Ignorance, Gillard PM, Holidays Approach, Gaming Reviews

[tcpip]

Most regular readers will know I'm an advocate of land tax as a replace for inefficient and unproductive taxes on labour and capital. On a whim, I entered this discussion on a property investment website. Enjoy the results. What I find particularly remarkable is their ignorance of basic economics (like the Law of Rent or the distinction between land and capital) on matters they claim expertise in. Actually I must confess I find this a lot; often people with a strong opinion on a topic like to think they're an expert on a topic. Personally, I prefer to form a strong opinion by reaching "deeply considered convictions", based on reason and evidence, rather than having "deeply ingrained prejudices" from emotions and assumptions.

Julia Gillard became the first ever female Prime Minister of Australia yesterday (that's only taken over one hundred years, *grumble*). It's an acting position whilst Rudd is in Bali (finally a PM who's acting on climate change!) , and one which seems to attract a share of odd events. I've sent her a congratulatory email (the last email conversation we had was a little terse; I was writing on behalf of Labor for Refugees and she was shadow minister for immigration).

Speaking of which, for the second year in a row, I'm desparately trying to organise tickets to Bali again over the break. I've contacted Flight Centre, and they've sent an email confirmation saying their processing the request, but no confirmation yet. Meh. It's been years since I've been to the archipelago, and I really want to see it again. New Zealand is not an option this summer (I think I'll go south for winter). If this doesn't work out for whatever reason maybe a visit to Tasmania is in order; it's been a while since I've seen Murdoch's former Vice-Chancellor, Professor Peter Boyce and we remain in irregular correspondence.

This week I finally managed to finish my review of Earthdawn: Gamemaster's Compendium; it's a huge, stunning book and quite good on the substance level as well. Not so good is the old AD&D module D1: Descent into the Depths of the Earth, which is seriously lacking in style, substance and a purpose for existence. Played another session of Legend of the Five Rings last Sunday with a refitted AD&D Oriental Adventures module. It's going very well, if only I can hack out some overall narrative to the various instances of character development and plot leads.

Comments

[neonchameleon.livejournal.com]

Enjoy the results.

I agree with everything you've said - but I'd still have tagged you with a Do Not Feed the Troll comment...

[sinibar.livejournal.com]

Yes, cropping up in the midst of a discussion and expressing an opinion that, no matter how eloquently put and well backed up, is pretty much guaranteed to be diametrically opposed to that of all those of the forum does look like trolling. Intelligent trolling, but trolling nonetheless.

If a subject is dear to ones heart, however, and the opinions expressed on a forum are complete and total drivel, it's sometimes difficult to keep the forefinger away from the trigger.

From my experience with this I've been forced to conclude that Simon and Garfunkel were right, "a man hears what he wants to hear and disregards the rest"^[1]. In any group of opinionated people, there will be some who will vehemently defend an indefensible opinion^[2].

The open minded soon drop out of the argument and you're left talking to people who just aren't worth talking to.

[1] this is such a blindingly obvious thing that someone must have said it before them, but that's the one that springs to mind at the moment.
[2] As hinted at, I believe, in "Nights in White Satin" by The Moody Blues^[3].
[3] I promise, I'll stop with the rock references now

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

The open minded soon drop out of the argument and you're left talking to people who just aren't worth talking to.

Can be a problem; hence the importance of picking and choosing what one responds to. People who are deliberately abusive aren't worth the effort.

Or, as the old USENET saying went.. "Never wrestle a pig in shit. The pig enjoys it and you get covered in shit".

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

Taking the Wikipedia definition, my intent wasn't really to engage in an argumentative response, merely to express an alternative point of view with the hope that they would perhaps read it and consider it.

If there is an act of foolishness on my part it's that I often think that people who seek to acquire knowledge in the same manner that I attempt to. I am yet again reminded that this is usually not the case. Honestly, I don't know how to get around this except to continue to present issues as I do.. If one in ten read the material and even try to understand it with an open mind (even if I don't agree with the conclusions) I suppose it makes it worthwhile introducting them to the idea.

