[MD] Value and the Individual

[Arlo Bensinger]

[Platt]
You may be right. But I doubt if Pirsig would support the left's 
general concept that when people have low quality experiences that 
more government regulation is the answer.

[Arlo]
Of course not. Who has said that "government" is the solution to everything?

[Platt]
Government is neither "evil" nor "bad" nor "malicious" in carrying 
out its legitimate function of protecting society. ("Inept," 
"bungling" -- yes.) The answer to your questions is contained in 
Lila. The fact that you ask them at all is explained as follows:

[Arlo]
If the government is inept and bungling, why should I believe them 
when they tell me "the nation is at risk!". And further, why should I 
believe that they would have the best solution to that problem?

Is this just a matter of if the man says "I'm from the government and 
I'm here to help... protect you from terrorists", we should 
uncritically accept the risk and unquestioningly accept that it 
demands "bombing them" as the only solution, but if the man says "I'm 
from the government and I'm here to help... protect you from 
pollution", we should dismiss him as a whack-job bureaucrat who can't 
be trusted?

Let me ask you a question. Most days on the Hannity and Levin shows 
(I don't listen to Limbaugh much anymore), there is the constant 
complaint about how the "mainstream media" focuses exclusively on the 
"failure" of the military, and how this undermines moral and weakens 
our ability to act. We are told that, sure there have been mistakes, 
sure there were miscalculations here and things would could have done 
better there, but the media should focus on what we have done right, 
where we have succeeded, where the effort has produced things we 
should be proud of.

Okay. Now don't you think the "right-wing media" is guilty of the 
same rhetoric over "education". Every day I hear "our schools have 
failed", and I think, "wait, I spend a lot of time in our schools, my 
daughter and her friends all go to our schools, and that's not the 
case. Sure there have been mistakes, sure we can and should improve, 
but overall is it an abject "failure"? Why doesn't Hannity or Levin 
ever talk about the public schools that are successful, about the 
successes (and there are many) our children accomplish and the 
innovative and motivating and terrific teachers we have? Do you not 
think the constant drumbeat of "our schools have failed" undermines 
the achievement of those very schools?

Should bumper stickers that say "Support Our Troops!" be side-by-side 
with bumper stickers that say "Support Our Schools!"?

[Platt]
So maybe you prefer "Mercedes Marxist?"

[Arlo]
The problem here is that once you start defining even someone who 
believes in pollution regulation or child-labor laws as a "Marxist", 
the label really has no meaning.

[Platt]
Point? The egotism and avowed superior intellect of liberals and 
secularists who are probably looking down their noses at the crowds 
of religious, gun-loving, white racists cheering the pope.

[Arlo]
Ah yes, the Obama talking point of the week.

I like Jon Stewart's take on it. 
(http://www.spike.com/episode/26841/st/2971721)