To: Amos the Prophet
Look, I am not being dense here; I fully understand the author's point.
The use of "we" can be an effective rhetorical device to underline an argument, and no doubt I've slipped into that a time or two.
But we need to be careful, because this kind of fuzzy thinking is just one step short of liberalism (such as the group guilt concept of "social justice" and other oxymorons) or worse.
33 SirJohnBarleycorn
I agree that it is not helpful to extrapolate from the general to the specific.
I certainly feel no guilt for Auschwitz or for slavery and I stand foresquare against Muslim fanatics. Our society, however, has been late to all of these parties.
By society I do not mean government.
As a society we remain guilty of the fuzzy thinking that tolerates a culture of death.
40 Amos the Prophet
I agree with John, as I too understood the authors point, and made my own regarding his liberal/socialistic style of writing.
You claim that:
" -- As a society we remain guilty of the fuzzy thinking that tolerates a culture of death. -- "
Yet you " -- agree that it is not helpful to extrapolate from the general to the specific. -- "
I find a dichotomy in those two thoughts.. Can you explain?
To: faireturn
You claim that: " -- As a society we remain guilty of the fuzzy thinking that tolerates a culture of death. -- " Yet you " -- agree that it is not helpful to extrapolate from the general to the specific. -- " I find a dichotomy in those two thoughts.. Can you explain?I am not sure I understand your concern. I was referring to John's concern that we guilt trip ourselves individually by acceding to general complaints. In a politicized society such as our it is always the case that there are dominant themes - such as political correctness - that are anathema to some individuals. I may personally disagree with some politically correct attitude such as open borders which the society at large tolerates and even encourages.
I believe there is a meaningful distinction to be made between the WE of cultural character and the ME of individual character. They are not each the same in all times and places.
I referred directly to the writer's admonition that WE are engaged in a culture of death. In that abortion and STDs are dominant themes in the life of this culture, I would maintain that this culture is thereby engaged in activities that promote innocent and needless death. Society tolerates these behaviors. It does not stop them.
I am not sure where we are going with this. What do you believe is the salient issue between the WE and the ME?
58 posted on
09/27/2005 8:43:59 AM PDT by
Louis Foxwell
(THIS IS WAR AND I MEAN TO WIN IT.)
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