From: Pete BEAULIEU ('62)

Sandstorm Extra that might be political

Re: Political ? Extra

Re: "Political" stuff and other stuff

The word is "conflation". 

Even when abusive and loaded terms are avoided in otherwise
timely and controversial/substantive entries, we still have the
reasonable task of simply distinguishing entries containing
cultural, historical or economic facts from comments that are
correctly off-limits and branded as "political." But might we
hope that the cult of political correctness is not so inclusive
that even benign references to historical events and to the laws
of economics have become too loaded to mention in decent company?
Conflation is itself an abuse, and very much the norm in other
parts of the world.

Is this what the digital generation (all current company
excluded, of course) is becoming... a glut of self-referential
opposable-thumb mentalities all networked together by the latest
overpriced, throwaway, and hand-held electronic gizmos?

(I would propose that the previous remark is a cultural
observation, and not to be conflated with anything political).

I applaud Maren's deft handling of over-the-top "political"
entries, including one of my own, but I also notice that the
recently dwindling number of Sandstorm entries has been restored
to previous levels. And this is a good thing.

-Pete BEAULIEU ('62)
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