>
> On Jun 20, 2009, at 9:34 PM, Chris Doss wrote:
>
> I think Michael's point is that what you see as important the majority of
>> humanity may see as frivolous.
>>
>> I mean, really. "I can't go swimming (in the desert)! I can't name my kid
>> Hiddzubb-ulla-Nyarthathotop-Yog-Sothoth! Oh noes! The dire oppression! I
>> must revolt!"
>>
>> Middle class concerns indeed.
>>
>
> Iran has some pretty shitty social indicators, but on the other hand, it's
> not a country where people are eating dirt. Much of the population is
> educated, sophisticated, and wants to join the world. The idea that some
> people are just too primitive for these "frivolous" aspirations is
> patronizing and insulting.
If they're placed in a situation where, for whatever arbitrary reason (an election, say), they must choose between some (insufficient) expansion of those social freedoms and some (insufficient) amount of economic security, are they primitive to prefer the latter (when they do?) Poor and rural folk have often opposed liberalism from the right. Maybe it's because they're dumb people who believe in superstitious nonsense, but that's not my default assumption.