit-taking retracement, at this stage I can't say it's anything more than that. It's a bit premature to say we've seen the highs, said Tony Machacek of Prudential-Bache brokerage. The fundamental situation that has brought NYMEX crude above $40 is still really with us. It's this fear factor of how the terrorist threat could affect supply to western markets, he added. The risk of a sabotage attack on oil infrastructure in the oil-rich Middle East region has driven up oil prices following bombings in Saudi Arabia and the disruption of exports from Iraq nearly two weeks ago. The approach of the U.S. summer driving season, when gasoline demand spikes as holidaymakers take to the roads, has also stoked prices as motor fuel inventories remain stubbornly low compared to past years. The market is keenly awaiting the U.S. government's weekly report, due at 10:30 a.m. ET, which analysts forecast will show a 1.8 million barrel increase in crude oil supplies and a 1.4 million barrel rise in gasoline stocks. Record high U.S. retail gasoline prices appear to have made little impact on driving plans this summer, when gasoline consumption in the world's biggest energy consumer account for 12 percent of global oil use. The U.S. AAA said on Tuesday that around 30.9 million travelers, up 3.9 percent from last year, were expected to drive 50 miles or more at the Memorial Day weekend at the end of May. We're right at the beginning of the driving season, there's still a lot of concern about gasoline stocks, said Machacek. PRESSURE MOUNTS With oil still over $40, major importing nations are boosting pressure on the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) to put more oil on the market for fear high prices may curtail global economic growth. There is an urgent need for an increase in the amount of oil being produced, the European Union's Energy Commissioner Loyola de Palacio said on Wednesday. If it does not come about, we will clearly see that OPEC is not interested in oil price stability. OPEC President Purnomo Yusgiantoro also said on Wednesday that these prices would hit consuming countries, but laid the blame on tight gasoline supplies, not a shortage of crude oil. Consumers will take their case directly to the cartel this weekend, at a biennial energy summit of leading producers and consumers. OPEC ministers attending the summit will meet informally this weekend to discuss a Saudi proposal to raise OPEC's output ceiling by at least 1.5 million barrels per day (bpd). The idea has been backed by some within the cartel, but many members have said final approval of a hike would wait for OPEC's formal meeting in Beirut on June 3. OPEC is already pumping more than two million bpd in excess of its formal ceiling, making some traders skeptical as to how much more oil can be tapped on short notice.
Re: question for the list
Michael Perelman wrote: Writing about the transfer of wealth to the rich in the US, would it be fair to say, United States has witnessed in recent decades what is probably largest transfer of wealth and income in the history of the world -- larger than what occurred during the Russian or Chinese revolutions. would you include imperialist looting in this category? would that come out higher or lower? --ravi
Hate radio
Less anyone continue to indulge American exceptionalism and claim the U.S. doesn't have a potential Nazism in it... This gives new force to the old observation that anthropology is the handmaiden of imperialism. Savage is a despicable dog. I can't even say what I actually think about this Savage. CB Louis Proyect: -clip- He also made sure to plug his credentials. I'm going to give you one further example from my background as an anthropologist just so that you -- I'm trying to put context on this because you can go crazy if you don't have the context on this, because I'm going to lead up to something of what we must do to these primitives. Because these primitives can only be treated in one way, and I don't think smallpox and a blanket is good enough incidentally ... Smallpox in a blanket, which the U.S. Army gave to the Cherokee Indians on their long march to the West, was nothing compared to what I'd like to see done to these people. full: http://www.salon.com/opinion/right_hook/2004/05/19/apology/index1.html
US planes attack wedding party killing 40
http://apnews.myway.com/article/20040519/D82LPGOG0.html U.S. Reportedly Kills 40 Iraqis at Party Email this Story May 19, 1:24 PM (ET) By SCHEHEREZADE FARAMARZI Google sponsored links We Can Help You - Avoid Bankruptcy Get out of Debt All Canadians Coast to Coast www.nccc.ca Refinance/Renew Centre - Lower your rate/consolidate bills up to 100% of you home value www.canadianmortgagefinder.c BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - A U.S. helicopter fired on a wedding party early Wednesday in western Iraq, killing more than 40 people, Iraqi officials said. The U.S. military said it could not confirm the report and was investigating. Lt. Col Ziyad al-Jbouri, deputy police chief of the city of Ramadi, said between 42 and 45 people died in the attack, which took place about 2:45 a.m. in a remote desert area