On 5 Sep 2009 at 13:49, Andre Broersen wrote: > [Platt] > Sounds like a pipe dream to me and to Pirsig: "The ideal of a > harmonious society in which everyone without coercion cooperates > happily with everyone else for the mutual good of all is a devastating > fiction." (Lila, 24) > > John: > Well if not Buddhist monks, maybe Dharma Bums. But you raise good > questions. How does one go about crafting a proper society when the one > you're in is failing? Usually when the ship sinks, you head for the life > boats, not the drawing board. But purely as an intellectual exercise, it's > a fair question. > > Hi Platt and John, > I am not pretending to know the panacea to society's ills other than > following Pirsig's suggestion of the head, heart and hands stuff. > The notion that: "The ideal of a harmonious society in which everyone > without coercion cooperates happily with everyone else for the mutual good > of all is a devastating fiction." (Lila, 24) points me to some sort of > intellectual/visionary level, commonly called government, as a highly > necessary one.
No doubt government is necessary. But never forget that the essential nature of government is coercion by physical force. > You have elected a person with a vision who is asked to operate under very > difficult circumstances, having been handed a Bush legacy of the worst, rock > bottom quality imaginable. A matter of opinion. The Carter legacy was a lot worse, not to mention FDR. > But Platt doesn't even want to give it a chance. Everything is condemned > even before Obama says anything...reducing any activity aimed at social > improvement as socialist...and therefore to be condemmed,regardless of its > quality. The 'drawingboard' you write about John is something Platt rejects > out of hand (everything is honkydory and wonderful in the US of A under the > Republicans and through the Republicans and with the Republicans). No, not Republican. Conservative. And change doesn't mean better. > As Pirsig suggests in Lila somewhere (that) the strength of the American > Government is that if its policies are seen to not to work that these > can/should and will be changed..try something else(.under the Democrats I > think). The Republicans put their blinkers on and push the continuation of > static patterns (as they relate to individuals) regardless of the > social consequences. How's hope and change working out? Not so good I'd say. > I know I am cutting many corners here but the Pirsig quote used > seems to me > to be pointing to the need for a solid form of government leadership with > VISION...something that has been lacking overhere (Europe) as well for many > decades. Sounds good, but what does it mean? If we follow Pirsig's advice it means no more "big programs full of social planning for big masses of people." I agree. > This may be a nice start and then you can begin by changing the education > system. That's for sure. It's been under left-wing control in the U.S. since the 60's and an utter disaster. It's been ruined by multiculturism, diversity, anti- US propaganda and other liberal shibboleths. What's needed is education vouchers so parents can choose schools for their children. Regards, Platt Moq_Discuss mailing list Listinfo, Unsubscribing etc. http://lists.moqtalk.org/listinfo.cgi/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org Archives: http://lists.moqtalk.org/pipermail/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org/ http://moq.org.uk/pipermail/moq_discuss_archive/
