that we are all partisans for 'our side' (no matter how vague or just plain wrongly-formed is our illusion of 'a side'). When violence starts - so does the hunkering down and the huge pressure for speech to conform. Tribe.

Only in Heinlein exists there a Fairwitness. (my sig. on eBay electronic trades ;-)

Academia is supposed to be a safe haven for such - but we saw the loyalty oaths in the '50s and I predict: coming soon, starting in the Islamic Studies depts. (Perhaps this time we won't emulate the firing of the Russian experts in State [must be Commies] - but maybe Arabic speakers had best prepare to burn notes next?)

deja vu, even in my brief tenure in 'our' illusionary world. We don't learn shit; have to wade through it again and again.



Ashton