From: Ian Glendinning (ian@psybertron.org)
Date: Mon Jan 17 2005 - 17:05:10 GMT
> Hi Ant,
>
> All you need is love, give peace a chance and love conquers all.
> I wouldn't argue with that, but it's surprising how often it's questioned
> too.
>
> Some people think we've had enough of silly love songs ?
> What's lurve got to do with it ?
> What's so funny 'bout peace, love and understanding ?
> Amor Vincit Omnia says Donna Tartt in her "Secret History"
> Brazil (my favourite film ever) was spookily called "Love Conquers All"
> when
> released in the US.
> Strangley I've had reason to quote all of those in my own musings on
> knowledge modelling, but I'd never have predicted that 4 years ago, when
> it
> all looked so logical and technical, before I discovered it was all "Too
> Blue For Logic" - which I'll spare quoting again.
>
> I only picked up on Bill Hicks via your own stuff last year, thanks for
> that. His vitriolic sarcasm", irony and satire of course illustrates an
> important aspect of love though - it must be free, by choice, unfettered
> by
> rule or convention, with an in-built "right to offend". Like quality you
> know it when you feel it yourself.
>
> Someone I quote from endlessly is Neil Hannon (of The Divine Comedy).
> In his "Certainty of Chance" he says
> You must go and I will set you free.
> 'Cos only that will bring you back to me.
> In his "Songs of Love" he says
> Fate doesn't hang on a wrong or right choice
> Fortune depends on the tone of your voice
>
> How refreshing to get some living love poetry references amongst the
> terminally dead logic.
> Thanks again Ant.
> Ian
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Ant McWatt" <antmcwatt@hotmail.co.uk>
> To: <moq_discuss@moq.org>
> Sent: Sunday, January 16, 2005 9:37 PM
> Subject: MD The Long & Winding Road
>
>
>> Matt Poot stated January 16th:
>>
>> >For quite some time, I have disagreed with Platt on many different
>> >occasions, and have for some time sat out of discussions here at MOQ.org
> .
>> >This issue concerns me greatly, because I feel that if I can not somehow
>> >shed light into the mind of Platt, than I will forever be barred from
>> >making progress in the world around me, as there are many of like mind.
>>
>>
>> Dear Poot,
>>
>> Yes, it's an interesting issue why some people remain a part of the
> "docile
>> masses" (as Bill Hicks would say) and some people (often from a similar
>> background) develop a critical mind. As Gavin Gee-Clough mentioned
> earlier:
>> "the individual has to participate in [the] oppressive version of reality
>> for the control to work [though] unplug from the 'matrix' and you become
>> free."
>>
>> I was fortunate to have a grandfather (he's the person dedicated in the
>> hardbound copies of my PhD) who told me (when I was a teenager) to
> question
>> everything including everything he told me and especially what teachers,
>> lecturers, politicians and religious principals said. As I'm sure Robert
>> Pirsig would confirm I have never stopped questioning the thought and
>> motives behind his philosophy. So even with the MOQ - I have never taken
>> anything for granted.
>>
>> At the same time, I started to listen to groups such as the Beatles who
>> encouraged independent thought. For instance, note what George Harrison
>> (the writer of "Think For Yourself") states on the penultimate page of
>> the
>> Beatles Anthology book:
>>
>> "I think we gave hope to the Beatles fans. We gave them a positive
> feeling
>> that there.. was a good time to be had and that you are your own person
> and
>> that the government doesn't own you. There were those kind of messages
>> in
> a
>> lot of our songs."
>>
>> And note Paul McCartney's very final statement about the group on the
>> Anthology's final page:
>>
>> "I'm really glad that most of the songs dealt with love, peace,
>> understanding. It's all very all you need is love and John's give peace
>> a
>> chance. There was a good spirit behind it all which I'm very proud of."
>>
>> Largely thanks to these influences, I then studied sociology at
>> University
>> which further questioned the rhetoric of many social systems such as
>> government, institutionalised religion and the media. As value issues
> (such
>> as who defines the truth and the parameters of acceptable thought) seemed
> an
>> underlying common theme in these different areas, I then studied
> philosophy
>> to understand values further. And, of course, genuine philosophy takes
>> questioning to a new level e.g. am I dreaming, are the people round me
> just
>> computer programs, can we know anything for sure, what is the point of
>> existence, does it have any meaning etc.
>>
>> Along part of the way, I also saw Bill Hicks on TV. The first comedian
> who
>> actually seemed to know anything about politics and the immense bullshit
>> that the average person in the West is fed by their schooling, media and
>> parents. Despite all his vitriol and sarcasm, at the end of his shows,
>> Hicks would always mention that we all have one basic choice - the choice
>> between love and fear. I've come to realise that this choice relates
>> closely to the perennial philosophy promoted by Pirsig and other mystics
>> throughout the ages. Love (or Quality as Pirsig usually terms it) is the
>> only reality, the only constitution, the only truth. Everything else is
>> just minor details. As David Buchanan stated earlier today "the
>> perennial
>> philosophy is a real life saver. It's all about making life better."
>>
>> So, though Platt occasionally tries the patience, I wouldn't get too
> worried
>> about his more controversial statements. Even with all the negative
> social
>> conditioning that he's gone through, despite all the demons that run amok
> in
>> our pulpits, TVs and newspapers, he still realises (though it is never
>> advertised on TV or mentioned by a politician) that there is something
>> of
>> high quality in the perennial philosophy that the MOQ advocates. That's
> one
>> for the angels and a poke in the eye for the demons. In the long run
> (with
>> a little help from their friends, of course) love and truth conquers all.
>>
>> Best wishes,
>>
>> Anthony.
>>
>>
>> P.S. btw, that was a really good e-mail on public health care.
>>
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