: Piper: I don't consider myself a socialist as such lark, but i generally agree with your observations. However when somebody starts throwing insults around then i think its best just to not bother debating them at all.Have you debated here before Piper? There are so many really good thinkers who have just made one or two posts in here while saying everyone else knows so much more than them which isnt the case.
I'm always really glad to hear posts from 'super-unknowns', if they arent to politically prejudiced or rude and abrasive, because they generally have interesting ideas, interesting even if they disagree with me.
As to considering yourself a socialist, I don't think that is important at all, there are a lot of instances where labels are very unhelpful because they are to general or people have negative experiences of other people who have employed the label dishonestly.
: As to your 'friend', well i don't think he's interested in a 'good' society as such (I suspect that like a typical hegelian he believes that the individual is subservient to the state). He's interested in implementing a marxist society- at all costs (actually he probably thinks we're destined for it).
Well that's not a specifically Marxist thing, I know very genuine Marxist Humanists or Left Hegelians, they invert Hegels notions that all is well and the state is the best representation of the individual and communal will, who dont fit with your definition.
Barry is a bit of a utopian, he isnt guided by principled motivation while accepting trial and error adminstration, he is instead commited to implementing a blueprint. Social engineering before Socialism, I think.
: As to why he is so rude and arrogant, well one can only guess...(needless speculation omitted).
Yeah, I know, that said, I think I'll give it a rest, his posts anger me because he continually calls in to question my sincerity and socialist ideas because they dont correspond or comply with his own, but I'm being a bit hypocritical behaving in this manner.
