SI
SI
discoversearch

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor.  We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community.  If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.
Politics : View from the Center and Left

 Public ReplyPrvt ReplyMark as Last ReadFilePrevious 10Next 10PreviousNext  
To: Travis_Bickle who wrote (129223)1/25/2010 12:10:51 PM
From: Lane3  Read Replies (1) of 541931
 
I can afford to take out a full page ad in the St. Pete Times, the homeless guy at the bus shelter can't ... so my freedom of speech should be curtailed until he is a little more flush?

I read an interesting little book yesterday called "Crimes Against Logic." (It's a small book. It took only yesterday's two half-times to read.) It framed logical fallacies in a way that was new to me. It looked at responsiveness to the question rather than pure, logical reasoning.

With that frame of reference, and given my inclination to try to understand as best I can all sides of an issue, I was looking for a legitimate rationalization of the underlying concern here which, if I read it correctly, is about fair fights. I could be wrong since no one has directly articulated the problem but that seems to be what is causing all the distress. Your response would be covered by the book's chapter entitled "Begging the Question." Your response implies that you don't think that a fair fight matters. It seems to me that a serious counter, then, would have to offer some rationale for it not mattering if there's a stacked deck or it mattering less than free speech.

I am unable to imagine anything more useful to respond to those who are distressed than "shit happens" or "life isn't fair." So that's why I asked you. Thought you might have some insight that I can't conjure up on my own.

I haven't taken a position on this development. I really am at a loss. My natural inclination is to blame the fact that there is so much booty available from Washington that powerful interests will find a way to get it no matter what we do rather like the way water always finds a way and that the only way to fix the problem is to reduce the booty. But liberals don't like to hear that so I'm looking for alternatives. Got any?
Report TOU ViolationShare This Post
 Public ReplyPrvt ReplyMark as Last ReadFilePrevious 10Next 10PreviousNext