Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2001/05/02

[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]

Subject: Re: [Leica] Magnum
From: "Michael E. Bérubé" <MEB@goodphotos.com>
Date: Wed, 02 May 2001 10:09:25 -0400
References: <000b01c0d279$125af300$b1a0bed4@tip2400> <000b01c0d279$125af300$b1a0bed4@tip2400>

At 12:15 PM 5/2/01 +0200, Oddmund Garvik wrote:
>We are living in different worlds. A recent example was the bashing of
>Stanislaw Stawowy (being accused for "sexism"...).
>And then all this whining every time I open the mouth and write about
>(Leica) photography and human life. I know, Politics, even with a small p,
>barely exists in America, or is taboo. MacCarthy's spirit is still alive.
>The President was pointed out by judges who mainly were nominated by the
>Presidents father - the number I.

OK. If the LUG is going to become just another political list, then at 
least make the attempt to base your argument on fact and not conjecture. 
Our current Moron in Chief was allowed to gain office through a 5:4 split 
of our 9 member Supreme Court. The Shrub's father only nominated two of the 
nine (Thomas and Souter) and one of those (Souter) voted with the 4 in 
opposition to George "Wanker" Booosh's ascendancy to the exalted throne at 
1600 Pennsylvania Ave. (For the record- I wasted my vote by casting for my 
choice Harry Browne the Libertarian. I didn't vote for the guy but, Junior 
did NOT get elected because his daddy rigged the court.)

>Public life in the US and "politics" is
>show and money, bread and circus. And now it is even getting brownish.
>I know that under the surface things are fermenting also in "God's Own
>Country". There are a lot of injustice, enormous struggles and of course a
>lot of documentary to do. Why do we hear and see so little of that here on
>the LUG?

I agree with almost everything you said there Oddmund, but I imagine that 
we certainly disagree on just what constitutes those "injustice and 
enormous struggles."
Personally, I have no problem when we (that's not the Imperial We, but I 
mean all of us) discuss "(Leica) photography and human life." What I've 
been expressing my distaste for is when several narrow but loud views of 
the "human life" part here eclipse the "(Leica) photography" part.

>Here and there outstanding images, and outstanding photographers and
>photojournalists. There are Magnum and some other agencies. But they are
>also becoming commercial and directed. The dominant situation is decline.
>
>What about restoring a photographic movement like in the past? Like the
>Photo League?

Like Johnny, I think this a great idea, but how are you going to raise your 
League above being just another propaganda agency with a specific agenda? 
and if you aren't interested in doing so, what makes such an endeavor any 
more moral or just than those agencies which are becoming commercial and 
directed?

Carpe Luminem,
Michael E. Bérubé
http://www.GoodPhotos.com

In reply to: Message from "Bernard Degaute" <bernard.degaute@village.uunet.be> ([Leica] Re : Magnum)
Message from "Bernard Degaute" <bernard.degaute@village.uunet.be> ([Leica] Re : Magnum)