Okay, Terry, I copied your whole post forward to make some comments and ask some questions on top of it:
Dispelling some common myths:
1. Most humans are rational and make logical decisions.
FALSE. I happen to agree with this one!
2. Most humans are truly intelligent.
FALSE. Hmm, I think everyone is always doing the best they can, but not everyone is playing a good hand.
3. A totally open democracy equals the greatest freedom for the individual.
FALSE. Total democracies lead to political dictatorships because the electorate
tends to vote away their individual rights and make the central governmental
structure more powerful. This is happening today in the USA. And, that's why the
original US was set-up to permit only those who owned property (real estate) to
vote. Are you advocating that we go back to property owners only voting? That seems a little radical or something! If not, what are you advocating? While it is true that property owners seem to have a pretty big stake in a stable society, so do parents, and all adults, really. It would tend to keep society very conservative, I would think. No?
4. Man's acts are anti-nature.
FALSE. Since Man is a part of nature, Man's actions are not outside of nature. Well, okay, man may be natural because he is a part of nature, but certainlyt there is his better, higher nature and then his most base, instinctual nature. It seems that a natural being would want to live naturally, which would mean in nature, which would mean he cannot at the same time destroy the natural environment.
5. The earth is becoming overpopulated.
FALSE. That only seems true if you live in congested urban areas. I disagree here, Terry. We are not stacked right on top of each other yet, but our huge population has stressed the earth's natural systems greatly. I think most scientists would also disagree with you!
6. Man is creating an environmental disaster.
FALSE. We are at the rudimentary stage of restructuring the earth to suit our
needs. Well, the earth suited our needs fine until there became too many of us, and we did not respect what we had, and despoiled it. What is your guarantee that your earth restructuring will work flawlessly and timelessly? Once you are playing with such forces, one small mistake--an errant microbe or something--could destroy everything. Personally, I would rather take my chances with nurturing and restoring what we have.
7. Man can never control nature.
FALSE. Those who think can and will. Those who cannot will remain as ignorant
savages trembling at the "lightening gods". This is the $64,000 question!! I think nature may well be more powerful than man as a FORCE, not a silly god to be terrified of or superstitious about, but simply because it dwarfs us.
8. There are some things Man is not meant to know.
FALSE. Our survival in the universe makes it imperative that we, as a race, learn
everything there is to learn. If need be, we will someday surpass "God" in
knowledge and create our own universes. I totally agree that we need to learn as much as possible. I think nature may be a more creative force than we are, and works in ways we cannot yet even fathom.
9. John Galt will never return to the FEELINGS thread.
FALSE. JG may someday BUY SI. Well, that would be really groovy!! Sugar Magnolia would sure be a happier woman--she misses him so much she is just moping about, not even feeling like posting or anything!!
FT
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