near the border with Syria and Jordan. He said those killed included 15 children and 10 women. Dr. Salah al-Ani, who works at a hospital in Ramadi, put the death toll at 45. Associated Press Television News obtained videotape showing a truck containing bodies of those allegedly killed. About a dozen bodies, one without a head, could be clearly seen. but it appeared that bodies were piled on top of each other and a clear count was not possible. Iraqis interviewed on the videotape said partygoers had fired into the air in a traditional wedding celebration. American troops have sometimes mistaken celebratory gunfire for hostile fire. I cannot comment on this because we have not received any reports from our units that this has happened nor that any were involved in such a tragedy, Lt. Col. Dan Williams, a U.S. military spokesman, wrote in an e-mail in response to a question from The Associated Press. We take all these requests seriously and we have forwarded this inquiry to the Joint Operations Center for further review and any other information that may be available, Williams said. The video footage showed mourners with shovels digging graves. A group of men crouched and wept around one coffin. Al-Ani said people at the wedding fired weapons in the air, and that American troops came to investigate and left. However, al-Ani said, helicopters attacked the area at about 3 a.m. Two houses were destroyed, he said. U.S. troops took the bodies and the wounded in a truck to Rutba hospital, he said. This was a wedding and the (U.S.) planes came and attacked the people at a house. Is this the democracy and freedom that (President) Bush has brought us? said a man on the videotape, Dahham Harraj. There was no reason. Another man shown on the tape, who refused to give his name, said the victims were at a wedding party and the U.S. military planes came... and started killing everyone in the house. In July 2002, Afghan officials said 48 civilians at a wedding party were killed and 117 wounded by a U.S. airstrike in Afghanistan's Uruzgan province. An investigative report released by the U.S. Central Command said the airstrike was justified because American planes had come under fire.
Re: Hate radio
Don't insult dogs. I don't get the anthro reference. His degree was in botany. mbs . . . Savage is a despicable dog. Louis Proyect: -clip- He also made sure to plug his credentials. I'm going to give you one further example from my background as an anthropologist just so
Fw: Iowa sociologist fired for labor/abortion comments
-Original Message-From: Steven Colatrella [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]Sent: Monday, May 17, 2004 1:34 AMTo: [EMAIL PROTECTED]Cc: [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED]Subject: Iowa sociologist fired for labor/abortion comments Dear Prof. Rosen and fellow marxist sociologists, Pardon my sending you this, but I have been unable to access the progressive sociologists email list. I would like this announcement circulated to the marxist section of ASA of which I am a member (both the section and ASA as a whole of course). Thanks: I am an ASA member in the process of being fired for reasons made clear below. Briefly summarized: a comment I made about abortion from a pro-choice viewpoint at a Catholic college, Mount Mercy in Cedar Rapids, Iowa,and a comment I made in the course of negotiations with the administration over faculty manual revisions and in defense of tenure rights. 1) Please send a statement of concern by email or letter to the Dean of the College, Susan Pauly, at [EMAIL PROTECTED], or Susan Pauly, Dean, Mount Mercy College, 1330 Elmhurst Drive, NE, Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52402; 2) send this summary over whatever email membership list exists on academic freedom or academic and professional issues so that members may add their names to the statements of support in my case. Below is a fuller description of the facts in my case and my biographical info as sent in a statement to the ACLU. I ask the ASA and its members to cc any emails to me at [EMAIL PROTECTED] that I may be able to accurately describe the level of support to the press and others. I can also be reached at home at 319-366-1078 or on Monday of this week only at the office at 319-363-1323 ext.1278. I look forward to speaking with you about this issue. Sincerely, Dr. Steven Colatrella Acting President, Iowa Sociological Association Assistant Professor of Sociology Mount Mercy College Lorraine Kenny Reproductive Freedom Project ACLU Dear Ms. Kenny, Thank you for your time on Friday. I am an ACLU member in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. I am being fired over free speech issues: some related to workplace rights, others on reproductive rights. I am asking the ACLU for any support possible: while I have a lawyer, it is mainly public pressure on the administration that I am seeking. I believe that this is both effective in this case of a small, narrow-minded administration unused and uncomfortable with controversy, and principled: it should not off-limits to speak about abortion at a Catholic college, and no one should be fired