Doug Henwood wrote: > William S. Lear wrote: > > >>No they don't but I think you're underestimating the preference of the > >>privileged to insulate themselves as much as possible from a problem rather > >>than facing it head on. From the first, the response to AIDS has been to > >>ignore its threat to "normal" (i.e., affluent white suburbanites) people, > >>and stigmatize it as a disease of queers, junkies, and racial minorities. > >>Unless lots of people in Scarsdale and Topeka start falling ill, the > >>"normal" people will continue to believe this and act accordingly. I'm > >>sorry to repeat myself on this to the point of boredom, but most > >>intellectuals overestimate the power of reason in politics. > > > >I'm not sure I follow. You say the "privileged" would rather > >"insulate themselves" from the AIDS problem "rather than facing it > >head on". I agree. Why bother with a disease you think only affects > >"others", particularly when you are privileged ("affluent white > >suburbanites") and can live a life of isolated ease? > > There's a question of whether they can successfully insulate themselves > from microbes. They may think so, but pathogens are devious, persistent > little buggers. > > >However, I don't > >see how your last sentence follows from this. First, how does it > >follow, and second, what exactly do you mean? Who exactly are you > >referring to and could you give us an example? > > It's very hard to persuade affluent Americans that the problems of the poor > can be their problems too someday, or that ecological crisis could have any > bearing on them. No doubt many, even most, people who drive SUVs consider > themselves environmentalists of some sort. You can present all kinds of > reasoned stats on rising surface temperatures and climatic instability, or > on the risks of infection of "normal" populations, and they won't believe > you. And if any of the threats become too real, it's likely they'll opt for > containment (incarceration, quarantine) or private sector solutions > (private schools, air filters, bottled water) over more humane approaches. > > Maybe it's just that I saw Blade Runner the other night. Blade Runner! Galactic! The flame that burns twice as bright lasts half as long. The original or the directors cut? I think the directors cut makes the fact that Harrison Ford was an android more transparent.I don't think the dystopia of Bladerunner is that fanciful. It contains a lot of great lines..its not easy to meet your maker... Its too bad she won't live...but then again, who does? Sam Pawlett > > > Doug