[MD] Descriptions of Quality

[Ant McWatt]

Arlo Bensinger stated July 11th:


[Ham]
You disappoint me with an apologist defense that I would have expected of Ant, Arlo, or DMB.
 
[Arlo]
Its hard for me to understand how one can be an "apologist" for Pirsig's ideas on a discussion board about Pirsig's ideas. If you want to rage against "the dogma", Ham, why are you here? To save our souls? (Sorry, I am beyond redemption, happily, gods like your vain and petty Essence only piss me off)... 
 
I mean, I am on a few other philosophy forums, and the last thing I'd do on the Peirce board is berate people who understand and know Peirce for being "apologists for Peirce", or at least that would make me wonder why I was there... "Hey all you people who know and understand Peirce, you're just apologists for a dogma, come over here and worship my Essence!"... And you wonder why maybe like five people in the world take your philosophy seriously... (hey I'll be generous, let's give you a ten-timer and say fifty!!!)... 
 
Here's a thought, please don't mention me any more. I have your posts on ignore, but I have an override for posts that mention me by name. You're a 'smart' guy, you can figure out that algorithm, no? Or.. or... oooo... you can mention me all you want on the "essentialist discuss" listserv.... I mean, that's really where your prime involvement is, fielding all those scores of questions from your thousands of subscribers interested in how they can best praise Essence to fulfill Essence's vanity....
 
Pfff... I will thank you for lumping me with Ant and DMB though, I doubt I come close to their caliber, but its nice to imagine I do.

Ant McWatt comments:

Well Ham, like Arlo, I'm quite happy to be lumped with such company.  It nearly made my day!  As far as being an apologist...  I suppose it could be a lot, lot worse than Mr Pirsig.  How about being an apologist for Bush Junior or Mr Blair or Donald "Wiggy" Trump or Thatcher or even those lovable investment bankers - which George Harrison mentioned in his rather charming Piggies song?

(Weirdly enough though it's a song all about piggies, there's no mention of ham!)

Apologies for the absence,

Ant


"Have you seen the bigger piggies

In their starched white shirts

You will find the bigger piggies

Stirring up the dirt

Always have clean shirts to play around in."



"In their sties with all their backing

They don't care what goes on around

In their eyes there's something lacking

What they need is a damn good whacking."



"Everywhere there's lots of piggies

Living piggy lives

You can see them out for dinner 

With their piggy wives

Clutching forks and knives to eat their bacon."


.