From: Jeremy Bradley (jeremyb@nor.com.au)
Date: Tue 09 Sep 2003 - 00:05:26 GMT
>Snipppppp..............
>An "emtional jihad", a "Stalinist silencing"!? Things must be getting
>serious. But my only feeling on the matter is this might a better place to
>discuss memetics than to post articles prosylitizing your political point of
>view while occasionally tying them to the expressed purpose of this list. I
>feel well insulated from virulent memes, personally, but despite the
>insulation from the memes you are intent on spreading, it still takes time
>to sift through the stuff you post to get to the memetics.
>
>Brent
>
My point exactly Brent.
However, if we could cut through the 'my meme-team is better than your
meme-team' diatribe, there is a rich vein of memetic inquiry to be tapped
into here.
My own question of memetics is in the memetics as the 'arbiter of
appropriacy' area. Why is it that an individual should think a course of
action, or way of thinking, is right or wrong?
The problem on this list is that every time we try to get an objective
discussion going on the collective value system of cultural groupings,
human artefacts one and all, there is a descent into subjective ranting and
nationalist self justification.
That is my sadness. The hilarious side of it is that, knowing what we know
about memetics and the constructed nature of cultural thought, we don't
observe the similarity between the great revolutionaries of history. Even
the reconstructed hero of the 'American Revolution, George Washington, was
a terrorist to some, a freedom fighter to others. Yet, to an objective,
non-aligned, observer, he may also be viewed as a self serving radical
with only a minority support (30%).
Have a look around, some of the greatest leaders of the world have served
jail-time for terrorism. Half the first Israeli Parliament, immediately
recognised by the US Government, was also wanted for crimes of terror by
the previous legitimate governing body.
Terrorism, on a non-State level, is the weapon of the oppressed. Terror, on
the State level, is the quasi legitimised weapon of the oppressor. One
brings on the other and will continue to do so until we recognise the fact
that no meme-team is sacrosanct.
Jeremy
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jeremy Bradley
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Phone:02 65856652 or 02 65856134
E-mail: jeremyb@nor.com.au
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