[MD] Down the road of mediocrity

[pholden at davtv.com]

Quoting Arlo Bensinger <ajb102 at psu.edu>:

> [Platt]
> So the manufacture, production and distribution of goods and services 
> can be done by retards...
> 
> [Arlo]
> I'm sorry, where exactly in Pirsig does he say social activity is 
> basically the level of retardation? Commerce is a social activity, 
> calculus is an intellectual activity. You could say that football 
> requires "intellect" to play, but its still a social level activity. 
> Organized religion requires "intellect" to operate (write sermons, 
> organize events, collect tithes, play music on the organ...), but its 
> still a social level activity.

Excuse me. Where does Pirsig say calculus is an intellectual activity and 
designing football plays is not?

> [Platt]
> A soldier not only fights for his family's freedom but for his own. I 
> don't know where you get this "greater good" from.
> 
> [Arlo]
> So you're saying soldier's only fight for their own freedom, that 
> they do not sacrifice for the greater good (freedom for everyone)? 
> But you still haven't answered the question. Is a soldier more moral 
> than a fireman? Is a soldier more moral than your local grocery 
> clerk? Is a grocery clerk more moral than a librarian? I really don't 
> see any rubric to your proposal that some people are more moral than 
> others. So far its only been:
> 
> Those who fight for intellectual freedom from social repression are 
> more moral than those who fight for threatening biological freedoms 
> from social repression.
> 
> Or to reword this....
> 
> Non-criminals are more moral than criminals.
> 
> Whatever, but what does this have to do with who does and does not 
> receive health care?

Those who risk their lives to be free are more moral than any of the above,
including you and me. And it has nothing to do with who does or doesn't get health
care except those who work for a living are more moral than those who live
off the work of others.

> [Arlo]
> if we let the economic market determine who does and who does not 
> receive medical care, then we are tying the value of human life to 
> that person's ability to generate wealth.
> 
> [Platt]
> To a person's ability to pay for services rendered, yes. Without 
> wealth there would be no doctors, no medicines, no life saving equipment.
> 
> [Arlo]
> And here is the new capistocracy. The life of the rich is more 
> valuable than the life of the poor. A human life is worth only what 
> wealth s/he generates. A sad state of affairs we have descended into.

Considering that civilization depends on the wealth creators, not the parasites,
I think it's the only state of affairs that makes moral sense.

> [Platt]
> Stale? Most people don't even realize that's the only thing that 
> gives government its power.
> 
> [Arlo]
> No. What gives government its power is its people (in a democracy).

Without guns, no government has power. Mobs are the least reliable source for
forming governments.

> [Platt]
> Insurance is a voluntary association of people for mutual protection.
> 
> [Arlo]
> Which does not change the fact that _I_ subsidize _YOUR_ expenses 
> when your claims outweigh your contributions. I don't _want_ my 
> premiums to go up, but every time someone takes more out than they 
> put in, I get the bill. Once again, you're welcome.

Guess you have a hard time telling the difference between a voluntary and
a forced association.

> [Platt]
> There's nothing voluntary about paying taxes to support wasteful 
> government programs and fat bureaucrats.
> 
> [Arlo]
> There's nothing voluntary about supporting our armed services either, 
> is there? But I gladly do it...

To preserve freedom, you bet. 


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