Re: Intellectual Debate

That's pretty interesting: Thanks, Ben for linking to that.

Personally, I see what he's saying, but I wouldn't talk in terms of 'left' or 'right', as I feel those are overgeneralizations.

It's in creating and attacking huge "Other" groups the creates and intensifies conflicts, anger, irrational emotions. Ben, you should have to come to Charles Johnson's lecture--It had little/nothing to do with race, it was all about individualist, loving philosophy, really good stuff.

I would talk in terms of "people who are reasonable and willing to hold reason above anger, hatred, dogma, and other passions" and "people who are not." The most vocal Bushites and Anti-Bushits are in the unreasonable camp. Notably, the Anti-Bushites are more vocal.

I too feel that George W. Bush has smeared hypocrisy, cruelty, and stupid wastefulness like feces on the face of America, through his torture and complete mismanagement of Iraq. However, I thought that his attempt to reform Social Security, and his idea of an ownership society, were good and necessary things.

Aristotle said that those with more reason, whose soul rules their bodies, should rule others. Unfortunately that's not true as things stand now with GWB and his cadre of both unintelligent and lying clowns*, but we are obligated to make it so, not as "conservatives," "rightists," or "leftists" but as real Individuals, each with OUR OWN IDEAS.


1*GWB: [Reporter:What mistakes did you make in your invasion of Iraq?] "I wouldn't have done anything differently."
2*Condoleeza Rice: "I dont think any of us could have forseen Hamas winning that election."
3*Rumsfeld: [Interviewer:So you didnt ask for torture] "Oh, goodness gracious no."
-->These are not exact quotes, but they are as I remember hearing them, from the mouths of the beasts themselves.

Thanks again, Ben, for bringing this up, but I strongly don't feel this debate should be in terms of red and blue. I fell that would just continue the anger and make things more polarized than they are now.

We should all strive to be reasonable, clear and consistent, and to listen to each other.

(I'll make a creative post soon, but for now I'm busy with my projects)
---Chad