[Nettime-bold] Re: <nettime> Fwd: Letter to Thomas Klestil

[Phil Graham <phil.graham@mailbox.uq.edu.au>]

At 05:40 AM 16/06/00 +0200, Heiko Recktenwald wrote:
>Hey,
>
> > But I want to know why you are so sure that Haider is benign,
> > non-totalitarian, and non-racist. You have said all these things at
> > different stages. I am quite prepared to believe you. You have told me
>
>Dont become polemic, please. I just wouldnt call him "totalitarian" etc,
>and I just think he isnt terrible enough.

I'm not being polemic. They're straightforward questions. I am prepared to 
believe you if you would actually say something substantial about Haider or 
the FPO. In any case, totalitarians are not necessarily "terrible" people, 
at least not overtly (cf Hannah Arendt's "Banality of Evil"). Mussolini and 
Hitler cut quite attractive figures in their day, you know, like movie 
stars. They *were* movie stars. They transformed politics in that respect. 
I am not asking for a description of appearances. I am asking for some - 
even vague - description of the political platform of the FPO, what they 
*say* they stand for. Not even Haider - you don't even have to mention 
anything Haider said or didn't say.

In any case, totalitarian essentially means something different than 
"terrible". It is a type of politics, "holistic" government would mean the 
same, "whole of government". It means unions and bureaucrats working 
together in harmony, youth groups and buisness and education institutions 
all aligned to the single national purpose of economic growth and 
(sometimes) territorial expansion. The main emphasis is on efficiency, 
productivity, and national pride. Dissent is strongly dicouraged.

Are the freedom party socialist? "Freedom Party" sounds to me like a 
liberal or libertarian or human rights oriented group. Is that so? If not, 
what? Most totalitarian governments have been socialists of one sort or 
another.


> > everything Haider and FPO is not. Why can't you tell me what he is or what
> > he stands for. If he is not totalitarian, does he hold or express liberal
> > or individualist values, conservative ones, green ones, red ones? What?!
> > Does he represent particular sections of the community that are
> > identifiable, or is the freedom party constituency drawn from across the
> > board? Are they nationalistic, or what? Can you give me any indication
> > whatsoever, or just keep telling me that "he's not such a bad fellow after
> > all"?
> >
> > They're not such a hard questions, surely.
>
>Bla, sorry, but you miss the point ;-)

No. You do.

I understand exactly what you are saying: that Austria has a culture of 
suing people for defamation, and that therefore the Pelinka case is 
insignificant. Also, that Pelinka is not so poor. Also, implicitly, that 
Haider is being treated unfairly, he's just an artefact of Austrian 
culture. Okay. I'll believe you. Also, that the whole Austrian issue has 
been blown out of proportion in the media. I could easily believe that too.

But you also said a whole lot of other things as well. Now you won't answer 
questions about those aspects.

I do not misunderstand you at all, Heiko.

>What he as a person says is absolutely irrelevant, what he said then and
>now, austria is a modern coutry. I am not a witch hunter.

Nor am I a witch hunter. I sincerely want some answers about the freeodm 
party and nobody, least of all you, seems willing to supply them. Your two 
sentences above are non-sequitur, and you are again avoiding giving me any 
answers about issues you raised yourself. You are the one claiming this and 
that about what Haider is and is not. I have made no such claims for 
understanding. Nor do I now.

Tell me what he stands for. I sincerely want to know. I am not being 
polemic. I am asking a simple question: what politics is the freedom party 
preaching?

>Its more a question of proportions, this whole austria thing.

Proportions of what? Are you saying the whole Austria thing is out of 
proportion? As I said, I am willing to believe that.

>Nobody here in germany is for the boycott etc.

Neither am I. I never said anything about a boycott. Would you answer my 
questions please?

Phil
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Opinions expressed in this email are my own unless otherwise stated.
Phil Graham
Lecturer (Communication)
Graduate School of Management
University of Queensland
617 3381 1083
www.geocities/pw.graham/
www.uq.edu.au/~uqpgraha
http://www.angelfire.com/ga3/philgraham/index.html
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