Posted by Dan Gunter on June 27, 1999 at 07:59:33:
In Reply to: Re: Unspiek, Baron Boddissey - any thoughts? posted by Nick Edwards on June 27, 1999 at 05:06:20:
Thanks to "teaser" for pointing out the reference I had in mind. I suspect that Vance is having it both ways with this quote and the choral response to it: he throws out a criticism, then throws in a bit of misdirection in the form of the critics' responses. I would guess that Vance largely agrees with Boddissy in regard to the "meaningless pretensions of intellectual elites"; but I don't see how that makes Vance a conservative of any stripe. Intellectual elites can be liberal, conservative, radical, or apparently apolitical. Currently, some (many?) conservatives portray the "intellectual elite" of the United States as liberal. I am not sure that the description is fair in any sense, but I'm quite certain that it's inaccurate on a structural level: if the "intellectual elite" is equivalent to "academia" (and that seems to be the conservative argument, to the extent that I want to characterize anyone's argument), then I would contend that the "intellectual elite" is, in generaly, deeply conservative, implicated in and replicating the patterns of wealth and capitalism that make permit them to live off of the labor of others. (Yes, that's probably a Marxist reading.)
But this has nothing to do with Vance. Where is he? I don't know. I'm reminded of Adam Reith in "Servants of the Wankh," explaining religious belief and atheism. I'm a good atheist; I'll try not to see my reflection in the primal chaos that is Vance!
: in the Killing Machine Mr Vance chooses to quote Boddissey on the meaningless pretensions of intellectual elites and their fashions, largely for their ephemerality.(the longest quote in any book before or since i believe).
: He then quotes the response of the intellectual elite to Boddissey, which is of course ascerbic, and purely rhetorical. Not one of the quoted critics produces any reasoned critique.
: an example: (one quote u left out)
: sneers jealously at the careers of better men...
: I think you're interpretation is misguided. It would be very easy to produce multuple instances when Boddissey is quoted and or revered by protagonists who are explicitly good, moral, intelligent whatever u wish to call it - against this one which i think anyway is at least ambiguous.
: If anyone is interested I suggest they pick up their copy of the Cadwal Chronicles, (who needs an excuse?) and flick through it, it has many references to Boddissey.