Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id UAA10939 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk); Mon, 11 Feb 2002 20:27:16 GMT Message-Id: <5.1.0.14.0.20020211151953.02c86590@pop.cogeco.ca> X-Sender: hkhenson@pop.cogeco.ca X-Mailer: QUALCOMM Windows Eudora Version 5.1 Date: Mon, 11 Feb 2002 15:23:14 -0500 To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk From: Keith Henson <hkhenson@cogeco.ca> Subject: RE: ply to Grant: Lawrence of Arabia and the Middle East In-Reply-To: <2D1C159B783DD211808A006008062D3102A6D23A@inchna.stir.ac.uk > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed Sender: fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
At 12:45 PM 11/02/02 +0000, Vincent Campbell <v.p.campbell@stir.ac.uk>
wrote:
> Hi Lawrence,
>
> <To all our memetics list readers, I would like to recognize that in
>these
> > discussions of the Middle East, Afghanistan, etc, we are straying far from
> > the normal scope of discussion. I see this all as a wonderful case study
> > of
> > applied memetics, but understand that this may not be the view of many on
> > this list. We are also discussing this due to the scurrilous and
> > provocative
> > attacks on Islam that a couple of members of this list have posted, and I
> > have been among those rising to the bait and responding.
> >
> > I would welcome any thoughts or guidance you might give me with regard to
> > the propriety of this discussion on this list, including any private
> > emails
> > you may wish to send me about this.>
> >
> Personally speaking, I think it's difficult to have a discussion
>list about as broad a topic as cultural evolution and stick entirely,
>eternally, to memetics. So, for me, discussions such as yours of the
>Palestine/Israel problem is fine. Of course, if such things become heated,
>and politicized, then perhaps the participants in particular threads should
>start sending them to each other privately.
>
> Having said that I don't agree with Ray that subjects should be
>avoided, and there is the risk that off-list discussions can become
>unnecessarily personal, and I've been the subject of that (from Richard
>Brodie) and to my shame a perpetrator of that (with Robin ages ago). To
>avoid that, we should stick to the main list where the group can decide
>what's reasonable/relevant to discuss.
Indeed. Memetics will suddenly become mainstream if studies based on
memetics and evolutionary psychology (which seems to me to be necessary to
get anywhere) can suggest better policy in the mid east or elsewhere.
Keith Henson
===============================================================
This was distributed via the memetics list associated with the
Journal of Memetics - Evolutionary Models of Information Transmission
For information about the journal and the list (e.g. unsubscribing)
see: http://www.cpm.mmu.ac.uk/jom-emit
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Mon Feb 11 2002 - 20:55:38 GMT