> The opinion that art should have nothing to do with politics is itself a political attitude. -- George Orwell, "Why I Write" (1946) Having no position means

> The opinion that art should have nothing to do with politics is itself a political attitude. -- George Orwell, "Why I Write" (1946) Having no position means adopting the position of bullies and tyrants; or as the title of the Howard Zinn bio goes, you can't be neutral on a moving train. Also, entertaining "purely technical" (or mathematical or whatever) thoughts is kind of a luxury, and it's downstream from politics. That's not a value statement, but while all work and no play may make Jake a dull boy, all play and no work will make him a gone boy. If you love a thing very much, you absolutely should care about its foundations, and those who would sink them into the memory hole.