Posted by Mata MacUileam on April 09, 2002 at 23:19:18:
In Reply to: Re: hey comrads off to woomera today! posted by goldstein! on April 03, 2002 at 00:04:47:
If you were to observe the workings of a community oriented organization you would notice after a while that the particular group's interests are rather estranged from helping the society. People that vow to save the trees and help strayed puppies are in the long run concerned about themselves. Given, there are people in this world that place their beleifs in a higher position than their conscious, but after all, those are their beleifs, not entirely meaning to say that the community wants the puppies to be helped or the trees to be saved, if such were the case, wouldn't people be more attentive about their environment?
Competition is wrong, I will agree with you, but insofar as it is not the best way to acheive high results, this is basic Marxist philosophy. Government can regulate this. In China competition does not exist because means of production is centralized. In the United States competition does exist but it is closely controlled by the state. Look at the Microsoft case as an example of one form; look at the sheer amount of (the citizens') money the government puts into large corporations for their "needs" as another. Humanity is ultimately a struggle between two schools, cooperation and individual interest, and the latter usually receives, at present and historically, the most well received thoughts.
As far as sports are concerned, they are a means of entertainment. The people that play on "Wheel of Fortune" rarely end up hating eachother and having thoughts of homicide, it is something so the people can look back and say they had a fun time (as a considerable amount of people would say) and so that the "consumers," id est, the viewers, can have an evening of laughing at mindless things and possibly learn something new.
As to your accuasation, I work for no government department. I am an independant (note that word) philosopher who loves, for his own entertainment, debate, as an intellectual exercise. I have no need to use open forums for fomenting rhetoric; in its stead it is a means of erudition.