: DADDIO: Why are those the only two choices? Absolutely right, DD9. The problem is Aristotelian dualism-"everything must be either X or Y" (whatever X and Y happen to be in any given instance). The real world, as you point out, contains many more than two options. That post demonstrates the same mentality that leads to racism, homophobia, classism, age-ism, sexism, etc. "If I am X, then X has the qualities of goodness, therefore Y, by definition, must have none of the qualities of goodness because it is not X." That's the basic argument. Unfortunately, even at the university level, I still see this type of illogic (I occasionally even see it from other faculty and staff!). You're absolutely right that it's scary, when even a university education is insufficient to break this programming. I don't know...I'm half-tempted to start petitioning for mandatory hallucinogens in the high-schools or something. Well, not seriously, of course, but obviously something pretty drastic needs to be done.
: My god, what the hell are we becoming? This is really scary. Somebody hold me, seriously.
Sorry, I won't hold you, but if you ever make it to Seattle, I'll buy you a beer and let you kvetch about life at me ;-) Hang in there, man. People of intelligence and good will may be out-numbered, out-gunned, poor, hated, feared and oppressed everywhere but,...
uh oh, I can't think of anything...
nevermind...
