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I think he meant "pansy" as in flower, not as slang for homosexual. (I, for one, haven't heard "pansy" used as slang in ages)! Nicky Hamlyn. On 3 Oct 2010, at 17:00, Epiphanie Bloom wrote: > Bill, > > I don't understand why you're equating gay men with the "art for > art's sake" mentality, as gay people are as philosophically diverse > as any group, however your derogatory use of 'pansy' is simply not > acceptable. I don't want to talk to a homophobe, so our exchange > ends here. > > Epiphanie > > On Mon, Oct 4, 2010 at 2:01 AM, bill harris <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > Hi Ephanie, > > Well, I do believe that to a certain extent geography is destiny. > After all, to travel the same distance from monocultural east-to- > west USA or Russia would traverse a dozen or so European countries. > As a more specific example, for a Frenchperson to express adequate > cultural literacy, he/she would have at least a passing familiarity > with, say, Polish cinema. > > This, of course, is not to excuse the hopeless inwardness of > Americans...or that which I hear about the Russians, by the way. But > we of the culturally-minded set can derive some satisfaction that > self-inflicted stupidity has dire consequences far outside our own > orbit. > > For example, it's a commonly-held view among the bozo-majority that > only we, The Amerikans, are capable of creating democratic > institutions-- give or take several other European or Anglophonic > entities, of course. Moreover, that Amererikan 'democracy' might > seem to others as > nothing more than yet another purchased commodity is besides the > point. > > Back in the early sevenites it was a commonly-repeated mantra that > both Spain and Greece were not, culturally speaking, democratically > adept. Not coincidentally, this particular metaphysik coincided > nicely with Amerikan-CIA support of military discatorships. So I > suppose it took the Athenian street-corner execution of Robert Gates > to suggest otherwise. Elutheria, indeed, as actions frequently are > the last recourse when dealing with the moronically smug. > > Today there are those who speak the same of China; those whose > purview extends a bit, perhaps, past the local laundry and Golden > Dragon chow-chow into the mystical realm of Great Walls, oversized > glazed pottery, and bragging rights for peaches and noodles. > Besides, if both the mayor of Singaphor and the CP head honcho said > it, it can't be wrong, now can it? "The Chineese follow Confucius, > not Rousseau." > > Yet what's obvious is that if this were true, then such extreme > measures of police-state violence wouldn't be necessary. Thugs with > guns claim that the people they terrorize are not culturally > receptive to self rule. Now, who other than an Amerikan would > believe such nonsense? Which gets me to my own three points: > > First, in order to have art, it must be desired. One must crave the > stimulation, the provocation, the quest for beauty. OTH, these are > those who seek money; or as it's said in India, The godesses of > wealth and knowledge cannot slepp under tha same roof. > > Next, although the Oscarwildes among us will not agree, there's > obviously a relationship between art and society; and therefore one > between the social and politics. As this, of course, is baseline > Aristotle, perhaps it's those who conceive of art as no more than > pansy-contemplation should be the ones to take their stuff elsewhere. > > Lastly, pace Kant (a philosopher, gasp!) the desire for freedom is > innate, in all of us. As art is a personal manifestation of this, > it's relationship to politics is self-evident to all of those whose > brain isn't addled by consummerist ideology. > > BH > > > -- > Reality is the Wildest Fantasy > * * Film-Philosophy Email Discussion Salon After hitting 'reply' > please always delete the text of the message you are replying to To > leave, send the message: leave film-philosophy to: [log in to unmask] > Or visit: http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/film-philosophy.html For > technical help email: [log in to unmask], not the salon * Film- > Philosophy online: http://www.film-philosophy.com Contact: [log in to unmask] > ** * * Film-Philosophy After hitting 'reply' please always delete the text of the message you are replying to To leave, send the message: leave film-philosophy to: [log in to unmask] Or visit: http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/film-philosophy.html For technical help email: [log in to unmask], not the salon * Film-Philosophy online: http://www.film-philosophy.com Contact: [log in to unmask] **