On Nov 8, 2010, at 6:46 AM, Wojtek S wrote:
> Re: "I'm the one who thinks that in the US antipathy towards the
> government
> is both rational and praiseworthy."
>
> [WS:] If I wanted to hear anti-government rant, I would join a
> right wing
> or libertarian group. They do it much better.
Among things you don't understand are syntax. "Anti-government" signifies a general attitude towards government as such, government in the abstract. "Antipathy towards *the* government" signifies an attitude towards a *specific* government, that corrupt gang ruling "in the US." The people know that the government (called "Washington" or "City Hall" or "Wall Street") does many needed things--badly, and many more of vicious things--quite well.
Shane Mage
The communist creed: From each according to his ability, to each according to his need. The capitalist creed: From each according to his gullibility, to each according to his greed.
Joe Stack (1956-2010)
>>
>> Shane: "your caricature of the philistine notion of mass
>> irrationality"
>>>
>>> [WS:] If there is any caricature here, it is the above statement.
>>> I did
>>> not
>>> say it is "irrationality" but rationality of a different kind than
>>> the
>>> Weberian "purpose rationality."
>>>
>>
>> Well, you are the one who wrote about "irrational antipathy towards
>> government." And I'm the one who thinks that in the US antipathy
>> towards the
>> government is both rational and praiseworthy.
>>
>>
>>
>> It is the same rationality as one underlying magic rituals since the
>>> beginning of humankind. Check out Malinowski's anthropological
>>> studies of
>>> myth and magic or Meyer & Rowan's
>>> work on myth in modern organizations.
>>>
>>
>> How amusing to hear that these eminent empirical sociologists have
>> some
>> pipeline to the "beginning of humankind." Despite being good god-
>> fearing
>> Christian gentlemen, they have not the least conception of why
>> every myth,
>> every religion, every magic ritual expresses the notion that *the
>> gods are
>> to be feared. the gods are greatly to be feared*
>>
>> Shane Mage
>>
>> God said to Abraham, kill me a son
>> Abe said man, you must be putting me on
>> God said you can do what you want, Abe
>> But the next time you see me coming, better run.
>>
>>
>>
>> [WS:] So face it, lefties, the voters decided to sacrifice
>> Democrats to
>>>>> avert bad luck and vent their irrational antipathy towards
>>>>> government.
>>>>> Blaming O's administration is blaming the victim of this
>>>>> sacrifice.
>>>>>
>>>> So you say nobody can know what motivates Obama/Summers/Geithner/
>>>> Bernanke
>>>> &
>>>> co., but you *know* that the *Obama-2008* voters who dumped the
>>>> dumbos
>>>> were
>>>> motivated (to stay home, to vote Repugnicon, to spoil their
>>>> ballots) by
>>>> your
>>>> caricature of the philistine notion of mass irrationality.
>>>> Staying home
>>>> as
>>>> an apotropaic ritual like the Sacrifice of Isaac!
>>>>
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>>
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