[lit-ideas] Re: Seeking the Prime source
- From: "Lawrence Helm"<lawrencehelm@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Tue, 13 Mar 2007 01:54:46 +0000
The trouble is, Simon, that you don't know what you're talking about. You
already admitted that you haven't read Steyn; yet you persist in trying to tell
me what he says and knows. That fits just about anyone's of "dumb.". If you
want blow smoke, and fake it, don't do it with the guy who knows you are
blowing smoke and faking it. You write as though you have an intellectual
death wish.
We've gotten into demographics a number of times in the past on Phil-Lit and
Lit-Ideas, especially several years ago as a result of reading Samuel P.
Huntington, a legitimate scholar who utilizes demographics in his arguments.
He bases major portions of his theories about the clashes of civilizations upon
his demographic studies. Had you read Huntington you wouldn't be writing as
you do. Huntington is vital to what Steyn is writing, by the way. Anyone
making comments on these subjects unless they don't mind seeming to be
ignorant, needs to read Huntington. Steyn gives evidence of reading
Huntington. Read Huntington and then try and tell me again that demographics
are self-authenticating. Read his references and you will learn that people
are devoting their lives to interpreting demographics and yet you presume to
know as much as they do by calling up something on Google? Tell me again about
your education.
Steyn is a very bright fellow and anyone who thinks that he isn't, hasn't read
him or is so prejudiced that they can't think clearly. To attack him as being
uneducated, which both you and Hari do, and in the process produce writings
that are far beneath what Steyn is producing, reflects on you and not Steyn.
Steyn in a brilliant writer. You and Hari, if Hari's review is any example,
are inferior to him by several orders of magnitude.
Lawrence
------------Original Message------------
From: "Simon Ward" <sedward@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Date: Mon, Mar-12-2007 6:00 PM
Subject: [lit-ideas] Re: Seeking the Prime source
Ah the climb down. No proof pending clearly.
The trouble is Lawrence, as I keep saying, commentators like Steyn are
preaching to the converted, espousing vacuous theories that are at the same
time wrong and yet exactly what their audience wants to hear. All of the Steyn
quotes you've transcribed relate to third party anecdotals that appear to
vindicate he's central thesis that Islam is taking over Europe. This isn't
sound academic practice as you well know.
So now it turns out that even as you keep pasting the walls of Lit-Ideas with
Steyn's words you don't actually agree with what he has to say.
The Prime Source in this debate about demographics is, surprisingly enough,
demographics, not political commentary. Try looking on the net for European
census data, do some work, then come back with some results. And a hint, don't
forget the young Eastern Europeans - all most all of child bearing age - that
are streaming into Western Europe looking to work, looking to benefit from
western culture, looking to perpetuate it. Does Steyn mention these new
immigrants at all?
Simon
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