The Cover-Up: How Was Movement from Phase I to Phase II Justified?

[Adele Edisen]

Hey, Everybody,

One thing I learned in College at the University of Chicago when Robert Hutchins was Chancellor, and classes were conducted by the Socratic discussion method of teaching, was that DEFINITIONS were very important to be understood and agreed upon. It clarifies thinking for members and allows for more calm and orderly discussions, understanding, agreement, and even disagreement. It does not impede the expression of ideas, it may actually broaden and expand understanding and knowledge.

So, please, define your terms. We are not mind readers, and we all need to know what it is that is being discussed or questioned. That may be why these melees occur when this is not happening. When someone does not understand something, a definition (or description or name) may be essential.

My two cents. Thanks for reading.

Adele

Thank you for this, Adele. I truly respect your work, your mind, and your intentions in this exchange.

Please be aware that I have defined my terms at least THREE TIMES on this thread, which I originated. If you read from the opening post, you will see how I have attempted to reword/clarify the expression of my initial, relatively complex hypothesis.

I have neither the time nor the inclination to provide further clarification -- which at this point would amount to dumbing down the material and patronizing the majority of DPF correspondents. And to be blunt, I do not believe that further clarification is necessary in order to make my work accessible to bright readers who have a moderately sophisticated grasp of this case in particular and deep politics in general.

I shall not cross the border from simple to simple-minded.

As previously stated, I am not particularly proud of the fact that I lose patience with individuals who do not bring the requisite intelligence and/or learning to our discussions.

And then there are a select few whose repeated misreadings and misrepresentations of fact are, in my informed opinion, ego-driven and/or offered in service to dark agendas.

I have created many DPF threads on which I state a hypothesis and invite honorable argument. In doing so I am not seeking obeisance, but only honest debate.

My prose is not always as artful as I might wish it to be. But it is always the best of which I am capable at the moment I create it.

Warm regards.

Charles,

Thank you for your kind words and warm regards. These are greatly appreciated.

I certainly did not expect to cause any more turmoil.

When I wrote my little note, I had no particular person in mind. It was more related to the time when I was a contributing member of the Simkin Education Forum years ago, where I encountered in my reading of forum posts many exchanges of disagreements and arguments amongst various other posters. Like many people here who had similar experiences at the same forum, I realized I was not benefitting from my time at that forum. I began to feel alienated and isolated, and yearned for some place where people could be more respectful of each other and of the important topic we were to be discussing. When no one seemed to be making any sense at all, and I was not learning anything, and could not bring a discussion to an understandable level, I figured it was time to go. Then Jan rescued me and I settled in at the Deep Politics Forum.

What I saw as one problem at the Educ. Forum was the lack of agreement on the terms being used. That in itself often was cause for argument. Then there was the expectation that others agreed with some sort of common, stereotypical thinking. We certainly have seen a lot of that in political debates here in this country, and that's besides the lies and exaggerations.

I wish we could start all over again, with more patience and tolerance. We, many of us, have been through the battles and are getting a bit weary and achy in the knees and backs, and are gettting tired and older. But we should all, meaning also me, myself and I, try to be good role models for the younger ones here. They will have to fight the future battles for truth which we older ones will eventually have to miss.

We all should ask questions when something is not clear. That's what Socrates did. He was a perpetual student, and that's how he became the wisest man in Athens.

Thank you, Charles.

Adele