[MD] Free Speech

[Platt Holden]

> [Arlo]
> What we're seeing here is the "reduction to meaninglessness" (reductio
> ad adiafora?) tactic, a tactic derived from the "selfish" discussion in
> the Randian tradition.
> 
> To combat accusations of selfishness, advocates of such behavior turned
> to redefine the word to apply to their critics. The outcome? Mother
> Theresa is as selfish as any industrialist because she is motivated by
> greed at making herself feel better, or working to better her own lot in
> Heaven. A person who donates 50% of her/his income to charity is no less
> selfish than one who donates nothing, since "donation" results in
> feelings of "good about myself".

> Just recently, the tactic was to make Arlo as "intolerant" as the KKK he
> criticized. The KKK are intolerant because they incite violence against
> a group of people. 

No, Arlo is intolerant because he cannot tolerate anyone who disagrees 
with his idea of what constitutes "intellectual grounds." As for 
"reductio ad adiafore" (something Arlo made up --a search of Google and 
Wikipedia came up with no results) it's directly contradicted by Dr. H. 
Scott Peck, as follows: 

"There is no such thing as an unselfish person. I myself am totally selfish.
Strictly speaking, I've never done a thing for anyone else.

"When I water my flowers I don't say, 'Look flowers, what I'm doing for you . . .
 you ought to be grateful.' I do it because I like pretty flowers.

"When I extend myself for my children, it's because I want to have an image
of myself as a good father. 

"You could look at monks and nuns and think how unselfish they are. But 
they've decided that this is the best way to personal joy." 

Now take a look at Dr. Peck's "intellectual" credentials:

Dr. Peck received his B.A. degree magna cum laude from Harvard College in
1958, and his M.D. degree from the Case Western Reserve University School
of Medicine in 1963. From 1963 until 1972, he served in the United 
States Army, resigning from the position of Assistant Chief Psychiatry 
and Neurology Consultant to the Surgeon General of the Army with the 
rank of Lieutenant Colonel and the Meritorious Service Medal with oak 
leaf cluster. From 1972 to 1983, Dr. Peck was engaged in the private 
practice of psychiatry in Litchfield County, Connecticut. Dr. Peck's 
first book, The Road Less Traveled, was published by Simon & Schuster 
in 1978. The book has sold over six million copies to date in North 
America alone, and has been translated into over 20 languages.

{Arlo ends his tirade saying}

>The rest of us should be chagrined.

Yes indeed, chagrined at Arlo's tactic of claiming intellectual 
superiority for himself and DMB. I have yet to see any evidence. :-)