To: Tom Clarke who wrote (65171 ) 1/24/2000 8:00:00 AM From: Neocon Respond to
I have met Peter Collier. He is a smart fellow, and sincere in his political conversion, but he is also, in my opinion, continually calculating his "play" in various situations. I do not mean that he is utterly corrupt, just that, within the limits of conscience, he strikes me as an operator. I have only talked to him a couple of times, so I do not want to press the point too hard. However, in his calculus, commenting in such a way on the Rocker affair is the smart thing to do. First, it is high profile. Second, speaking in a semi- exonerating way is just enough contrarian, without going overboard, and wakes people up over the morning latte. Third, charging that Rocker is expressing the real feelings of most Americans is ambiguous, and can play well on both sides of the spectrum: with conservatives who are sick of mealy- mouthed platitudes on immigration, homosexuality, and race, and liberals who suspect that America is xenophobic, homophobic, and racist in its heart of hearts. Unfortunately, even granting the theatrical element on Rocker's part, it does not mean much. First, I am acquainted with Times Square. It is mainly filled with indisputable, assimilated Americans. The main foreign presence is among the tourists. Second, although it has been awhile since I have taken the subway, and I have not taken that particular line, I can testify that there are no signs on subways telling you that you are sitting next to a homosexual, much less a person with AIDS, nor a welfare mother, much less a cheat. Mostly, the passengers are nondescript, and a surprising number are middle- class, saving money on longer hops, instead of taking a cab. Third, I do not see how referring to his teammate as a fat monkey has anything to do with a feud with New York fans, and I wonder if anyone, at this point in our history, can say such a thing without being racist. Thus, I am not convinced that the column has much to offer on the controversy.......
