Posted by Diarmuid on January 30, 2002 at 11:23:28:
In Reply to: importance of philosophy: posted by isaac on January 30, 2002 at 10:45:21:
The only legitimate link would be to a page titled "The importance of philosophy explained". Preferably, but not necessarily, followed by "in 500 words".
Instead, I get a link to a rightwing site (hint: it's always a sign that a thinker has a little bit of Helms in him if, when talking about the way "the government wastes MY MONEY", the bitcher starts going on about welfare. This proves that his real problem is poor people. If he really cared about money more than he hates poor people, he will, before mentioning anything else, condemn the waste of taxpayer money on building and maintaining useless obsolete weapons. Obsolete military spending is always a much bigger sum than the tiny pittance the USA spends on welfare. Most objectivists fail to even mention this, even over the course of a 500,000 word website.
The fact is: welfare isn't a drain on the budget. It pays for itself many times over in the form of taxes paid by former and future welfare recipients. Unlike obsolete tanks and submarines, which Objectivists NEVER complain about spontaneously (yeah, that includes you and Matches). So why do they bitch about it so much? I'm sure it has *nothing* to do with the fact that many welfare recipients are black.)
If philosophy mattered in some way, and you knew it, Isaac, *you would have told me why it matters*, not given me a URL.
I've read most of Galt's speech, and every page I've read thus far contains an average of 2 points which I find to be completely invalid. It only takes ONE invalid point to disable an entire argument, Isaac.