Dec 24, 2009 0
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Aug 29, 2009 0
Preaching to the Choir
One of the most valid criticisms of this blog is that I am only preaching to the choir. I may be voicing legitimate points, but it is not accomplishing much since few opposing my viewpoints will read it..
When I started writing Rebelyid is was not with any intent to persuade others to follow a different path. Most of the time I wrote to just to clarify my own thinking whether it was to summarize books and articles or to explore ideas out loud. Writing helps bring disparate ideas to a logical conclusion.
I have no strong loyalty to the Republican Party, but I have less for the Democrats. I mostly espouse libertarian thoughts, but I even find their party functionally sterile. I find economics and history to be enlightening and I try to apply those perspectives on controversial issues; that is why I find the left and right descriptions to be irrelevant.
One of the compliments I value is when readers claim they cannot discern if I am liberal or conservative. When I approach an issue those are the two least important thoughts in my head. I am sure that my recent posts make that seem unlikely since I oppose so much of Obama’s programs. If I am able to have any influence it was not my original goal.
But how does one have any influence on the readers? First of all I doubt if anything can have any influence on the extremes from either side. I believe only the middle third are even open to an original or questioning thought. Most people read for confirmation not information. Once someone claims any party loyalty their thought process seems to focus on defending that position rather than to entertain any thought that would question or doubt their belief.
While I like to debate positions I am only interested in an open discourse. Once the word ‘liar’ or ‘idiot’ is inserted into the debate I am done. When the person associated with a statement is the target more than the statement itself, I realize a debate is futile.
But the reality is that most people react and choose emotionally, not logically and few logical ideas will change them. To the extent that current myths can be debunked and more people will question their own positions I guess writers and bloggers may have some influence, but perhaps the best we can do is to continue to clarify in our own minds our positions and to continue to think them through so we are better prepared to promote and defend those ideas when the opportunity arises.
There probably isn’t much more a writer can do.
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Jul 27, 2007 0
Goodness and Greatness
“A person’s pursuit of goodness leads to greatness, but the pursuit of greatness leads to ruin. Pursue goodness and you will achieve great things.”
John E. Kramer, vice president for communications, Institute for Justice
from a Starbucks Coffee Cup
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Jul 26, 2007 0
Word Up
One of my favorite sites is the Urban Dictionary, http://www.urbandictionary.com You can invent words and add them to the dictionary.
Too many of the entries are juvenile and vulgar but there are a few gems. A few of my favorites:
Saniped
one who uses their foot to lift the toilet seat or flush a toilet in a public bathroom, as in
“Public bathrooms need to be designed to accomodate the growing tide of sanipeds.” (This is one of mine)
Chirobation
the act of giving oneself a chiropractic adjustment
“it looked like yoga, but he was actually engaging in chirobation” (tips to Jimmy Gaudet)
Pregret
The feeling of regretting something you’re about to do anyway.
“Every Friday night, I pregret that I will go to the club. I know I will stand there like an idiot and won’t talk enough game to bring anyone home with me.”
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Jul 21, 2007 0
Before Ayn Rand
Robert Heinlein was one of the great science fiction authors probably best known for Starship Troopers and Stranger in a Strange Land, but my favoraite was “Time Enough for Love”, a story of Lazarus Long. Long is born in 1910, lives to be over 4,000 years old, inhabits several planets, is married 35 times and goes back in time to date his mother.
A first edition of this book published in 1973 sells on Abebooks.com for $400, so he must have a pretty good following. His whimsical biblical wisdom permeates the book.
“When the need arises- and it does- you must be able to shoot your own dog. Don’t farm it out- that doesn’t make it nicer, it makes it worse.”
“Moderation is for monks.”
“Never appeal to a man’s ‘better nature.’ He may not have one. Invoking his self interest gives you more leverage.”
“You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don’t ever count on having both at once.”
“$100 placed at 7% interest compounded quarterly for 200 years will increase to more than $100,000,000- by which time it will be worth nothing.”
“Beware of altruism. It is based on self deception, the root of all evil.”
As you can see Heinlein was one of the great libertarian philosophers even before Ayn Rand ( and a lot more fun to read) . Though he died in the 1987, Reason Magazine commemorates his 100th birthday in the latest issue.
