Quote:
Originally posted by dhamsaic
I'd really like to hear her take on that.
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I *am* done with this thread--but I'll see if I can clarify about this age thing, since you've asked, dham.
Jag has now said outright that his aim here is to "shake things up", by which as far as I can see means to troll around making outrageous statements, and then enjoy the fireworks. Perhaps he fancies himself a puckish cultural guerrilla ushering in the new order. Maybe he just likes the attention, and doesn't care whether it's positive or negative. Whatever; I won't be feeding that appetite anymore here.
I suppose a lot of my frustration with him arises from being led around in circles over quite a long period, trying to engage him in some earlier threads, before reading his profile and realizing he was a minor child. "My bad" on that, I suppose--the Cellar *used* to be a place where--for the most part--adult standards of discourse were maintained (with perhaps a few transient exceptions), mostly because it took a signifcant investment in time and energy to participate here.
I did extend respect to Jag initially, as I did any other Cellar user--on a benefit-of-the-doubt kind of basis. After a few rounds of wild-goose-chase logic and outright abuse on other threads here, that respect was eroded away. Then I found out his age, and just felt *silly* for having expected anything better.
I do hold clear and correct use of our language to be of great importance. Unfortunately I allowed myself to be be baited about it, and Jag correctly saw it as an excellent diversion to pull the thread away from focusing on his postion that "business for profit is immoral", probably because his supporting rationale for *that* was already exhausted. "Mean old Maggie is picking on me just 'cuz I'm just a kid" worked pretty well too, and a number of other folks here have taken up that refrain as well.
That Jag is 16 years old is only indirectly relevant to the standing his opinions of the morality of business. Since he's still letting his parents supply his necessitites (such as providing a roof over his head), his sneering at those who engage in business for profit as "immoral" irritates me no end. The same opinion expressed by someone older who had no need to dirty his hands with work--perhaps because he had inherited great wealth--would get up my nose just as much, for about the same reason.
It is of course entirely proper for a minor child to accept the support of his parents, as I support my children today. But for Jag to then hold forth from the safe shelter of that support that he's entitled to judge busnesspeople because he *is* one, only accepting Mom and Dad's support so he can get into a good school and arrive there with nice toys and tools is, in my opinion, the height of hypocrisy.
I think that if Jag wants to speak among adults, and express opinions about the morality of what adults do to survive in a world that doesn't have Mom and Dad to go home to when you're hungry, tired or cold, he should be held to the same standards of discourse and discussion as an adult would, without complaining that "it's too hard" or he "doesn't have the time". If he wants to call those of us who must support ourselves and others "immoral", I think he should have a better explanation for that than what he's shown us.
True, adults don't always rise to that level of discourse either...but then such an adult would earn my distain too.
Jag will likely chime in now that I've completely distorted what he said, and that I'm bullying him again..That may earn him some sympathy, especially from those who haven't heard it before . What it won't earn him is any further attention from me here.
It saddens me greatly to see the Cellar morph from something akin to an editorial page to something much more like a graffiti wall. With global reach, and near-zero cost-of-entry, I suppose it was inevitable. But--pardon the nostalgia--it just plain sucks to see how some parts of the old neighborhood have hit the skids. Jag has been delighted to say that the Internet is a great equalizer. I'm just dismayed how low the common denominator can be.