Quote:
Originally Posted by Alan Kaufman
>>>>>>Your history has condemned you to see ghosts everywhere.
I relish this statement of yours and choose to respond only to it because at its essence is precisely one of the problems with our culture. Per this, the Holocaust is my history but not your history. The suffering of others does not pertain to you.
But my history is going to become your history.
And when it does, you'll remember that a couple of nutty writers, like that Jewish guy Alan Kaufman and that Native American Sherman Alexie, tried to warn you.
Because our histories are your histories: you just don't know it yet. And that is the lesson, I guess, that you will have to learn, unfortunately, in a manner that I wouldn't wish upon my worst enemy.
Bon chance!
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Mr Kaufman,
Please don't try to read meanings into my words that aren't there. By "your" history I obviously meant the persecution of the members of your family. That is your personal history. Of course, it is just as relevant to me and everyone else. What I meant is that personal experiences have affected (and, as I see it, somewhat distorted) your point of view so that you do see ghosts even where there are none.
Yes, we must beware. Yes, we must make sure that such things will never ever happen again. But your campaign against electronic books does not help to ensure this. Especially when you present it in such a way. It is good to see that you have toned down your comments and we can discuss your concerns in a rational manner. We do share your fear of totalitarianism, however, we are convinced that technology is more of a tool to ensure freedom of speech and thought than a tool of oppression. Here we are, people from all parts of the world, communicating with the help of technology. This technology enables you to easily reach us all. Some people are trying to abuse the information they have about us (mostly for commercial purposes, nowadays), but nobody can ever have full control over technology and the internet. They cannot prevent us from sharing our views, our ideas. It is impossible to totally smother freedom because of technology.