[Vision2020] is V2020 doomed?

[Art Deco]

Bill,

I don't quite see it this way.

As Nils suggested, each person can deal with any post any way they see fit.  I don't filter any views though I frequently stop reading some after only a sentence or two.

I think having opposing views has been/is healthy in many ways.  Some of the things that Tony, Dick, Donovan, Ed Cooper-Swan, Farris, etc have posted have been impressive for their dearth of real facts (as opposed to "facts" obviously created for the occasion) and for their dearth of coherent argument and understanding of the complexities of reality. Joe Campbell must be amassing a ton of material for his logic classes to use as entertaining examples of fallacious arguments.


There seems to be two Tonys and two Dicks.  Once in awhile Tony is capable of presenting a reasonable argument with semi-true,albeit incomplete, over-simplified premises and at least a correct formal structure.  But many of his postings reflect a childlike naiveté about truth and argument structure.

Dick's postings also reflect an extreme logical and epistemological naiveté.  He apparently thinks that because he asserts the "X is true" without cogent argument or evidence, we should just accept his word.  Sometimes he just refuses to defend the basis of his views.  It is almost like Dick does not understand that assertions need to be supported with evidence and logical argument.  Personally, the time it takes to correct his illogical/incorrectly informed postings is generally not worth the effort since Dick hardly ever responds to the counter-arguments and counterexamples made.  Dick's specialty is feeling sorry for himself (e.g. "dog-piling"  What do you expect, Dick, when you post such asinine, unsupported ramblings) and then attacking the critic without addressing the criticism made.

Having opposing views expressed on this forum has another useful function.  Some of these postings exhibit amazing ignorance and arrogance not uncharacteristic of the views of a segment of our general population.  This is a reminder of several things, among them that forging a consensus in a democratic republic is an extremely difficult endeavor when rationality apparently counts for so little.  Another lesson to be learned:  It is more much more difficult to "prove" the truth of ethical dicta than it is to "prove" the truths, for example, of all the knowledge used to send persons to the moon, return them safely, and televise worldwide it in real-time.

One element of democratic philosophy is the concept of the market place of ideas and the belief that truth will win out in the long run.  We should not disallow or ignore entries into that market.  Hopefully time and discussion will separate the Edsels and Yugos from the Lexuses.  If Dick, Tony, et al wish to persuade us, then they need do it with verifiable facts and coherent argument.  If not, then they are merely entertaining us with their ignorance and naiveté or annoying us with same.  In either case considering the likelihood of their influence, no real harm is done.


Art Deco (Wayne A. Fox)
deco at moscow.com

----- Original Message ----- 
From: Bill London 
To: vision2020 at moscow.com 
Sent: Friday, June 02, 2006 10:58 AM
Subject: [Vision2020] is V2020 doomed?


I have heard from a few people lately who think V2020 is doomed.  The horrible mean-spirited postings of late have disgusted many of us.  What is to be done?

I haven't given up on V2020.   I think we need to deal with the present problem on V2020.  The problem is that following the Lewiston Tribune feature, a couple of hot-head arch-conservatives decided to have some fun with the liberals in Moscow.  So they joined and started screaming.  And we jumped for the bait.  What I suggest is that we practice what Doug Wilson is so clever at using...old-fashioned shunning.  We should all stop responding to the postings from tony and dick.  This tactic has worked before on V2020.  I would suggest trying it again.

BL


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