oaf@mit-vax.UUCP (Oded Feingold) (12/09/85)
I object to the term "Arab psyche" because, like any other form of
bigotry, it reduces people to equivalence classes. These classes are
too crudely and falsely granular to be useful for anything. I would
insult my own intelligence and ability to evaluate data if I filtered my
inputs that way.
Mr. Chedley Aouriri's questioning "Jewish allegiance" is another
example of such grotesque generalization.
However, it is perhaps fair to characterize certain governments (in
this case Arab ones) for characteristic qualities. The Syrian example
[girls biting snakes, people killing dogs] seems to me typical of that
government's cruelty and propensity to rule by lies and manipulated
hysteria. I can look to the massacre at Hama and the unconscionable
squeeze put on Arafat's PLO for further examples, and feel comfortable
labeling the Syrian government as I have. [Corrections invited.]
But note - even general truths about a society or a government do
not say anything about individuals from said society or government. I
know several Syrians, Lebanese, Palestinians and Egyptians as individual
humans: ANYTHING I think of their government or their society has no
necessary application to them as individuals.
I THINK I CAN LIVE with that distinction, and will even recommend it
to others, including people as diverse as Messrs. Martillo, Aouriri, and
Velu Sinha.
By the way, I also feel that distinguishing one's feelings toward
groups and individuals permits me to sidestep certain controversies in
related fields. For example, who gives a damn whether Shockley,
Herrnstein et alii are right about Blacks averaging N points lower on IQ
tests? Such norms say nothing about individuals, and I'd be a fool to
treat a new Black acquaintance as anything but herself, no? [Do not be
misled into thinking I have any respect for IQ scores as a measure of
anything.]
Flames invited - my mailbox is lonely.
--
Oded Feingold MIT AI Lab. 545 Tech Square Cambridge, Mass. 02139
OAF%OZ@MIT-MC.ARPA {harvard, ihnp4!mit-eddie}!mitvax!oaf 617-253-8598gottlieb@alliant.UUCP (Bob Gottlieb) (12/17/85)
In article <13@mit-vax.UUCP> oaf@mit-vax.UUCP (Oded Feingold) writes: > However, it is perhaps fair to characterize certain governments (in >this case Arab ones) for characteristic qualities. The Syrian example >[girls biting snakes, people killing dogs] seems to me typical of that >government's cruelty and propensity to rule by lies and manipulated >hysteria. In the words of some Science Fiction writer (Gordy Dickson, I believe), "People get the kind of government they deserve". I feel that this is true. The broader statement: "People get the kind of government they want" may be true at the subconscious level, anyway. > But note - even general truths about a society or a government do >not say anything about individuals from said society or government. I agree, as far as INDIVIDUALS are concerned. My previous statement is meant to apply to societies/governments, not to individuals. -- Bob Gottlieb UUCP: ...!linus!alliant!gottlieb ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ "I don't know what I'm doing, and Alliant isn't responsible either, so there!"