Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id GAA01719 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk); Fri, 18 Jan 2002 06:14:03 GMT X-Originating-IP: [209.240.222.132] From: "Scott Chase" <ecphoric@hotmail.com> To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk Subject: RE: Knowledge, Memes and Sensory Perception Date: Fri, 18 Jan 2002 01:09:31 -0500 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed Message-ID: <F304RJGNiq1bAAMtMhR00021bf9@hotmail.com> X-OriginalArrivalTime: 18 Jan 2002 06:09:32.0362 (UTC) FILETIME=[B22C32A0:01C19FE6] Sender: fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
>From: "Lawrence DeBivort" <debivort@umd5.umd.edu>
>Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
>To: <memetics@mmu.ac.uk>
>Subject: RE: Knowledge, Memes and Sensory Perception
>Date: Thu, 17 Jan 2002 10:46:27 -0500
>
>I'm not sure, lost in the plethora of replies, who made the statement I
>copy
>at the end of this email, but I would suggest that equating the deaths from
>Sept 11 and those from US military action in Afghanistan is a symptom of
>the
>political and moral problem that the US has created for itself:
>
>We rightly denounce the terrorist deaths at the WTC and Pentagon as those
>of
>criminal, evil people. But the US actions are those of a government, of a
>government that claims to be moral and good, and the government of a people
>and country that wish to be moral and good. To compare one set of deaths to
>another, based on the numbers of dead, is a disservice to those of us who
>belief in the morality of the US, for it lowers the actions and motives and
>moral standard of our government to those of the terrorists.
>
>It is one thing to criticize the political and legal elements of US
>government actions (as I do) and another thing to imply that the moral
>standards of terrorists are good enough for us.
>
>Statements like the one below give comfort to those who assert that we are
>no better than the terrorists. Talk about toxic memes!
>
>Lawrence
>
>
>
> > <You need to reference your opinion with facts. as of now, the
> > death toll from the WTC atrocity is 2939; no credible source dares claim
> > that an equal or greater number of Afghan noncombatants have died
> > in the US
> > reponse against the Taliban and Al Quaeda there.>
> > see: http://www.cpm.mmu.ac.uk/jom-emit
>
>
>
Gee Lawrence, when you actually go back and dig out the chopped context of
the above reponse you might realize why it was made. The above response
(starting with "You need to reference your opinion with facts." and ending
with "...Taliban and al Quaeda there.") was in *reply* to somebody saying:
(bq) "If the US does not believe that its might is evidence of its goodness,
how does it justify its aggression and the collateral damage (way in exes
(sic) of 9/11) caused thereby. How many innocent lives does vengeance (tho
your God claims that right) demand" (eq)
This is the snippet which the person's statement you put at the end of your
e-mail was in response to. Doesn't look like the "toxic meme" statement
started the comparison, He was just asking for referencing of opinion with
facts.
So Lawrence if you can see us *hoi polloi* from the high horse, how would
you have alternatively responded to 9/11 and how would you defuse such
situations so they don't arise again? Be be detailed and specific. Maybe
Vincent can play the Tony Blair antipode to your Dubya antipode.
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