RE: <nettime> The Weird Global Media Event and the Tactical Intel lectual 1/4

[Michael Benson <michael.benson@pristop.si>]

The only "posturing" going on in this irrevocably stupid posting is the
"posturing" of the writer regarding perceived "posturing." If Hartmann needs
to ask why Benjamin is worth quoting, and in fact a life-time of re-reading,
it says more about him than about "today's well-funded scholars" (only a
very few of whom are in fact well-funded -- I could throw a stone out the
window right now and hit one of the desperately poor variety. If _they_
choose to quote Benjamin, is that Ok with you, Hartmann?).

Still, this post is interesting in that immediately after disparaging
scholars who have presumably achieved tenured positions, i.e. "well-funded"
ones, we're treated to a classic example of a certain tendency to equate
positioning within the academic hierarchies as the only thing worthy of
respect. So, Benjamin (driven not just out of the university system and
Germany, but out of his mind and life) is shat upon because he "never held
an academic position." Make up your mind, Hartmann: are you contemptuous of
those inside or outside? Both? Everybody? Yourself?


-----Original Message-----
From: Frank Hartmann
To: Nettime-l@Bbs. Thing. Net
Sent: 5/10/2002 9:49 PM
Subject: AW: <nettime> The Weird Global Media Event and the Tactical
Intellectual 1/4

Ken Wark wrote:

> as Walter Benjamin said

Why these posturing quotes - like Benjamin over and over again? To put it in
other words: what would todays well funded scholars do if they should miss
these critical backups? As well known, Benjamin failed in academic scholarship 
and never did hold an academic position, and Prof.  Wiesengrund a.k.a. Adorno 
only had a very marginal one after returning from the "Grandhotel Abgrund"...

so why, these posturing quotes?

Frank

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