[MD] Intellect battles the [immigrant] barbarians

[Platt Holden]

Hi Ham, 

Your wrote:

> I'm repeating my (heavily plagiarized) essay "Empires Also Die" on this
> week's Values Page (www.essentialism.net/balance.htm).  If you haven't
> already read it, you might want to take a look, as it addresses some of
> these issues.  It also produced one letter from a UK a student looking for
> background material for a term paper.  (Part of that correspondence can be
> found on the Forum Page response section of the same site.)

You essay is dead on target. The barbarians that destroyed Rome are now at 
our gates. The rise and acceptance of "anything goes" values (witness the 
the lack of moral backbone even to support laws against indecent exposure) 
are sapping our strength from within so that West's willingness to fight 
to protect and preserve its civilization from its plainly dedicated 
enemies is in doubt. Today governments of the West won't even stand up for 
free speech rights for fear of reprisals from the barbarians. Can total 
collapse be far behind?      

> Something that Case said on 10/29 under "So cometh MOQ" bothers me.
> Did you see it?
> 
> [Case]:
> > Among the many things that disturb me about our times
> > is our flagrant disregard for our children. It seems to me
> > that an enlightened society would be totally focused on
> > the upbringing of the next generation not setting up an
> > an economic system:
> >
> > That forces both parents into the work place.
> > That exposes children to endless violence: visually, verbally and
> > vicariously.
> > That glorifies personal gratification over responsibility to loved ones.
> > That encourages the dispersion of extended families. That mortgages the
> > future for short term gain and neglects public
> investment
> > in human capital, physical infrastructure and intellectual capital in the
> > form of pure research. That promotes the consumption of not renewable
> > resources without regard for replacing them. That sees itself as the
> > master rather then the steward of nature.
> 
> Is he suggesting that these are faults of capitalism or the free enterprise
> system?  It would seem to me that we have fallen into debt and profligacy
> due to irresponsible behavior and a disregard for traditional values.  This
> is negligence on the part of individuals, not defects of our "economic
> system".

I agree. Case's accusations against capitalism are right out of the left's 
book of talking points. It would be nice if they would talk about hard 
work, personal responsibility, individual initiative, delayed 
gratification, self-discipline, openness to competition, etc. etc., but 
don't hold your breath. It's "the system" that's always to blame. And, of 
course in the twisted morality prevalent today, it always pays to be 
"oppressed." To these folks even the environment suffers from oppression.. 
     
> I didn't want to get involved in a debate with Case over what he
> meant by "an enlightened society" and how he thinks we could achieve his
> ends via the MoQ, but you might want to raise this issue with him.

The left is a religion, and like all religion impervious to rational 
argument.  

> Also, I've not been successful in enticing anyone into a philosophical
> discussion of how Randian Objectivism is compatible with the MoQ.  (I'd
> thought that Laramie and Micah would jump at the opportunity.)  Does this
> hold any interest for you?

Sure. Rand elevates the individual. So does the MOQ by making intellect 
and art the highest moral levels. Societies don't think or paint 
landscapes. Only individuals do.

Warm regards,
Platt

P.S. Did you notice in Arlo's latest post the number of straws he grasped 
at? I counted five paragraphs beginning with "If we propose . . . , an all 
time record.