Hi Marco:
Would you agree that Pirsig would be pleased (based on the MOQ) of
the election in your country of Silvio Berlusconi and his center-right
coalition?
Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't Berlusconi, reputedly Italy's richest
man, promise to pare back Italy's overlarge, officious state apparatus?
In other words, reduce some of the nation's static quality to let in some
Dynamic freedom?
It seems to me that you and others on the left of the political spectrum
are ignoring the MOQ. Pirisg makes clear in Chap. 17 of Lila that the
MOQ favors free markets over socialist, central controlled economies.
The actual quotes have been repeated or referred to several times in
posts by Bo, Roger and myself. But again, for the record, Pirsig says:
"What makes the free-enterprise system superior is that the socialists,
reasoning intelligently and objectively, have inadvertently closed the
door to Dynamic Quality in the buying and selling of things."
Please note the word, "superior."
Similarly, you and others seem to be surprised that the MOQ is
suspicious of intellectual control of society. The reason is very simple.
Besides ignoring Dynamic Quality, subject-object intellect makes no
provision for morals. If you'll re-read Chapters 22 and 24 in Lila you will
be reminded of why Pirsig has real doubts about intellectual control of
society. He sums it up this way:
"In the time that Phaedrus grew up, intellect was dominant over society,
but the results of the new social looseness weren't turning out as
predicted. Something was wrong. The world was not doubt in better
shape intellectually and technologically but despite that, somehow, the
"quality" of it was not good. There was no way you could say why this
quality was no good. You just felt it."
The race riots here and England give me that feeling.
Now we could argue about plusses and minuses of the various social,
economic and political systems in various countries past and present
forever. But, this forum is dedicated to discussing the MOQ. Don't you
agree we ought to acknowledge the MOQ viewpoint and at least try to
keep the discussion focused on that, even if it's more fun to rant and
rave about ugly America?
I look forward to your reply.
Platt
P.S. No one dies on the street here with no help. The penniless are
often better cared for than the working poor. So divest yourself of that
belief. After all, that's like me believing all Italians belong to the Mafia.
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