[MD] Bill's Intellectual Level

[Platt Holden]

> [Ant comments]
> 
> That makes two of us.  This social “duty to others” definition of
> “honour” is confirmed by my dictionary which defines “honour” as “fame
> or glory” (a Victorian social value!), “high or noble rank” (Victorians
> again!), “to show courteous behaviour towards” (Victorian!), “to keep
> one’s promise to another” (social value).   A scout’s oath is an example
> of the latter definition where a particular scout promises to do his
> best to his troop and his country.   No surprize either to hear that the
> scout movement was created in the Edwardian era by a Victorian.

"I will do my best" is a pledge to one's self. My dictionary defines 
honor as "2.honesty and integrity in one's beliefs and actions." 
(individual value). As for the scouts, you find them low quality?   

> At the end of Chapter 7 of LILA Pirsig reminds us where the social
> orientated morality of the Victorians, Rigel, the neo-cons and Platt (a
> supporter of the Iraqi occupation) lead us:

Why is it you never mention this passage from Pirsig where he praises 
Victorians?

"What we tend to forget is that, unlike the European aristocrats they 
aped, the American Victorians were a very creative people. The 
telephone, the telegraph, the rail road, the transatlantic cable, the 
light bulb, the radio, the phonograph, the motion pictures, and the 
techniques of mass production-almost all the great technological 
changes that are associated with the twentieth century are, in fact, 
American Victorian inventions. This city is composed of their value 
patterns! It was their optimism, their belief in the future, their 
codes of craftsmanship and labor and thrift and self-discipline that 
really built twentieth-century America. Since the Victorians 
disappeared the entire drift of this century has been toward a 
dissipation of these values."

The value patterns that Pirsig praises are personal, individual value 
patterns of character, similar to intelligence, self-reliance,  
responsibility, initiative, honesty, honor,  etc. These value patterns 
are not social patterns like the war on poverty, universal health care, 
affirmative action, multiculturism and all the favorite causes of 
socialists. They are the moral values of individuals whose independence 
of thought and deed is protected by the intellectual values of free 
speech, free travel, free religion, free press, trial by jury, etc. To 
ignore these guarantees of individual vs.social (government) rights and 
traits of personal character is to ignore a huge aspect of the human 
condition and moral reality.     

> However, such a corruption of the MOQ (by defining social values
> as intellectual values) is immoral and doesn’t wash with this doctor of
> philosophy.

Doctors of philosophy have been known to be wrong.
 
> Platt, as an honourable person, I take it you will agree with me that
> the Arkansas Project was immoral, disturbing and shouldn’t have happened
> in a modern democracy.

As an honorable person I doubt the honesty and integrity of David 
Brock. I'm sure you know why.

> Nay, the American public has placed fear and nightmare over everything
> else, giving power to anyone promising to protect them from the dark
> demons of some eternally shapeshifting bogeyman.

Yeah, like Al Gore and his sky is falling tour.
 
> It’s a pity all those taxpayer resources are being wasted on largely
> imaginary fears while they could be going towards genuine problems such
> as poverty, healthcare, illiteracy, environmental damage, etc. 

Yeah, like all those social level causes.

> Moreover, Platt refuses to see that he’s part of the “Bush Bin-Laden”
> nightmare every time he uncritically forwards some Fox news propaganda
> straight onto this discussion group (though at least it saves having to
> look at the neo-con media to see what the latest “bogeyman” is). 

Examples? Be specific. Otherwise,  you are just mouthing typical 
liberal propaganda.

Best regards,
Platt