Philosophy Now Forum

Obvious Leo wrote:

Melchior wrote:

vegetariantaxidermy wrote:I don't know much about Chomsky, but I do know that American right-wing, warmongering, fascist shit-heads hate him, so he must have something going for him.

What kind of reasoning is that?

This is a highly intuitive expression of simple logic which has a long and illustrious pedigree. "The enemy of my enemy is my friend" is a principle which dates back at least to the Sanskrit texts of the 4th century BC and it is also referred to in the teachings of Lao Tzu. It has underpinned military philosophy since the dawn of human conflict and its impact on 20th century geo-political thought is unimpeachable. However it is a principle which can come back to bite its adherents on the arse from time to time, as the US is now discovering to its cost. Providing financial and military support to such tyrants as Augusto Pinochet, Manuel Noriega, Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden has now shown itself to be an unwise short-term strategy with disastrous long-term consequences. However to the ordinary Joe living an ordinary middle class existence "the enemy of my enemy is my friend" remains a very useful and pragmatic rule of thumb.

Melchior wrote:But Chomsky is evil, through and through.

Obvious Leo wrote:

Melchior wrote:But Chomsky is evil, through and through.

Well I'm glad we've managed to settle the question without troubling ourselves with such trivia as a reasoned debate. The notion of "evil" is not a valid construct in secular philosophy so a pulpit pronouncement such as this signals the end of a rational conversation.

Melchior wrote: But Chomsky is evil, through and through.

Obvious Leo wrote:

Melchior wrote:

vegetariantaxidermy wrote:I don't know much about Chomsky, but I do know that American right-wing, warmongering, fascist shit-heads hate him, so he must have something going for him.

What kind of reasoning is that?

This is a highly intuitive expression of simple logic which has a long and illustrious pedigree. "The enemy of my enemy is my friend" is a principle which dates back at least to the Sanskrit texts of the 4th century BC and it is also referred to in the teachings of Lao Tzu. It has underpinned military philosophy since the dawn of human conflict and its impact on 20th century geo-political thought is unimpeachable. However it is a principle which can come back to bite its adherents on the arse from time to time, as the US is now discovering to its cost. Providing financial and military support to such tyrants as Augusto Pinochet, Manuel Noriega, Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden has now shown itself to be an unwise short-term strategy with disastrous long-term consequences. However to the ordinary Joe living an ordinary middle class existence "the enemy of my enemy is my friend" remains a very useful and pragmatic rule of thumb.

vegetariantaxidermy wrote:I don't know much about Chomsky, but I do know that American right-wing, warmongering, fascist shit-heads hate him, so he must have something going for him.

Melchior wrote:

Obvious Leo wrote:

Melchior wrote:
What kind of reasoning is that?

This is a highly intuitive expression of simple logic which has a long and illustrious pedigree. "The enemy of my enemy is my friend" is a principle which dates back at least to the Sanskrit texts of the 4th century BC and it is also referred to in the teachings of Lao Tzu. It has underpinned military philosophy since the dawn of human conflict and its impact on 20th century geo-political thought is unimpeachable. However it is a principle which can come back to bite its adherents on the arse from time to time, as the US is now discovering to its cost. Providing financial and military support to such tyrants as Augusto Pinochet, Manuel Noriega, Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden has now shown itself to be an unwise short-term strategy with disastrous long-term consequences. However to the ordinary Joe living an ordinary middle class existence "the enemy of my enemy is my friend" remains a very useful and pragmatic rule of thumb.

But Chomsky is evil, through and through.

Obvious Leo wrote:

Melchior wrote:But Chomsky is evil, through and through.

Well I'm glad we've managed to settle the question without troubling ourselves with such trivia as a reasoned debate. The notion of "evil" is not a valid construct in secular philosophy so a pulpit pronouncement such as this signals the end of a rational conversation.

Melchior wrote:

Obvious Leo wrote:

Melchior wrote:But Chomsky is evil, through and through.

Well I'm glad we've managed to settle the question without troubling ourselves with such trivia as a reasoned debate. The notion of "evil" is not a valid construct in secular philosophy so a pulpit pronouncement such as this signals the end of a rational conversation.

But he is, whether you care to admit it or not. I don't give a flying fuck what you think, actually.

vegetariantaxidermy wrote:

Melchior wrote: But Chomsky is evil, through and through.

How is he 'evil'? Did he disagree with you about something? Has he murdered and raped? Is he a psychopath? I doubt that, because he's an anti-war activist.
'In 1947, Chomsky entered into a romantic relationship with Carol Doris Schatz, whom he had known since they were toddlers. They were married in 1949, and remained together until her death in 2008. They considered moving to Israel, and in 1953 spent six weeks at the HaZore'a kibbutz; although enjoying himself, Chomsky was appalled by the Jewish nationalism and anti-Arab racism he encountered in the country, and the pro-Stalinist trend that he thought pervaded the kibbutz's leftist community.'
That doesn't sound exactly 'evil' to me, although some rabid American zionist extremist warmongers I've encountered seem to think so, but I don't give a shit what they think.