Re: Heston's Speech

From: Neal Blaikie (nrb@porterville.k12.ca.us)
Date: Thu Feb 22 2001 - 10:16:59 MST


Brian D Williams wrote:

> Actually Mr Heston represents the opposite of a number of
> viewpoints, in this particular case he was arguing against those
> advocates of censorship known as "politically correct".

Thanks for the clarification.

> >And why this obsession with sides?
>
> The oldest trick in the debating handbook is to accuse the other
> side of something and force them to defend. Obsession? Sorry you'll
> have to produce evidence, not opinion on this.

You're right. My use of the word "obsession" here was too strong, and
potentially inflammatory. Sorry. I was probably reacting more to what I
see as an unhealthy tendency on this list toward side-taking and us vs.
them posturing, rather than solid critical thinking, when it comes to
dealing with certain touchy political topics.

> >How does this fit in with "onward and upward"? I see conflicting
> >viewpoints being embraced here.
>
> I'm missing the conflicting viewpoint you're talking about. By
> insisting on free speech, not merely politically correct speech is
> completely aplicable to the extropian principals.

I was trying (not very successfully, apparently) to point out how I see
side-taking or thinking in oppositional terms to be anti-progess:
backward thinking, not forward thinking. This seems to conflict with
extropian thought. I was questioning your rhetorical methods, not the
content of the thing you were responding to.



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