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From: jim@ISM780B.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.politics
Subject: Re: Re: Equality through Reaganomics ? M
Message-ID: <39000041@ISM780B.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 2-Dec-85 02:57:00 EST
Article-I.D.: ISM780B.39000041
Posted: Mon Dec  2 02:57:00 1985
Date-Received: Fri, 6-Dec-85 20:33:02 EST
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Nf-From: ISM780B!jim    Dec  2 02:57:00 1985


>Guilty as charged. Flames breed flames;  attributions  of  intent
>are among the worst kind. Inquiries about individuals' "intellec-
>tual honesty" are of the same kind. A *meta-subject* - about what
>stuff  is proper to post, or to object to - was, I think, a legi-
>timate (if boring) new subject of debate - if only it was treated
>calmly.  I  just  posted  a  note  on "What is Fit to Print". Any
>flames of mine you see will pre-date this response.

I thought you were the one who likes to break taboos?  One of the favorite
taboos I like to broach is discussion of the internal consistency of people's
statements and of the processes that lead to disagreement, which include
differing use of language, fallacy, and conscious or unconscious lying.  It
is my firm belief that a major reason Ronald Reagan has that "teflon sticker"
is because it is taboo in our media to call someone a liar, even if there is
firm evidence.  Of course, libel laws are not complete protection, which
partially explains the ban.  But I really believe that demanding honesty
increases honesty since even the demander, once making the demand, will be
held up to his own standard.  You may totally disagree with me, but you
should not criticize me too harshly for breaking taboos that I believe it is
preferable to break.  However, I have toned down a bit with the awareness
that this taboo is being strongly defended.  So implicit censorship has once
again taken hold.


-- Jim Balter (ima!jim)