[MD] A Confusion of Weasels

[david buchanan]

John said to Ian:
Oh yeah, you wanna know what's so funny about peace, love and understanding? Is that they are so necessary for existence, and yet so shunned in practice.  Hilarious!


dmb says:
Elvis expresses a fine sentiment. The problem is that you're invoking it here, in a discussion forum, whenever the disagreements get heated. You're asking for calm and cool, which is also a fine sentiment. But let's not get too dramatic, eh? First of all, heated debate is not even close to being the same thing as war or hate such that we need a call for peace and love. In this context, peace and love are going to be something like following the rules of the forum and genuinely caring about the topic. Wouldn't it be wrong to squelch disagreements and debates for the sake of being nice or getting along? Isn't it true that one of the biggest reasons for ditching the whole idea of disinterested objectivity is that it leaves out one of the most crucial factors, namely the feelings and attitudes? I think so. And that means that heat and light go together.