Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id MAA29129 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk); Fri, 8 Feb 2002 12:26:25 GMT X-Authentication-Warning: cheetah.nor.com.au: Host [202.147.129.248] claimed to be green-machine Message-Id: <3.0.1.32.20020208231503.006c89c0@pophost.nor.com.au> X-Sender: jeremyb@pophost.nor.com.au X-Mailer: Windows Eudora Light Version 3.0.1 (32) Date: Fri, 08 Feb 2002 23:15:03 +1100 To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk From: Jeremy Bradley <jeremyb@nor.com.au> Subject: Re: Words and memes In-Reply-To: <5.0.2.1.0.20020207205507.00a36010@mail.clarityconnect.com> References: <20020208005241.9AF071FD47@camail.harvard.edu> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Sender: fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
At 09:22 PM 7/02/02 -0500, you wrote:
>Hi Wade,
>
>At 07:52 PM 2/7/2002 -0500, you wrote:
>>Hi Ray Recchia -
>>
>> >I think we need to stick to safer topics.
>>
>>That's also known as ostrichism.
>I think you are spelling it wrong. The term is "ostracism." And it's
>something this field needs to avoid in a very serious way. Look at the
>what the misuse of evolutionary theory lead to in the last century. The
>ripples were felt when in the 1970's E.O. Wilson wrote a wonderful book
>describing his ideas about a new science. There were some twenty or so
>chapters in that book and only the last one addressed humans at all. A few
>politically incorrect statements about men and women and the whole field
>got ostracized (not ostrichised).
>
Hi Ray
Wade was referring to the ostrich's habit of putting its head in the sand
when confronted by danger.
I agree with you though that some of our generalisations, especially mine,
may "bite us on the ass" one day. E-mails are monitored by insecurity
agencies in these troubled times and, after some of my statements I don't
think that I will bother with any job applications to USAnian universities.
As Chomsky would say, in a climate of self-censoring democracy has ceased
to exist.
Jeremy
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