Judy - I was speaking tongue in cheek. If you go back into the archives,
I'm syure you will find my email postings defending peter singer. My
comment was merely a joke, a farce highlighted by my reference to the
anarchist cookbook, which is a book on how to build bombs and other
violent weapons. I hereby apologize to anyone offended by this comment,
but now that I do not readily dimiss any philopsher, being a student of
philosophy myself.
On Wed, 7 Jul 1999, Judy Singer wrote:
> Alexa wrote in response to the article in the London Metro:
>
> > This is typical. Sounds like Peter Singer has been successful.
>
> as if Peter Singer was some kind of malign force of evil-rather than
> being a rather mainstream utilitarian philosopher.
>
> I hear that at a recent Harvard anti-Singer rally, there was an unusual
> alliance of Right to Lifers and Disability Activists carrying placards
> saying things like "Dr Singer - the New Mengele".
>
> For a while now, I've been thinking that the reason Peter Singer is
> being demonised,( and I believe, correct me if I'm wrong, that the
> impetus for all this started in Germany) is that a new generation of
> guilty germans is desperate to be able to point the finger at someone
> else. "See! The Jews are just as bad as we were. Maybe even worse".
> It's blatantly obvious, though no one will say it, that this is the
> reason why Peter Singer is being singled out above all else, and is a
> lightning rod for projections of Nazi guilt.
>
> As it happens just today I came across an article in Salon Magazine, at
> http://www.salonmagazine.com/books/it/1999/07/02/philosopher/index.html
> which confirms me in my hypothesis, though the author stops short of
> naming the anti-semitic undercurrents:
>
> But consider this quote:
>
> ." The general message [of the demonstrators] : Singer is an arrogant,
> elitist intellectual who has come to America to poison the minds of our
> Ivy League youth. The protesters called him a killer, a Nazi, a hater
> and, perhaps most telling of all, a snob. "
>
> Now where have I heard this stereotypic profile before, I wonder? Except
> with a new enhancement - it seems that there is nothing so delightful
> for people who can't deal with their own guilt as to pass the mantle of
> Nazism to as many Jews as possible. Talk about projection!!
>
> And finally, if you're going to villify Peter Singer, at least read his
> damn book!
>
> Judy Singer
>
>
>
>
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