or silenced for doing so. I am aware that not all free speech laws apply to private, religiously-affiliated colleges, but most of these exceptions seem to apply to comments made to students, whereas my comments were made at a faculty/staff only meeting. In any case, free speech has a history of expansion into new areas previously closed off and needs only someone willing to make a sacrifice. I am perfectly willing to become the poster child for free speech rights over reproductive rights at Catholic colleges. Losing a job is a small price to pay. Ultimately I do not want to stay at this place, but any settlement that comes out of my campaign will have to include a statement from the President and Dean that they will protect free speech rights, and in particular allow the widest possible _expression_ of views on birth control, abortion and reproductive rights. If we obtain that, we will have cracked the Berlin Wall of free speech on abortion at Catholic institutions. Will the ACLU help me? I have forwarded to you several emails that are merely a sample of what has come into the Dean, Susan Pauly, from around the world. I have not done this to pressure you or to ruin your day. Rather I wanted to give the ACLU a sense of the growing support for my case in many circles. A final word about my background: A bit more bio information on me if it helps: I am the author of "Workers of the World: African and Asian Migrants in Italy in the 1990s" (Africa World Press Trenton and Asmara: 2001). I was Fulbright Scholar in 1997, and have taught at Bard College, at the American University of Rome, the New School University, Montclair State University, Loyola University's Rome, Italy center. I am currently Assistant Professor Sociology at Mount Mercy College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa and for the 2003-2004 academic year I am the current President of the Iowa Sociological Association. I have worked on the editorial boards of Midnight Notes and Altreragioni, the latter journal based in Italy. My Ph.D. is in Sociology from Binghamton University, SUNY, from 1998. I am a former organizer with two unions, the International Ladies Garment Workers Union and the Committee of Interns and Residents, and the former national Student Organizer for the National Lawyers Guild, and worked for four years for the late Edith Tiger at
Re: US planes attack wedding party killing 40
It was clearly a positional error. The pilot thought he was in... Massachussetts! U.S. Reportedly Kills 40 Iraqis at PartyBAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - A U.S. helicopter fired on a wedding party early Wednesday in western Iraq, killing more than 40 people, Iraqi officials said. The U.S. military said it could not confirm the report and was investigating. Lt. Col Ziyad al-Jbouri, deputy police chief of the city of Ramadi, said between 42 and 45 people died in the attack, which took place about 2:45 a.m. in a remote desert area near the border with Syria and Jordan. He said those killed included 15 children and 10 women. Dr. Salah al-Ani, who works at a hospital in Ramadi, put the death toll at 45. Associated Press Television News obtained videotape showing a truck containing bodies of those allegedly killed. About a dozen bodies, one without a head, could be clearly seen. but it appeared that bodies were piled on top of each other and a clear count was not possible. Iraqis interviewed on the videotape said partygoers had fired into the air in a traditional wedding celebration. American troops have sometimes mistaken celebratory gunfire for hostile fire. I cannot comment on this because we have not received any reports from our units that this has happened nor that any were involved in such a tragedy, Lt. Col. Dan Williams, a U.S. military spokesman, wrote in an e-mail in response to a question from The Associated Press. We take all these requests seriously and we have forwarded this inquiry to the Joint Operations Center for further review and any other information that may be available, Williams said. The video footage showed mourners with shovels digging graves. A group of men crouched and wept around one coffin. Al-Ani said people at the wedding fired weapons in the air, and that American troops came to investigate and left. However, al-Ani said, helicopters attacked the area at about 3 a.m. Two houses were destroyed, he said. U.S. troops took the bodies and the wounded in a truck to Rutba hospital, he said. This was a wedding and the (U.S.) planes came and attacked the people at a house. Is this the democracy and freedom that (President) Bush has brought us? said a man on the videotape, Dahham Harraj. There was no reason. Another man shown on the tape, who refused to give his name, said the victims were at a wedding party and the U.S. military planes came... and started killing everyone in the house. In July 2002, Afghan officials said 48 civilians at a wedding party were killed and 117 wounded by a U.S. airstrike in Afghanistan's Uruzgan province. An investigative report released by the U.S. Central Command said the airstrike was justified because American planes had come under fire.
