[MD] Proud to be a Brit / Pommie

[Platt Holden]

> [Ham]
> I could make short work of rebutting your argument with Platt's 
> reminder that MOQ is also an ideology.
> 
> [Arlo]
> What a grand rebuttal!!.. if PLATT says it...
> 
> But, even if we accept that the MOQ is an "ideology" (I don't think 
> it is, but so what...), I would say (and I think most here would 
> agree) that there is as much danger in deifying Pirsig's writings as 
> if they alone have succinctly captured the cosmos as in embracing any 
> other "ology" as if it too has captured the totality of "what is 
> good, what is right, and what is best". The dangers of that thinking 
> are evident, consider Platt who at times pretends to be a "MOQ 
> loyalist", but he does so only by summarily ignoring anything in 
> Pirsig that does not conform to his worldview (almost half of what 
> Pirsig has written, and something you call him on repeatedly). As 
> such its no surprise to me that Platt sees the MOQ as an ideology.

It's no surprise that Arlo's ideology is to trash ideologies. 
 
> In short, no one here (maybe) would posit that the MOQ is the "end 
> all, final, only True metaphysics" out there. And if you notice who 
> plays the "fear -ology" games, it is rarely people who do not claim 
> to hold the One True Path.

Environmentalists  and socialists excepted.
 
> [Ham]
> While it is true that the proponent of an ideology seeks to justify 
> it by showing how it explains the workings of man and his universe, 
> this is hardly imposing a "belief system" on others.
> 
> [Arlo]
> Demonizing, villifying, engaging in distortive and distractive 
> rhetoric, all to "prove" how not only do I possess "the One True 
> Philosophy" but that every competing "ology" or "osophy" out there is 
> evil and held by horrid little people who seek the doom of mankind 
> typically is the only end for the Ideologue.

A good description of Obama and his proposed "spread the wealth" tyranny. 

 >Certainly, people should 
> argue for what they believe is "best", and no this is not "imposing a 
> belief system on others". But personally I find anyone who sells "the 
> One True Path" to be at once and always a snake oil salesman, if only 
> because rather than opening the eyes of others he actively seeks to 
> throw sand in and blind others to ideas and thoughts that are 
> rejected out of hand simply because they are "outside" or "compete" 
> with the ideology at hand.

Ditto Obama and his fellow travelers. .