if I'm totally bored by a thread, I either just stop reading it or I set up an automatic filter to send it to trash without my having to think about it. (Some pen-pals are on my auto-trash list, so I don't have to do this.) There's usually no point in complaining about it. If there is cause for complaint about the low level of discussion, then the reader has the obligation to try to bring the level up.
On 9/16/07, sartesian <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > I have no problem with that. My objection was to the invisible critic's > remarks. > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Michael Perelman" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: <[email protected]> > Sent: Sunday, September 16, 2007 12:50 PM > Subject: Re: [PEN-L] Why the peak oil debate is through > > > > You made your profit point early on in the debate, while it was still > useful. Now > > it is repetitive, which is why it is finished. > > > > > > On Sun, Sep 16, 2007 at 12:47:27PM -0400, sartesian wrote: > > > But.... the explosive "but..". > > > > > > There were real substative issues raised-- not the least of which, > in my > > > non-humble opinion, is the one I continued to raise and which was > never > > > really taken up-- profit, the role of profit in driving prices up or > > > down, in inflating or deflating fears of looming shortages. > > > > > > Every capitalist can tell you where the bread is, where the butter > is, > > > and just how important getting the butter on the bread is-- and > > > everthing in capitalism is about the bread and butter of securing > profit > > > and protecting the already congealed profit called private property. > > > > > > I would hope progressive economists would ascribe a "value" to the > > > question of profit in these matters commensurate with the value > ascribed > > > by the capitalist economy itself. > > > > > > If we can't trace these gyrations-- ideological, "scientific,"-- > back to > > > their origins in a capitalist economy, then we, economists or not, > don't > > > have a chance of grasping their real social importance. > > > > > > That participants in a discussion use sarcasm to a greater or lesser > > > degree is to be expected when many of the members of this last have > > > made, not a career of using sarcasm, but sarcasm itself a way of > > > "italicizing" their points in a discussion. > > > > > > Anyway, this from the guy who first asked for exiling this > discussion to > > > the frozen zone until such time as we could get it past the > repitition > > > compulsion stage. Go figure. > > > > > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > > From: "Michael Perelman" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > > To: <[email protected]> > > > Sent: Sunday, September 16, 2007 12:31 PM > > > Subject: Re: [PEN-L] Why the peak oil debate is through > > > > > > > > > > I do not want to say much about the person's identity, but that > > > individual is not a > > > > deep lurker. > > > > The problem with the discussion was not that it was insufficiently > > > academic. If > > > > that were the case, Lou's response would be right on target. Nor > was > > > the problem > > > > that I wanted to cut off people's opportunity to participate. > Just > > > the opposite. I > > > > wanted to encourage more people to participate. Nor was the > problem > > > that certain > > > > ideas have no business on the list. > > > > At first, I thought the discussion was healthy. The problem was > that > > > the discussion > > > > degenerated until it was mostly limited to two people, who were > going > > > back and forth > > > > in a style that was increasingly becoming personal. My > experience is > > > that people > > > > tell me that they hesitate to jump into discussions because they > do > > > not want to get > > > > involved in this kind of exchange. > > > > I would've appreciated hearing from people outside of North > America > > > bringing their > > > > perspective into the discussion. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > -- > > > > Michael Perelman > > > > Economics Department > > > > California State University > > > > Chico, CA 95929 > > > > > > > > Tel. 530-898-5321 > > > > E-Mail michael at ecst.csuchico.edu > > > > michaelperelman.wordpress.com > > > > > > > > -- > > Michael Perelman > > Economics Department > > California State University > > Chico, CA 95929 > > > > Tel. 530-898-5321 > > E-Mail michael at ecst.csuchico.edu > > michaelperelman.wordpress.com > > > -- Jim Devine / "Segui il tuo corso, e lascia dir le genti." (Go your own way and let people talk.) -- Karl, paraphrasing Dante.
