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Salient. Victoria University Student Newspaper. Vol 36 No. 12. 6 June 1973

The Top Twenty of Empty Rhetoric

The Top Twenty of Empty Rhetoric

What is of concern in Reichism as well as this is that the rhetoric acts as a bait for unwary innocents. Reich swings along to the Top Twenty tunes of empty rhetoric. Rhetoric is not necessarily a bad thing — the full rhetoric of a Shakespeare or a Blake, or at odd times of a Mill or a Marx, are profoundly entertaining experiences. But empty rhetoric has as much value as a balloonful of hot air and deserves to be sat upon.

I choose one example from the host of them because it raises significant questions about Reichism that I don't think Reich has answered, Reich is trying to show how Consciousness III people exemplify the 'transcendent reason' we need. In a typical section he tells us that a high-fashioned woman in a matador suit is page 13 avoiding her true self but a young person dressed up is expressing himself. Military dress, peasants' shawls, gangster suits, phantom cloaks boots of all kinds — these don't mask the real person, "they show a state of mind and add to the gaiety and humour of the world."

Our Generation has had a much higher standard of education then our oldies. We're much more mature then them when they were our age

Our Generation has had a much higher standard of education then our oldies. We're much more mature then them when they were our age