Oh Dear Jonathan,
If anyone has contributed to dragging things off into a quagmire
here, it's been me, nipping at 'centerists'!
And while I am wholly new to formal philosophical discussions (and
quite naive I'm sure you'll discover) I'm not new to web posting, so
I really have no excuse for such an untimely digression - I confess
to being off-balance.
But I'd like to make a small plea for myself by way of introduction.
I'm among the fortunate who have been able to actually do something
to help in this disaster the world has found itself in.
I live in Atlantic Canada and our region has been privileged to host
some 30,000 air travelers from every corner of the globe, re-routed
here from their intended destinations in the USA. The outpouring of
support has been overwhelming - more than sufficient. Personally,
I've contributed very little - Many hands make light work. (but some
smaller, more isolated airfield communities saw their population
double overnight!)
It's been inspiring to witness. And i recognize it's been very
therapeutic for me and my real life community. We are VERY fortunate
to be able to busy ourselves and help in a small but 'real' way.
Please excuse my apparent disconnect here on MoQ, especially at a
time like this.
If I have anything constructive to offer, as simplistic as it may be,
it would be this : I know there are many who feel frustrated, unable
to assist directly - I hope they'll reach out to share their
'quality', one to one, with whom ever and on whatever level.
. . . I never could understand why Phaedrus in Lila stopped short of
calling it 'love'.
Much Love,
Tanya
>Dear friends,
>
> It is comforting to share this forum with new and old acquaintances.
>Moreover, the appearance of "old-timers" who haven't contributed for many
>months (Hi Maggie) is a joyous reminder that our community is much bigger
>than the dozen or so names that appear in the recent post.
>
>For now, it is difficult to discuss anything except for the terrible tragedy
>that took place in the USA this week. We have to now accept the challenge of
>trying to find meaning and quality to make sense of the chaos. . . . but I
>don't think we should slip into simplistic interpretations.
>
>MARCO:
>It's more than a war: terrorism is a crime against
>humankind. Or, in other words, a crime of a blind social pattern against the
>basic values of the intellectual level.
>
>With the greatest respect, this reminds me of David Buchanan's argument that
>Truman's decision to nuke Hiroshima and Nagasaki was wrong because it was
>based on social values.
>I can't accept this. There is nothing wrong with social values per se.
>Pirsig himself recognises the dangers of attacking social values. I see the
>terrorist attack on the USA and all terrorist attacks as collisions between
>conflicting social patterns. The framework that crowds people into tall
>buildings in densely-populated cities, that flies thousands of people daily
>in jet airliners, that lets people move and communicate freely via a fast
>expanding array of technologies; I see all this as a social pattern. It is
>important to recognise that the system that has evolved is a system that is
>freely accepted by its participants, and valued by them.
>
>But there are other social frameworks that rejects all of this. The people
>who value these alternatives are the likes of Timothy McVigh, Bin Laden, and
>the evil people who masterminded and executed the latest terrorist outrages.
>
>This is not a conflict between levels, in fact, I've repeatedly expressed my
>belief that there are no interlevel conflicts because each level is an
>intellectual construct - its own world abstracted from experience in a
>different way.
>
>This is a conflict within the social level betweening two conflicting social
>patterns, and personally I have little trouble in deciding which I value
>more. . . . . and I am certain that I would have reached the same conclusion
>before I read either of Pirsig's novels.
>
>Jonathan
>
>P.S. I was extremely moved by the news report of the "Star Spangled Banner"
>played as part of the Changing of Guards ceremony in London (I am a former
>Londoner myself). Without words it made a powerful statement that I think
>was understood by all of us.
>
>
>
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