From: Howard Engelskirchen (hengels@ZOOM-DSL.COM)
Date: Tue Apr 29 2003 - 23:57:04 EDT
Hi Gary, I haven't done so, but I assume the authenticity is readily checked through email links internal to the piece. I think there's a little more to it than you allow. And hardly adolescent. It is a small individual act of protest. Two points of substance struck me as significant. First, there is a relationship between the institution of US science and the technological hypersuperiority of the US military. As Dr. Amit suggests, neutrality here is out of place. His response may be ineffective or inappropriate, but it seems clear to me that his challenge is not -- to claim that the US scientific establishment is out of the loop when it comes to technological barbarism is disingenuous. Second, in the face of the master race overtones of the blatantly imperialist venture we witness -- we know what is best for you, our military occupies the moral highground, our lives are more valuable than yours -- Dr. Amit says frankly that vast technological superiority is here coupled with a culture and values that, because they have generated unprecedented barbarism, are inferior. I read in my mailbox today that the cost of a B2 bomber -- $2,131,000,000 -- would provide full tuition with room and board for four years at the University of Wisconsin for the entire Chicago Public Schools' graduating class of 2003. French and German diplomacy did not challenge the two most fundamental acquisitions of international law in the 20th century -- decolonization and the prohibition against wars of aggression. There is no common metric such that outrage against their effort can be balanced against outrage at crimes committed in service of US democracy's pretensions to world leadership. Solidarity, Howard ----- Original Message ----- From: "mongiovg" <mongiovg@STJOHNS.EDU> To: <OPE-L@SUS.CSUCHICO.EDU> Sent: Tuesday, April 29, 2003 4:35 PM Subject: Re: Eminent physicist refuses to review American colleagues' papers > One can never be sure of the authenticity of this sort of thing. But assuming > it's legit, I don't see how Dr Amit's position is any less adolescent than > that of pro-war American yahoos who advocate the boycotting of French & German > products. > > Gary > > >===== Original Message From Howard Engelskirchen <hengels@ZOOM-DSL.COM> ===== > >> > >> > >> http://www.onlinejournal.com/Commentary/042503Amit/042503amit.html > >> The building world boycott of the US > >> Eminent physicist refuses to review American colleagues' papers > >> > >> Reprinted April 25, 2003 > >> > >> Dr. Daniel Amit: "What we are watching today, I believe, is a > >> culmination of 10-15 years of mounting barbarism of the American culture > >> the world over, crowned by the achievements of science and technology as > >> a major weapon of mass destruction." > >> > >> Sent: Friday, March 21, 2003 6:11 AM > >> Subject: Review_request AMIT EA8932 > >> > >> Dr. Daniel Amit > >> Univ. di Roma > >> La Sapienza > >> Ple Aldo Moro 2 > >> 00185 Roma, ITALY > >> Electronic URL-Download Referral from Physical Review E > >> Code: EA8932 > >> > >> Title: Transitions in oscillatory dynamics of two connected neurons with > >> excitatory synapses > >> Received 08 January 2003 > >> > >> Dear Dr. Amit: > >> > >> We would appreciate your review of this manuscript, which has been > >> Submitted to Physical Review E. This message is the COMPLETE REFERRAL. > >> No hardcopy will be sent unless requested. > >> ------------------------------ > >> From: "Daniel Amit" <daniel.amit@roma1.infn.it> > >> To: "Physical Review E" <pre@ridge.aps.org> > >> Sent: Friday, March 21, 2003 6:11 PM > >> Subject: Re: Review_request AMIT EA8932 Roudi > >> > >> I will not at this point correspond with any american institution. > >> > >> Some of us have lived through 1939. > >> ------------------------------ > >> From: "martin blume" <blume@aps.org> > >> To: <daniel.amit@roma1.infn.it>; > >> <damita@green.fiz.huji.ac.il> > >> Subject: your email to the American Physical Society > >> Date: Tuesday, April 08, 2003 10:31 PM > >> > >> Dear Dr. Amit, > >> We have received your email with your decision not to review a paper > >> for us in light of American actions in the middle east. We recognize > >> that > >> reviewing manuscripts is a voluntary activity, one that you perform as a > >> service to the physics community, and we thank you for your efforts. > >> > >> Given the voluntary nature of your participation we of course respect > >> your decision to cease, and have made an indication in our database so > >> that > >> no further papers will be sent to you for review until you inform us > >> otherwise. > >> > >> We ask, however, that you consider the following in hopes that in the > >> not too distant future you will decide to review for us again. We regard > >> > >> science as an international enterprise and we do our best to put aside > >> political disagreements in the interest of furthering the pursuit of > >> scientific matters. > >> > >> We have never used other than scientific criteria in judging the > >> acceptability of a paper for publication, without regard to the country > >> of origin of the author. We have done this even in cases where some of > >> us > >> have disagreed strongly with the policies of that country, and we will > >> continue this practice. We believe it is essential that all parties > >> involved make every effort to separate social and political differences > >> from their > >> participation in scientific research and publication. The pursuit of > >> scientific knowledge needs to transcend such issues. > >> > >> Sincerely, > >> Martin Blume > >> Editor-in-Chief > >> ------------------------------ > >> Dear Dr Blume, Editor in Chief > >> American Physical Society > >> 09.04.2003 > >> > >> Thank you for you letter of April 8. I would have liked to be able to > >> Share the honorable sentiments you express in your letter as well as > >> your > >> Optimism in the future role of science and the scientific community. To > >> be > >> frank, and with much sadness and pain, after 40 years of activity and > >> collaboration, I find very little reason for such optimism. What we are > >> watching today, I believe, is a culmination of 10-15 years of mounting > >> barbarism of the American culture the world over, crowned by the > >> achievements of science and technology as a major weapon of mass > >> destruction. > >> > >> We are witnessing man hunt and wanton killing of the type and scale not > >> seen since the raids on American Indian populations, by a superior > >> technological power of inferior culture and values. We see no corrective > >> force to restore the insanity, the self-righteousness and the lack of > >> respect for human life (civilian and military) of another race. > >> > >> Science cannot stay neutral, especially after it has been so cynically > >> used in the hands of the inspectors to disarm a country and prepare it > >> for > >> decimation by laser guided cluster bombs. No, science of the American > >> variety has no recourse. I, personally, cannot see myself anymore > >> sharing a common human community with American science. Unfortunately, I > >> also belong to a culture of a similar spiritual deviation (Israel), and > >> which seems to be equally incorrigible. > >> > >> In desperation I cannot but turn my attention to other tragic periods in > >> which major societies, some with claims to fundamental contributions to > >> culture and science, have deviated so far as to be relegated to > >> ostracism and quarantine. At this point I think American society should > >> be > >> considered in this category. I have no illusions of power, as to the > >> scope and prospect of my attitude. But, the minor role of my act and > >> statement is a simple way of affirming that in the face of a growing > >> enormity which I consider intolerable, I will exercise my own tiny act > >> of disobedience to be able to look straight into the eyes of my > >> grandchildren and my students and say that I did know. > >> > >> With regard > >> Daniel Amit > >> > >> PS I intend to distribute our exchange as much as possible. I authorize > >> And pray that you do the same. > >> > >> ************************************************** > >> forwarded by: > >> The Edmonds Institute > >> 20319-92nd Avenue West > >> Edmonds, Washington 98020 USA > >> telephone: 1-425-775-5383 > >> email: beb@igc.org > >> website: <http://www.edmonds-institute.org> > >> > >> ************************************************** > >> > >> > >> >
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