Mirowski on Nash's brilliant insight
From the section (pp. 335-49) in Philip Mirowski's *Machine Dreams* on what has come in retrospect to be regarded the signal mathematical development in game theory in the 1950s, the event most consequential for the subsequent history of *economics*, the invention of the 'Nash equilibrium' concept. p. 331 The Nash equilibrium is the embodiment of the idea that the economic agents are rational; that they simultaneously act to maximize their utility; Nash equilibrium embodies the most important and fundamental idea in economics (Robert Aumann, quoted by Mirowski on p. 343) by the mid-1950s things started going seriously wrong. In his [Nash's] own words: 'the staff at my university, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and later all of Boston were behaving strangely towards me. ... I started to see crypto-communists everywhere. ... I started to think I was a man of great religious importance, and to hear voices all the time. I began to hear something like telephone calls in my head, from people opposed to my ideas. ... The delirium was like a dream from which I never seemed to awake.' In the spring of 1959 Nash was committed to McLean Hospital in Belmont, Massachusetts, diagnosed as a paranoid schizophrenic. p. 338 what Nash himself was aiming at [was] a definition of rationality in game play so transparent and unassailable that everyone would voluntarily acknowledge its salience and conform to its dictates, entirely independent of any external interpersonal considerations. We shall dissect the Nash equilibrium in detail, but, for starters, it will suffice to define 'Nash equilibrium' as the personal best strategic reply to an opponent (i.e., a constrained maximum) who is himself trying to discern your best strategic option and deploy his own best response, where the two desiderata coincide. It is clearly an attempt to extend constrained optimization of something which behaves very much like expected utility to contexts of interdependent payoffs. Nash himself described it as 'an n-tuple such that each player's mixed strategy maximizes his payoff if the strategies of the others are held fixed. Thus each player's strategy is optimal against those of the others' (1996, p. 23). It all sounds so simple, except when you pick up diverse game theory texts and find they rarely tender the same explanation of the meaning of this 'rationality' from one instance to the next. In this volume, we shall treat the Nash equilibrium as the next logical extension of the Walrasian general equilibrium tradition into the Cold War context. pp. 339-40 the notion of rationality encapsulated in the Nash formalism ... [is] omniscient and all encompassing of all possible worlds p. 340 Nash agents are inflicted with terminal paranoia p. 340 It would be a dire mistake to let the mathematics obscure the very real emotional content of the Nash solution concept, for that would leave us bereft of an appreciation for the nature of its appeal in the postwar era. Although it far outstrips our capacity, or even interest, to engage in psychological theorizing, a very stimulating comparison can be found between paranoia and the cognitive style of the masculine scientist in the work of Evelyn Fox Keller (1985). We quote some of her analysis, not so much to endorse it as to evoke some parallels with the Nash solution concept. 'The cognitive style of the paranoid ... [is] grounded in the fear of being controlled by others rather than in apprehension about lack of self-control, in the fear of giving in to others rather than one's own unwelcome impulses, the attention of the paranoid is rigid, but it is not narrowly focused. Rather than ignore what does not fit, he or she must be alert to every possible clue. Nothing - no detail, however minor - eludes scrutiny. Everything *must* fit. The paranoid delusion suffers not from a lack of logic but from unreality. Indeed, its distortion derives, at least in part, from the very effort to make all the clues fit into a single interpretation. ... For the paranoid, interpretation is determined primarily by subjective need - in particular, by the need to defend against the pervasive sense of threat to one's own autonomy. ... the very fact of such vigilance - even while it sharpens some forms of perception and may be extremely useful for many kinds of scientific work - also works against all those affective and cognitive experiences that require receptivity, reciprocity, or simply a relaxed state of mind. The world of objects that emerges is a world that may be defined with extraordinary accuracy in many respects, but is one whose parameters are determined principally by the needs of the observer. (pp. 121-22) This mortal fear of abject capitulation to others is the moral center of gravity of the Nash equilibrium, and its implacable commitment to the solitary self-sufficiency of the ego is the marginal supplement that renders the otherwise quite confused and contradictory textbook
Query on Marxian Anecdote