[amazinggoatgirl.livejournal.com]

Interesting. How do you seek to acquire knowledge? And how is it different from the way others do?

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

Pretty well covered in the content of this post really. When confronted with a proposition test it with internal logic and empirical correlations. If one doesn't understand the proposition simply state to the proponent "I don't understand" and have them explain it to you.

I have found even in IT there are plenty of people who feel bad about asking questions which they think they should know the answers to but are embarrassed (I suppose) that they don't. In my world there are no bad questions and I'm quite ready to admit what I do not know.

All this said it is a lot easier I suppose to start with a visceral reaction and in engage in logical fallacies such as ad hominen attacks etc.

[demonhellfish.livejournal.com]

"Even in IT"?? Maybe my experience is biased, but IT is far from being the least culprit in matters of hubris (Larry Wall's virtues notwithstanding).

Anyway, an excellent thread on that forum. The crux appeared to be "Well, us landlords don't want to pay taxes, and we don't care how well the total economy does.". I do have to agree that it's rather like trolling to try explaining how to use landlords as taxes' entry point into the economy when the thread started as a discussion of how to dodge taxes.

Then again, I like trolls. They regenerate 3HP/rnd.

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

but IT is far from being the least culprit in matters of hubris

There was a hint of humour in my remark :-)

I do have to agree that it's rather like trolling to try explaining how to use landlords as taxes' entry point into the economy when the thread started as a discussion of how to dodge taxes.

pooh, the popular consensus is that I was trolling without intent :-)

Then again, I like trolls. They regenerate 3HP/rnd.

Better than RuneQuest's imho (although the material for trolls whas better in that product).

The coolest ones are, imo, those in Harnmaster...

[demonhellfish.livejournal.com]

*Smirk*

And now, I have successfully trolled you.

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

Dang! Caught again! :-)

[amazinggoatgirl.livejournal.com]

Well, I guess it depends how you define 'easy.'

[evil-genius.livejournal.com]

"If there is an act of foolishness on my part it's that I often think that people who seek to acquire knowledge in the same manner that I attempt to. "
I run into that problem more or less everyday. WTF is wrong with our species that we become so intellectually complacent later in life.

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

Anti-intellectualism is a rampant and destructive mental disorder which has become increasingly prevalent among both the fundamental theologians and the vulgar materialists. In both cases understanding the world has become too difficult to understand and their own lack of humility does not allow them to consider the possibility that on a certain subject, someone else may have a better answer.

[ruth-lawrence.livejournal.com]

..but someone else almost always will!

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

You would think so wouldn't you? :(

[ruth-lawrence.livejournal.com]

I truly hope so.

[zey.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I think you have a point there.

It's a bit like walking into a crowded Liberal Party function to try to convince them of the value of human rights. Unless not torturing people or imprisoning children behind razorwire might somehow increase their personal wealth directly, the Liberal Party crowd just won't be interested.

I'm becoming more amenable to the view of the cultural warriors that the Left/Right political war might be over: it seems these days it's simply the "selfish arseholes" (Liberals and the powerful ALP Right) versus the "community minded" (a few remaining parts of the ALP Left, Democrats, Greens, et al).

The problem there is, you can't convince a selfish arsehole to become more community minded, but, community minded people can be exploited and conflicted by the arses.

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

Mind you, that would probably the pitch I would try to take to those who have a serious "hip pocket nerve" i.e., the cost of detention centres is over $100 per day and over 95% of cases are successful. Is this a good use of your tax dollars?

[zey.livejournal.com]

Heh. That was the argument I was using heavily in 2001-2 on aus.politics, but, you need to remember that they're not only selfish, but, they're arseholes too. They're quite happy to spend far in excess if it means they can punish people less fortunate.

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

Good point. I guess if they can't throw their weight around intellectually they can only feel better through some other means...

[strang-er.livejournal.com]

Perhaps they feel the priveleges of citizenship are worth less if those without aren't treated as harshly.

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

I think the Romans and the French Foreign Legion had that attitude too.