From: stencil (stencil@bcn.net)
Date: Fri Mar 17 2000 - 13:35:25 MST
Robert Owen:
>
>It is truly astonishing that, after the perhaps 2,500-year
>documentation of the human tendency to inflict violence on
>his own kind to achieve merely selfish ends, we still listen to
>those who advocate that some personal acquisitive desire
>should be regarded as superordinate to the welfare of the
>community upon which this individual depends. Any claim
>of privilege is forfeit by those whose very polemics are
>grounded in social indifference.
>
If we substitute "God" for "society" in this paragraph we get
something that - to me- is indistinguishable from religious
enthusiasm.
Are you confident that the active agents of society are accurately
mapped to society itself? I don't deny that many perceive that as an
achievable goal but I do believe it's going to take a lot of antenna
rubbing and pheromone squirting before it comes to pass.
I've generally pursued, and generally been at spiritual ease with,
"merely selfish ends," but I'm perfectly willing to compromise on this
issue. We'll split it down the middle. _You_ get to define the means
and resources employed to achieve desireable social goals and _I_ get
to define the goals. Report back here next week.
stencil (member, GOAL ((Gun Owners' Action League))) sends
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