I wonder if anyone can (a) confirm/correct the following anecdote and (b) identify a source for it. I read it someplace long ago but no longer remember where. Shortly after one of Marx's vacations in Germany in which he had been luxuriously entertained by some of his aristocratic friends, someone in London noted that such pleasures would not be available in the socialist future, and asked whether Marx would enjoy living in that future. Marx's reply was that he would be dead by then. Carrol
Taguba and His Father: the Empire's Multinational Soldiers
Major General Antonio M. Taguba, the author of the Article 15-6 Investigation of the 800th Military Police Brigade that probed into torture of Iraqi prisoners at Abu Ghraib, is by all accounts a good man who is compassionate as well as professional. A New York Times article gives us a glimpse of the man's character: 'If you want the truth, he's going to tell you the truth,' said one army general who has served under Taguba. 'He's not bullied; he's a stand-up guy.' . . . 'He's a straight shooter, very professional, and comes across as very empathetic,' said Eric Lachica, executive director of the American Coalition for Filipino Veterans. 'When you talk, he doesn't interrupt you. He really tries to understand what you say' (Douglas Jehl, Head of Inquiry On Iraq Abuses Now in Spotlight, New York Times, May 10, 2004, p. A1+). The same New York Times article also hints at the ambivalent social position in which men like Maj. Gen. Taguba find themselves in the complex history of the sprawling American empire: During World War II, his father had served as a Philippine Scout, a member of a native Philippine unit under the U.S. Army. After he was taken prisoner by the Japanese, he escaped and fought in the resistance against them, but was not repatriated until the war's end (Jehl, May 10, 2004). Taguba's insistence on pulling no punches in exposing all the excruciating details of Abu Ghraib torture may have been informed by his father's memory of torture at the hands of the Japanese Imperial Army, as a number of journalists noted. It may also have been colored by his own memory of Washington's injustice to his father and other Filipino men who served in the US military. Taguba's and his father's relationship to the US military certainly suggests a mixture of loyalty (to the institution) and resentment (against the elite who control it) -- proud to serve in the military whose leaders have blatantly denied them equal rights: Taguba went out of his way in 2001 to call attention to what he described as the injustice the army had accorded to his father after a two-decade career that began in the Battle of Bataan in 1942, where he fought alongside U.S. forces. He was captured by the Japanese, whose cruelties toward many of their prisoners have been well documented. Staff Sergeant Tomas Taguba left the army without so much as a retirement ceremony to thank him for those 20 years of hard work and faithful service, Taguba recalled with evident bitterness in a Veterans' Day speech. . . . I am proud to serve in the world's best Army, General Taguba said in Congressional testimony in 2001. Still, if we are to remain the best, he continued, the well-being of its soldiers and families must be its principal focus. . . . His father was among about 100,000 Filipinos who were essentially drafted into American service after the outbreak of World War II. But it was not until 1999, General Taguba said in the 2001 speech, that the Army finally recognized his father with medals, and his mother, Maria, with a ceremony and a letter of appreciation. It took over 54 years to gain my parents their due recognition, he said. They sought not to be recognized, only to be appreciated. (Jehl, May 11, 2004) Though the New York Times neglected to mention in the article above, it is only last year when Washington finally granted Filipino-American WW2 veterans complete health care benefits -- the benefits still denied Filipino veterans who are neither US citizens nor US permanent residents. . . . The rest of the posting at http://montages.blogspot.com/2004/05/taguba-and-his-father-empires.html. -- Yoshie * Critical Montages: http://montages.blogspot.com/ * Bring Them Home Now! http://www.bringthemhomenow.org/ * Calendars of Events in Columbus: http://sif.org.ohio-state.edu/calendar.html, http://www.freepress.org/calendar.php, http://www.cpanews.org/ * Student International Forum: http://sif.org.ohio-state.edu/ * Committee for Justice in Palestine: http://www.osudivest.org/ * Al-Awda-Ohio: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Al-Awda-Ohio * Solidarity: http://www.solidarity-us.org/
Re: Mirowski on Nash's brilliant insight
just because Nash was crazy doesn't mean that he was always wrong. However, the popularity of his concept of equilibrium may reflect the craziness of the economics profession. BTW,a game matrix can be seen as a simplified picture of a social structure. The motivations of the "players" don't have to be the narrow greediness of _homo economicus_ or the paranoid. In the Hargreaves-Heap/Varofakis book, for example, they examine the behavior of those who follow Kant's categorical imperative. Obviously, this produces different results. JD
Re: Mirowski on Nash's brilliant insight
