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<DIV><FONT face=Calibri>Well Robert,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Calibri></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Calibri>An interesting point; but it is grounded in
probabilities of large numbers. It presumes that if you argue with a large
enough number of persons over a long enough time, there is a probability that a
few my eventually change their minds. While this may or may not be the
case, it really does not pose an effective strategy - especially when the other
side has the advantage of greater resources to counter one's arguments. As
for the Ayn Rand thing, I look at that is more or less a fad where believe in it
was the fashionable belief of the day - like bellbottom trousers. Most
people were never really committed to the substantive content of her work and
were willing to change as the fashion as to what was "in" to believe
changed. Only a relatively few libertarians became or were true believers;
and they are still so to this day.</FONT></DIV>
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<DIV><BR></DIV>
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<DIV style="font-color: black"><B>From:</B> <A title=rbkutz@gmail.com
href="mailto:rbkutz@gmail.com">Robert Kutz</A> </DIV>
<DIV><B>Sent:</B> Sunday, August 29, 2010 12:35 PM</DIV>
<DIV><B>To:</B> <A title=ls1000@live.com href="mailto:ls1000@live.com">Laurie
Solomon</A> </DIV>
<DIV><B>Cc:</B> <A title=jbw292002@gmail.com
href="mailto:jbw292002@gmail.com">John W.</A> ; <A title=slevy@ncsa.uiuc.edu
href="mailto:slevy@ncsa.uiuc.edu">Stuart Levy</A> ; <A
title=bill.strutz@gmail.com href="mailto:bill.strutz@gmail.com">Bill Strutz</A>
; <A title="mailto:peace-discuss@anti-war.net CTRL + Click to follow link"
href="mailto:peace-discuss@anti-war.net">peace-discuss@anti-war.net</A> ; <A
title=davegreen48@yahoo.com
href="mailto:davegreen48@yahoo.com">davegreen48@yahoo.com</A> ; <A
title=galliher@uiuc.edu href="mailto:galliher@uiuc.edu">Carl Estabrook AWARE</A>
; <A title=r-szoke@illinois.edu href="mailto:r-szoke@illinois.edu">Ron Szoke</A>
; <A title=mc-wetzel@hotmail.com
href="mailto:mc-wetzel@hotmail.com">MartyneConrad Wetzel</A> ; <A
title=dharley@illinois.edu
href="mailto:dharley@illinois.edu">dharley@illinois.edu</A> ; <A
title=jencart7@yahoo.com href="mailto:jencart7@yahoo.com">Jenifer Cartwright</A>
; <A title=kmedina67@gmail.com href="mailto:kmedina67@gmail.com">Karen
Medina</A> </DIV>
<DIV><B>Subject:</B> Re: [Peace-discuss] Corn Festival -- RE: Sweet Corn Fest
Fri & Sat!</DIV></DIV></DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
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<DIV><FONT face=Calibri>Here, I guess we differ. I do not think is as
clear cut and easy a matter as brainwashing. The mere fact that they are
so easily brainwashed, so unquestioningly dogmatic and uncritical, and so
inclined to come to the defense of the corporate ideology even when it is
clearly against their immediate interests suggests to me that enlightenment of
them would just be another form of brainwashing with a revised
dogma.</FONT></DIV>
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<DIV>To this, I can only respond: I used to read and agree strongly with Ayn
Rand.<BR><BR>So speaking from experience, we all tend toward dogma at times, but
sometimes a critical kick in the thinker is all we need. Arguing with somebody
at a corn festival will never immediately change their mind, no -- but it may
introduce ideas they hadn't thought of. If those ideas ferment, then that person
may eventually come to change their own mind.</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>I think that AWARE is basically like Inception in that regard, if I may
make an absurd pop-culture reference...</DIV></BODY></HTML>