Fight Club was probably a better movie to watch to understand the people who attacked us than The Battle of Algiers. All the efforts to ascribe a meaning to the events – the terrorists hate our freedom, or they hate that we are supporting dictators in their region, or they hate that we are infidels, or they hate that we are engaged in wars of aggression against Muslims, or whatever – were responses to our need for meaning rather than to the events themselves.
Just as some say “they hate that we are supporting dictators in their region” and some say “they hate that we are infidels”, Millman says “Fight Club was probably a better movie to watch to understand the people who attacked us than The Battle of Algiers.”
Millman has a particular political position. From the inside, one’s political position looks like just common sense, above the petty politics of trying to fit every event into a narrow world view, which is what the other sides do.
It is hard for him to see this as a political position because it identifies multiple other political positions, rather than just one (which would be a sure sign of it being political). This is analogous to the “don’t be a dick” crowd’s thinking they are (uniquely) above irrationality in a debate about religion in society, cue xkcd.
In general: if one thinks one has a unique, common sense, apolitical third way, one probably doesn’t. It looks basically the same from the inside whether one is toked out in Berkeley or in church in Arkansas.
From the inside, one’s political position looks like just common sense, above the petty politics of trying to fit every event into a narrow world view, which is what the other sides do.
“Ideologies are like accents. Other people have them, you just talk normal.” — Matt Stoller
It took a significant effort of will to realize that I pronounce water as though it has two r’s. I say warter—it’s a Delaware/Philadelphia accent. And even though it looks very odd in print, it sounds completely normal to me. ‘Wahter’ (the way most people pronounce it, even though it also looks very odd in print) doesn’t sound as wet to me.
I pronounce the b. Is that the question? I didn’t know there was more than one way to pronounce it.
Also, vase vs. vahse. I think of vase as normal and vahse as affected. I try to keep a grip and realise that people generally say vahse because they think it’s normal, not because they’re showing off, and the same for aahnt meaning aunt. In at least one dialect (sorry, I don’t know which one), both vase and vahse are used, with vahse meaning a fancy vase.
Upvoted because I had to go back and reread to figure out what you were saying. (“I think of vase as normal and vahse as affected.” I didn’t even notice because I think of ‘vayse’ as normal as well.)
Just as some say “they hate that we are supporting dictators in their region” and some say “they hate that we are infidels”, Millman says “Fight Club was probably a better movie to watch to understand the people who attacked us than The Battle of Algiers.”
Millman has a particular political position. From the inside, one’s political position looks like just common sense, above the petty politics of trying to fit every event into a narrow world view, which is what the other sides do.
It is hard for him to see this as a political position because it identifies multiple other political positions, rather than just one (which would be a sure sign of it being political). This is analogous to the “don’t be a dick” crowd’s thinking they are (uniquely) above irrationality in a debate about religion in society, cue xkcd.
In general: if one thinks one has a unique, common sense, apolitical third way, one probably doesn’t. It looks basically the same from the inside whether one is toked out in Berkeley or in church in Arkansas.
“Ideologies are like accents. Other people have them, you just talk normal.” — Matt Stoller
Which is a shame, really, because accents are awesome. I want one. Preferably Scottish.
It took a significant effort of will to realize that I pronounce water as though it has two r’s. I say warter—it’s a Delaware/Philadelphia accent. And even though it looks very odd in print, it sounds completely normal to me. ‘Wahter’ (the way most people pronounce it, even though it also looks very odd in print) doesn’t sound as wet to me.
How about “comb”? How is that pronounced?
I pronounce the b. Is that the question? I didn’t know there was more than one way to pronounce it.
Also, vase vs. vahse. I think of vase as normal and vahse as affected. I try to keep a grip and realise that people generally say vahse because they think it’s normal, not because they’re showing off, and the same for aahnt meaning aunt. In at least one dialect (sorry, I don’t know which one), both vase and vahse are used, with vahse meaning a fancy vase.
Wow! Here in Australia it’s like ‘home’. No b.
(That might be Australia though; we say water like “w-aww-tah”)
I’ve checked more carefully. I do pronounce the b, but I think it’s a softer/briefer b than I use to finish Bob.
Yes, I can tell you do, because you don’t spell it ‘vayse’.
Upvoted because I had to go back and reread to figure out what you were saying. (“I think of vase as normal and vahse as affected.” I didn’t even notice because I think of ‘vayse’ as normal as well.)