Jim D. wrote: just because Nash was crazy doesn't mean that he was always wrong. Who are you arguing with here? What specifically from the summary of his ideas by Mirowski would you select as demonstrating brilliant insight into human motives and behaviour? He believed himself possessed of such insight, of course, and able to achieve it without any contact with others, which was fortunate since his paranoia prevented such contact. Ted
Re: Mirowski on Nash's brilliant insight
it's true that you didn't draw out the conclusions you had come to from all of the quotes from Mirowski. As far as I could tell, you were saying that because Nash was crazy, NE was wrong in some sense. I feel it's enough to think that NE is wrong due to other reasons. Jim -Original Message- From: Ted Winslow [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Wed 5/19/2004 4:45 PM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Cc: Subject: Re: [PEN-L] Mirowski on Nash's brilliant insight Jim D. wrote: just because Nash was crazy doesn't mean that he was always wrong. Who are you arguing with here? What specifically from the summary of his ideas by Mirowski would you select as demonstrating brilliant insight into human motives and behaviour? He believed himself possessed of such insight, of course, and able to achieve it without any contact with others, which was fortunate since his paranoia prevented such contact. Ted
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Re: New York Times on Scarcity
Jim: As far as I could tell, you were saying that because Nash was crazy, NE was wrong in some sense. Jim, It was Mirowsky who wrote those pieces Ted sent, not Ted. I happen to have read the book too and I must confess that I was greatly influenced by his Machine Dreams, as well as by his other books such as More Heat than Light. But I never thought that Mirowsky was arguing that NE was wrong because Nash was crazy. My reading of Mirowsky is that he argues that Nash formulated the problem the way he did because he was paranoid schizophrenic. I don't think Nash's paranoid schizophrenic equilibrium is wrong. I just think it is paranoid schizophrenic. I think this is what Mirowsky thinks too. Best, Sabri
Re: Mirowski on Nash's brilliant insight
As usual, I screw up the title again. The above should have been the title of my previous post. What was that thing with which I once embarrassed myself: Alzheimer's or so? I guess I am suffering form that at this not so late age. Best
Re: Mirowski on Nash's brilliant insight
Jim D. wrote: it's true that you didn't draw out the conclusions you had come to from all of the quotes from Mirowski. As far as I could tell, you were saying that because Nash was crazy, NE was wrong in some sense. I feel it's enough to think that NE is wrong due to other reasons. I did say earlier, having attempted to demonstrate with argument what I take to be mistaken aspects of game theory, that: Game theory is based on a mistaken understanding of rationality, ignores the fact that social relations are internal relations, and ignores the role of irrationality in human thought and behaviour. The psychology doesn't demonstrate these mistakes; it explains them. It explains, for instance, why a particular kind of mentality is largely immune to rational arguments demonstrating these mistakes. I had understood you to be claiming that Nash's equilibrium concept was brilliant. Einstein's Gedanken (sp?) experiments and Nash's brilliant insight come from non-neurotypical thinking. I do think that Nash's equilibrium concept was brilliant. Ted
Re: Hate radio
[EMAIL PROTECTED] 5/19/2004 9:05:42 AM When the torture story first broke, Rush Limbaugh made a number of outrageous remarks about the revelations, including calling the abuses by U.S. soldiers pretty thoughtful and a brilliant maneuver. was radio channel surfing the other day and heard limbaugh comparing prisoner abuse photos to robert mapplethorpe's work, he suggested that people who are criticizing sexual humiliation/degradation/torture of iragis are same folks who have promoted porno agenda and celebrated likes of mapplethorpe, guess one's inability to choose to be a subject in such matters is irrelevant... michael hoover
Re: Hate radio
The headline for today's column by Cal Thomas (I didn't read the column itself) blames the problems in Iraq on Coed Basic Training. :-) The Army has become increasingly dependent on women in its ranks; that could conceivably cause them as much trouble as racism caused in the '60s. Carrol Michael Hoover wrote: [EMAIL PROTECTED] 5/19/2004 9:05:42 AM When the torture story first broke, Rush Limbaugh made a number of outrageous remarks about the revelations, including calling the abuses by U.S. soldiers pretty thoughtful and a brilliant maneuver. was radio channel surfing the other day and heard limbaugh comparing prisoner abuse photos to robert mapplethorpe's work, he suggested that people who are criticizing sexual humiliation/degradation/torture of iragis are same folks who have promoted porno agenda and celebrated likes of mapplethorpe, guess one's inability to choose to be a subject in such matters is irrelevant... michael hoover
