From "A Casebook on Ezra Pound" by Edward Stone. The author cites an article by Jack LaZebnik which appeared in "New Republic" April 1, 1957. "He (Pound) defined himself as a Jeffersonian republican: '...you can throw in Confucius and Van Buren, but you must distinguish between 1820 and 1930 and you must bring your Jefferson up to date.' His preconception of democracy "...as it existed in the minds of Jefferson and Van Buren, is that the best men... will take the trouble to place their ideas and policies before the majority with such clarity and persuasiveness that the majority will accept their guidance... The preconception of let us say the Adamses, or aristodemocratic parties is that privilege, a little of it, will breed a sense of responsibility... It seems fairly proved that privilege does NOT breed a sense of responsibility... 95 percent of all privileged classes seem to believe that the main use of privileges is to be exempt from responsibility... Obviously no best, no even good governing class can be spineless... 'good' must include a capacity for action, some sense of relation between action and mere thought or talk." The actual words attributed to Pound in this quote seem to indicate that Pound was NOT a Jeffersonian Republican. Before I give a detailed analysis of his views on Jefferson and Adams, I would like someone to interpret the quote, someone who can explain what it is supposed to prove. It is presented without comment, as if the reader will accept it as proof of an assertion about Pound's alleged commitment to Republican government. JL's words are HIS interpretation of Pound's self-characterization. What do we know about JL? What do Pound's own word's say about his beliefs? Anyone care to comment? Why the phrase "His preconception of democracy?" Does Pound use the word "democracy" anywhere with a favorable connotation? Notice he talks here about an "aristo-democratic" party? What about the phrase "[They] will take the trouble to place their ideas and policies before the majority with such clarity and persuasiveness that the majority will accept their guidance" That sounds more like Confucian authoritarianism to me (or Lipmann's "manufacture of consent") than it does like democracy. Consider a phrase like this: "The preconception of let us say the Adamses, or aristodemocratic parties is that privilege, a little of it, will breed a sense of responsibility" Does it not sound more like he is talking about a feudal aristocracy than a group of democratically elected politicians? It sounds like what English nobles were saying, while the aristocracy fell to pieces (such phrases were admirably satirized by Virginia Wolfe). The talk is about "privilege"; not about accountability TO AN ELECTORATE. And none of the rest of the quote has anything to do with democracy. Pound is talking about a "governing class," not elected officials, or about a democratic process for selecting leaders. Also, we must remember the date is 1957. Who is he saying this to, in what context, in what surroundings, and for what purpose, and to what audience? Wei ________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com