California State University, Dominguez Hills
Created: January 2, 2002
Latest update: January 2, 2002
jeannecurran@habermas.org.

Issues that can be understood and felt
close-up by every human being"

On Monday, December 31, 2001, Bill E. posted at PSN:

To: psn@csf.colorado.edu
Subject: Of activist academics and terror

Given recent discussions, PSNers may be interested in Todd Gitlin's recent notes in Mother Jones on the "soft anti-American" left after September 11th, which includes a few tacit remarks on the role of public intellectuals. (see attached)

For fun, I also included the full text of the Port Huron Statement from http://coursesa.matrix.msu.edu/~hst306/documents/huron.html as a reminder of where Gitlin got started.

I wonder if his current effort can be understood in light of a "new left [which] must transform modern complexity into issues that can be understood and felt close-up by every human being. It must give form to the feelings of helplessness and indifference, so that people may see the political, social and economic sources of their private troubles and organize to change society. In a time of supposed prosperity, moral complacency and political manipulation, a new left cannot rely on only aching stomachs to be the engine force of social reform. The case for change, for alternatives that will involve uncomfortable personal efforts, must be argued as never before. The university is a relevant place for all of these activities."

On Wednesday, January 3, 2002, jeanne commented:

I want to come back to this. I want to consider the new centrist philosophy, and I want to examine the extent to which left/right positions are in flux. What does it mean that Pat Robertson ceded his position as leader of the Christian Coalition to George Bush? (I just read this in Latin American News this afternoon. Will have to catch up. jeanne)

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