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From: throopw@sheol.UUCP (Wayne Throop)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.c
Subject: Re: Heinlein's death
Summary: opinions and prejudice
Message-ID: <1494@sheol.UUCP>
Date: 24 Mar 91 03:37:45 GMT
References: <18da75d1.ARN1422@prolix.pub.uu.oz.au>
Lines: 31

> dac@prolix.pub.uu.oz.au (Andrew Clayton)
> It's my opinion,

It really seems much more like a prejudice than an opinion,
especially based on the rather striking lack of relevant justification
for a charge of "racism".

> His prating over the editorial changes by Dagliesh. His fear and loathing of
> Scribners publishing. His monomaniacal infatuation with building houses and
> putting bomb shelters in them.

These are trivial points, certainly not enough to support calling
Heinlein a racist, or even a "fool".

I'd say "He that is without sin, cast the first stone..."
but I might not enjoy the response.

> [...] universe that Heinlein
> created, that treated people, countries and planets in a way that Heinlein
> would have preferred, and in a way that was safe only for the elite few.

Even if this is accurate, elitism is not the same as racism.  In fact,
all the examples people have brought up specific to racism are, when
examined closely, remarkably race-neutral. 

And as to the accuracy: material in (for examples) _Friday_ (in the
encounter with the rural farming family) and _Misfit_ (in his earlier
work) provide good foundation to doubt that Heinlein was even an
elitist.
--
Wayne Throop  ...!mcnc!dg-rtp!sheol!throopw