[WikiEN-l] [[New anti-Semitism]] and violations of NPOV re: top image

[Fastfission]

On 8/25/06, Sarah <slimvirgin at gmail.com> wrote:
> Fastfission, I agree with you, and in a sane and rational world, I'd
> have written exactly the kind of caption you suggest. Unfortunately,
> with these highly politicized articles on Wikipedia, particularly
> anything connected to Israel, rationality and common sense are the
> first things to fly out the window, and it is very hard to get any
> intelligent editing done.

I understand that, and in no way meant to imply -- in case I did --
that I was pointing fingers at anyone in particular.

Since I'm already writing long and unmanageable opinions about NPOV, I
thought I'd append one more: the more I think through NPOV, the more I
realize what a truly radical position it is. It is often derided by
people who claim that it is not possible or that it is not desirable,
but it really does act as a powerful conceptual tool once you start to
take it seriously as a goal. It is not the same thing as objectivity
at all -- obviously one does not want to jettison an attempt for
objectivity, but objectivity does not imply neutrality (I can be
objectively non-neutral in my position on a given topic). In academic
scholarship it is very rare that anybody tries to be, or wants to be,
neutral: neutrality is seen as "not taking a side" in an important
debate, and only the most disingenous or aloof intellectuals would
think not taking a side on issues is a good, much less ethical,
approach. And yet I find myself trying hard to write for positions
that I think are objectively wrong, or to point out the criticisms
(without denigrating them) of things that I think are objectively
correct. It is a strange exercise, one very contrary to most other
forums for writing about and discussing issues. Beyond being a
pragmatic tool for making a collective encyclopedia work -- which it
does as well -- it is a very strong epistemological stance. I hadn't
really quite realized that when I first started here, and I have only
really begun to comprehend the depth of the stance in the last
half-year or so. It does not surprise me that academics in particular
have difficulty with it (and I say this as an academic).

FF