Peikoff’s View of Objectivist Forums and Blogs


Michael Stuart Kelly

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~ Piekoff, clearly not a 'Trail-Blazer', has his 'keeper-of-the-flame' probs. I have no prob with his original 'quality-control' reason for insuring that Rand's corpus is not (by his lights) mis-handled/'re-interpreted' by followers (though, he's the primary of those; ntl...) He accepts being a 'Museum Curator' (like, that's as easy as being a 'Night Watchman'? R-i-g-h-t!) --- Oh-h-h, were *I* in that ethereal situation...I'd be honored, unlike many here, methinks.

~ True, he's blown it in a few areas (not least of which re putting all NB/BB's referencables in a back room unnoticeable except by 'cleared' O'ist cognescenti.)

~ Still, let's give some credit (whilst definitely keeping track of the debit) where it's due.

LLAP

J:D

Edited by John Dailey
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b. Peikoff stated that no one needs someone to intimidate him into submission, but likened Internet groups to the blind leading the blind. However, I was unable to understand his words correctly. They sounded like "exahol leading the blind" and after repeated back and forth listening, I have no idea what "exahol" means. (I am only spelling phonetically what I understood that he said.)

He said, ".. the halt leading the blind." which is a play on a Biblical phrase at Luke 6:39 and Matthew 15:14 - "the blind leading the blind."

Overall, though, thanks! You did an excellent job summarizing the podcast. See my comments in the new post topic thread.

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I believe Peikoff was conflating two sayings: "the blind leading the blind" and "the blind, the halt, and the lame." My wife does this so frequently, I call them Becky-isms. Here are some of my favorites: "He's got his mind in his head" (He's got a head on his shoulders + he's got a mind of his own)--"She's out like a log" (She's sleeping like a log + She's out like a light)--"I sure blew my temper at you" (I sure lost my temper at you + I sure blew my top at you)--"You would have cracked a gut" (You would have split a gut laughing + You would have cracked up)--"She's going to throw up her heels" (She's going to kick up her heels + She's going to throw caution to the winds)--"I'd probably never end up hearing about it" (I'd probably never hear the end of it + I'd probably hear about it the rest of my life). She is a very intelligent lady, but sometimes you get scrambled sayings along with your breakfast eggs. :-)

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I believe Peikoff was conflating two sayings: "the blind leading the blind" and "the blind, the halt, and the lame." My wife does this so frequently, I call them Becky-isms. Here are some of my favorites: "He's got his mind in his head" (He's got a head on his shoulders + he's got a mind of his own)--"She's out like a log" (She's sleeping like a log + She's out like a light)--"I sure blew my temper at you" (I sure lost my temper at you + I sure blew my top at you)--"You would have cracked a gut" (You would have split a gut laughing + You would have cracked up)--"She's going to throw up her heels" (She's going to kick up her heels + She's going to throw caution to the winds)--"I'd probably never end up hearing about it" (I'd probably never hear the end of it + I'd probably hear about it the rest of my life). She is a very intelligent lady, but sometimes you get scrambled sayings along with your breakfast eggs. :-)

Roger,

This process is way cool as a characteristic for a certain kind of fictional character.

I'm going to use it.

Don't worry, I'll make up my own pithy saying mashups.

Thank you (and Becky for being her :) ).

Michael

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Apropos, what is a "halt" when referring to a person?

From World Wide Words:

Halt

Halt here means limping and is a different and much older word to the one meaning to stop (which was originally a German military term of the late sixteenth century). It has long been archaic. We know it today almost exclusively in the set phrases the halt and the lame and the halt, the lame and the blind, though we do retain halting in phrases such as halting speech, where it means slow and hesitant.

[....]

The word is a Germanic one that Old English spelled as halt or healt; it's from the verb healtian, which meant to walk with a limp. [....]

Ellen

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Archaically, a limping person is a halt person?

That makes more sense. And, according to Ellen's link (thanks, Ellen), it seems like a lame person of old was a handicapped person in any part of the body, not just legs.

So, if I understand correctly, the exact meaning of Peikoff's phrase is that Internet forums are like limping people leading blind people.

Hmmmmmmm.

Or I should say:

Heh.

:)

Here. Look at how that works. Does this sound like OL?

Follow me, you blind suckers! I am going to limp us to the promised land!

:)

(Actually, it might be nice to become a guru... :) Just joking... :) )

Michael

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heh

" I didn't mean to become a guru, I swear, it just kinda happened , I guess"

Ya think this is what Charlie Manson said?

n-CHARLES-MANSON-large570.jpg?6

A...

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So, if I understand correctly, the exact meaning of Peikoff's phrase is that Internet forums are like limping people leading blind people.

Hmmmmmmm.

Maybe it's a generational thing. I remember from my childhood hearing the phrase "the blind, the halt, and the lame" being used basically to mean what today might be described as "clueless." Come to think of it, I don't think I've heard anyone use the phrase in quite awhile. Possibly it's fallen out of favor on PC grounds, or as sounding old-fashioned, or both.

Ellen

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So, if I understand correctly, the exact meaning of Peikoff's phrase is that Internet forums are like limping people leading blind people.

In criticizing Objectivist online forums as "the halt leading the blind," doesn't Peikoff realize that, in the vast majority of cases, he is the "halt" who these young, mouthy dimwits follow?

Maybe a better, more Objectivish way of saying it would be that, while riding the kneeling bus of Rand's fame, Peikoff opens a window and spits into the wind, and onto himself and his followers.

J

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