How about funding as a means. Money is easily traced. Money also
increases the virulence of a meme.
My old truck was with the manner in which different memes are financed.
Research institutes will be encouraged financially to develop ideas that
are revolutionary or will radically change the way people think about
the world. Where cultural institutions are encouraged to maintain a
status quo, not just ideologically, but stylistically and so forth.
(as an aside-- this was not meant to be a whining session.)
As we all know-- public money is spend in Faith-- that technology will
make toasters smaller and generate revenue and that one's
cultural/philosophical truths will maintain a steady keel from one day
to the next. We spoke for a brief period on bridging the two
"methodologies". As I remember, the consensus on that thread was that
each discipline should go out and compete by themselves, after all, if
your idea dies it's a sure sign that it sucked.
But how do you sell an idea like "respect your neighbor" (dare I say
"love" your neighbor?) Which is not as easily mapped in terms of it's
benefits as "screw your neighbor if he's making a better toaster than
you".
How do you cause people to recognize the benefits of a "previously"
mystical meme. In short, how do you make them culpable for their hatred
without calling upon Mystical forces like "God'll get you" or "Man
you're in for some bad Karma". In short, how do you promote decency
without thinking a single Faithful idea?
I have a personal reason for asking this. My web company has just been
the victim of a smear campaign by a religious group. I'm not going to
give details here. But I catch myself imagining all kinds of horrible
things happening to the people responsible. I am comforting myself, for
the time being, with these visions and I ask myself-- well, this is an
allegory of damnation. I am participating in an act of Faith in order to
comfort my poor mind and cope with, well, my ignorance. My not knowing
if anything bad will ever happen to these people and they probably just
live long and prosper.
Am I right?
Just some Churchy thoughts, for the next Virion Homily.
-- Regards +------------------------------------------------------------------+ Ken Pantheists http://www.lurchinvault.com/ken Lurch In Vault Web Services http://www.lurchinvault.com +------------------------------------------------------------------+