[MD] Free Speech

[ARLO J BENSINGER JR]

[Platt]
No, Arlo is intolerant because he cannot tolerate anyone who disagrees with his
idea of what constitutes "intellectual grounds."

[Arlo]
The "intellectual grounds" demanded by the Academy is thorough and intensive.
The "intellectual grounds" you demand consists solely of "Limbaugh said it".

And since we've reduced "intellectual grounds" to "what my party says",
"intolerance" is reduced to anyone who thinks any position is "wrong". Like I
said, a reduction to meaningless to deflect criticism. The "Pee Wee Maneuver".
(Which is what you're trying to do to "intellectual grounds" as well.)

There is no such thing as "selflessness", so my selfishness is justified.
There is no such thing as "tolerance", so my intolerance is justified.
Criticizing "hate" is "hateful", and so espousing hate and condemning it are
exactly the same.
Criticizing "fear" is "fearful", and so manipulating fear and exposing it are no
different.

Thank goodness the Academy does not cave to warped rhetoric like this.

[Platt]
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:

[Arlo]
Adiafore is latin for meaningless. A "reduction to meaninglessness" is what this
tactic attempts to do. There is no such thing as "unselfishness", or
"tolerance", or "non-fear". Make everyone else as low as you, and you make
yourself look better. Or so the attempt is.

[Platt quotes someone who I suppose he considers an "authority"]
"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....

[Arlo]
Horrible right-wing "logic". If everyone everywhere is "selfish", then how on
earth do we even understand the word "selfless"? Or come up with it in the
first place. Luckily, "logic" like this is rare in the Academy.

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

[Arlo]
Yes, so this person is as selfish as Scrooge. Both Mother Theresa and the
capitalist are equally selfish. Indeed, everyone is always selfish. Define the
word into meaningless. Just what I had said. Thanks for providing another
example.

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

[Arlo]
The intellectual criticisms against the social-level perversion of intellectual
patterns by both the KKK and Coulter are quite well-documented. Indeed, this
isn't even a claim of "intellectual superiority", since that would be the
outcome of two conflicting intellectual patterns. Since both the KKK and
Coulter rely on manipulations of fear to elevate social patterns OVER
intellectual patterns, I'd say its "intellectual pattern superiority". Which is
how it should be.