Date: Tue, 13 Feb 1996 23:54:33 -0500
From: "Shawn P. Wilbur" <swilbur@bgsuvax.bgsu.edu>
Subject: Re: orgonomy
To: orgonomy@jefferson.village.virginia.edu
Sender: owner-orgonomy@jefferson.village.virginia.edu
In-Reply-To: <960213120407_421465834@emout05.mail.aol.com>
Message-Id: <Pine.3.07.9602132230.B6011-c100000@bgsuvax.bgsu.edu>

How extraordinarily sad...

I've just finished rereading Mr. Carlinsky's attack on James Demeo and
others, and i have to confess that my only response is a growing disgust.
If the essay is not libelous - a question i'll leave to those with
more knowledge of the events in question (but where are the facts to go
with the allegations?) - then it is at least a shoddy piece of work. While
the general problem raised - the ecosystemic consequences of cloudbusting -
is certainly of vital interest, this issue is constantly abandoned in
favor of a series of personal attacks based on little more than inuendo.
Given the seriousness of the accusations, it seems inexcuseable that they
would be posted in such a cavalier manner. References to unproduced
evidence or unnamed endangered species are unconvincing; the whole
production is tantalizingly vague. 

And although Mr. Carlinsky has determined in advance - apparently for his
readers, though it is unclear who (or how important) those readers are
supposed to be - that issues of character and intent will not be
sufficient responses, it is hard not to ask *why* - to what end - this
message has been posted in this forum and in this form. It is clear that
it has little potential to educate or build the community we are
attempting to build through forums like this one - *But* does have
considerable potential for causing disruption. Apparently the stated
concern for ecology does not extend to the fragile ecologies developing on
the net. The essay is clearly a bomb dropped for maximum effect. This
hardly seems consistent with the life-affirming character of reichian
work. 

It is an unfortunate fact that interactions online are often rushed, and
that a degree of incivility is taken for granted in many online forums. To
this point, this list has been a rather pleasant exception to the general
rule - largely due to the patience and openness of a range of
participants. It appears that this disruption did not even come from a
member of the OML, but was posted by someone with no commitments here, and
nothing to lose if this group were splintered. 

As i said, sad... 

I encourage folks to look closely at what is and isn't contained in the
post. I think they will find, as i have, that it is neither good science
nor good journalism. Certainly, it is not in the spirit of Reich.

And then perhaps we can simply move on to real problems, of which there
are no lack.

-shawn





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