From: J. R. Molloy (jr@shasta.com)
Date: Mon Oct 09 2000 - 10:05:54 MDT
Adrian Tymes wrote,
> Point taken, but the construct view can "win" under the same
> circumstances. And it is, at best, a short-term win: oppression breeds
> resentment, which attracts people to the opposition, and encourages the
> use of more force by both sides (thus spending resources that could be
> used for other things - best example: wars). Enlightenment, education,
> and open debate, on the other hand, attracts people to the side best
> supported by the facts - whether or not that side starts off dominant.
Someone ought to tell proponents of Political Correctitude about that.
> I was talking about the more permanent win. Most of today's first world
> citizens, for instance, agree on the mechanism by which modern human
> beings come into being, and hold a markedly different view than their
> ancestors of some millenia ago.
Right; truth often wins despite politics and religiosity.
> Have you ever read the stories behind Battletech, in particular Comstar?
> (For those who haven't: Comstar started out as an interstellar
> telephone network, which devolved over time into a religious group that
> honestly believed that one had to execute a certain prayer - not
> involving any interface with the machinery - just so in order to send a
> message.)
Yes, Harpo Winfry does that whenever she calls up Lily Tomlin.
Stay hungry,
--J. R.
3M TA3
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