Re: Words and memes

From: Scott Chase (ecphoric@hotmail.com)
Date: Wed Feb 27 2002 - 03:17:04 GMT

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    From: "Scott Chase" <ecphoric@hotmail.com>
    To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
    Subject: Re: Words and memes
    Date: Tue, 26 Feb 2002 22:17:04 -0500
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    >From: "Dace" <edace@earthlink.net>
    >Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
    >To: <memetics@mmu.ac.uk>
    >Subject: Re: Words and memes
    >Date: Mon, 25 Feb 2002 18:16:20 -0800
    >
    >
    >From: Scott Chase
    >
    > > >Keith,
    > > >
    > > >I readily concede that the cattle killing involved a delusion, as did
    >the
    > > >Jews at Masada. But the inaccuracy of a belief doesn't necessarily
    > > >make it "mutant." Myth is universal among pre-scientific cultures and
    >is
    > > >extremely important at binding communities. The idea that the Xhosa
    > > >would regain in paradise all that they had destroyed on earth helped
    > > >them to resist their absorption into an alien culture. It enabled them
    >to
    > > >control their demise, to retain their human dignity to the end, just
    >like
    > > >Masada. This is a healthy meme. If everyone resisted enslavement to
    > > >the death, there would be no imperialism, no systematic injustice and
    > > >inequality. We would indeed be inhabiting paradise.
    > > >
    > > >
    > > Isn't Masada still a big component of the Israeli-Jewish cultural
    >milieu?
    > > _The Complete Idiot's Guide to Middle East Conflict_ (by Mitchell Bard,
    > > 1999, Alpha Books, Indianapolis) refers to a "Masada complex" and says
    > > that Israeli soldiers swear an oath ("Masada shall not fall again") at
    >the
    > > Masada site. Hopefully I'm not reliving the mosque/mosquito thing here.
    >
    >Yet another example of the degeneration of culture to cult.
    >
    >
    Can you elaborate a little?

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