Posted by rosmarin on January 21, 2004, at 2:09:57
In reply to Re: please be civil, rosmarin » stjames, posted by tealady on January 20, 2004, at 20:46:07
> StJames,
> I just had to respond. I really didn't take the same meaning as you did to rosmarin's post. Until I just read your and gabbi's replies..it actually never occurred to me that it could be taken that way. I had taken it as completely complimentary ... which just goes to show how words can be read differently.
> A clown, to me, implies both a really great sense of humour and the ability to put it across ..as well as a fair whack of applicable relevant knowledgable content to go with it ..at least to me.
> And that's how you came across as trying to be to me too.
>
>Yes, tealady, that's exactly what I meant. I was quite upset about Larry when I wrote my post, and I'm sorry, stjames, that I didn't explain. My hypothesis was that Bob might not want to sanction stjames if the dysfunctional system is helped by having a clown, jester, mascot, whatever. But I don't think stjames colluded with this - my own feeling is that he was always being real, but using his rapier wit to make important points.
My main point, though, was that the dysfunctional system needs scapegoats from time to time. The trouble with getting rid of Larry is that the cathartic fix will only last a while, and then someone else will have to start being the scapegoat.
poster:rosmarin
thread:303199
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/admin/20040112/msgs/303569.html