Re: Kooks, Trolls and Witches: An Appeal To Reason

From: John Edser (edser_at_tpg.com.au)
Date: 03/02/05 

Date: Tue, 1 Mar 2005 22:25:37 -0500 (EST)

"Perplexed in Peoria" jimmenegay@sbcglobal.net

> > JE:-
> > Dr Moran and Jim Menegay have actually resorted
> > to justifying name calling as reasonable within this
> > thread.

> JM:-
> Actually, I have mostly argued against it, though I admit
> that I have also indulged occasionally. I apologize for that!
> However, as Tyler points out, there is no obligation for
> a response or for continuing an obviously pointless thread.
> A characterization of someone as a "kook" or a "troll" is
> perhaps useful as an explanation for the lack of a
> constructive response.

JE:-
Why did you bother to apologise because you contradicted
your need to do so in the very next sentence? If you
think that puerile name calling (which does not even
provide quality comic relief) is justified then please
JUST SAY SO.

No thread is "obviously pointless". It becomes pointless
because of chronic evasion. My conscience is clear. To
my knowledge I have defined all my terms and have never left
a logically valid question unanswered. Can you say the same?
Reason can solve anything. People will not let it because
they have emotional ties to their favourite ideas. Only
Popper's requirement for a refutation of the offered
viewpoint can provide any relief from chronic evasion.

> JM:-
> Whether that explanation is
> accepted as reasonable by a third-party observer is up
> to them.
> But whether the insult is taken to heart by the target
> of the insult is another matter. It is my experience
> that such insults usually roll off the back of their
> target. They may be cruel, but they do no harm. (They
> don't seem to do any good either!).

JE:-
Insults which are not vindictive, i.e. were only meant
to diffuse some emotion with comedy are valid.
I called Felsenstein "the Pope Of Neo Darwinism" for
this very reason because he had admitted his models
were not testable. Typically, he used it as a rationale
to demand an apology from myself which I refuse to
provide. The man has no sense of humour as well as
being politically manipulative. Vindictive name calling
like "kook" is always an embarrassment to the name caller
and not to the recipient of the name calling because it
is diagnostic of a juvenile personality.

My Regards,

John Edser
Independent Researcher

PO Box 266
Church Pt
NSW 2105
Australia

edser@tpg.com.au

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