On 17 Sep 2010 at 18:04, Andre Broersen wrote: Platt to Andre:
Pirsig claims a socialist society is intellectually guided. But, I disagree. Marx was as intellectual (or so many academic intellectuals say), but look at the results of his intellectual guidance in Russia, China, Cambodia, Cuba, etc. Andre: Not sure what you are getting at here Platt but I think Mr. Pirsig is correct. Obviously you have never lived and worked in a socialist society. All you have is hear-say. What you mean by looking at the results I can only guess at. [P] Results: 20th century genocides in Russia, China, Cambodia to name the most egregious. Platt: Fortunately, Pirsig saw the light in the superior morality of the free market because of it is more open to the evolutionary force of Dynamic Quality. Andre: You typical, neo-con interpretation of the (ab)use of this free market force is not something to be proud of my friend. It has led to at least 42 major international conflicts within which the US has been directly involved. I really wish you'd stop presenting things in a black and white manner. [P] I didn't realize Pirsig was a neo-con. You have opened my eyes. Platt: As Pirsig, wrote: "But the superorganism, the Giant, who is a pattern of values superimposed on top of biological human bodies, doesn't mind losing a few bodies to protect his greater interests." (Lila, 17) Sounds like socialism to me, you know, the system justified by the slogan used by every despot in history, "For the public good." Andre: What is the difference Platt between dying 'for the public good' and dying for US freedom and democracy? [P] If you don't see any difference between dying to preserve individual liberty and dying to preserve a dictatorship, I can't help you. Older Belgians understand. Platt: You may be right. But, Pirsig specifically identified the Giant not with economic systems but with social organizations: Andre: Is the economy not part of the social level? [P} Economic systems are included in the larger abstraction of social organizations and the social level. . Platt: Behavior forced upon it by government edict. No bank deliberately sets about to lose money. Andre: I have read that some financial advisors have made billions by wagering on the collapse of the bubble. 'Government edicts' have little to do with it mate. Banks are continuously trying to out-do, out-smart, and out-class eachother. They are predators on their own kind. They are very much part of the 'superorganism', getting more powerful by devouring a few banks to protect their greater interest. [P] They made money by seeing that government edicts were creating a housing bubble. I wish I had predicted the disaster and made a killing, too. When the government interferes in the free market, in this case the mortgage market, bad things are bound to happen. Incidentally have you noticed the rising price of gold lately? I'm in with both feet. 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/md/archives.html
