From: Michael S. Lorrey (mlorrey@datamann.com)
Date: Mon Dec 04 2000 - 09:23:16 MST
"Michael M. Butler" wrote:
>
>
> > > The mantra you mention is far from valueless to me. Please don't make me
> > > your enemy just yet.
> >
> > The problem with "I am a member of a civilization" is that it doesn't say
> > whether the civilization is good or bad.
>
> Yes, it is true that, taken by itself, then notion is so boiled down as
> to be too value free. How about "I am a member of an increasingly
> enlightened planetary civilization"? Welp, it sounds awful prissy and
> NWO; besides, the Nazis probably thought that too.
>
> Brin doesn't want the Reichstag, he just wants a day a year and some
> time once in a while spent on reflecting on how far we've come with the
> imperfect systems we have. I do grant you that a new Goebbels, or even
> David Duke, could easily twist the mantra into "Ein volk..." with no
> problem.
Sure, but Bellamy (the author of "Looking Backward") seemed to have
similar sentiments, yet his book and other writings spawned Nationalist,
Socialist, and National Socialist movements around the world.
>
> > > Principles *are* important. One principle that's important is not to
> > > burn the barn down while the horse is still inside.
> >
> > I don't follow what that means in this context.
>
> It's an old saw that cuts both ways. In this case, I meant that
> premature polarization (enemy talk) can cost you. Brin might not be as
> useful to your goals as an enemy as he might be as a grudgingly
> respected gadfly with whom you have piquant disagreement.
As opposed to say, Chomsky?
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