Objectivist Roundup

[Brant Gaede]

Just think of what a special moment in time this is. Right now, and for the rest of this month, Pigero is writing the Credos that will save the world. It's like when Hank Rearden put in endless hours perfecting his metal or designing a bridge, only with Pigero, it's not fiction and it's not just about manufacturing and practical crap like that, it's real and it's the most important thing ever! It's happening right now, and we are fortunate enough to be alive to witness it! Future generations will ask us what it was like to live through January, 2014, and to dream of the new world about to be born.

J

I'm confused. Are you being sarcastic?

--Brant

clueless in Tucson

[Selene]

It's happening right now, and we are fortunate enough to be alive to witness it! Future generations will ask us what it was like to live through January, 2014, and to dream of the new world about to be born.

J

This CREDO was based on the following conversations with my personalities...

[BaalChatzaf]

Just think of what a special moment in time this is. Right now, and for the rest of this month, Pigero is writing the Credos that will save the world. It's like when Hank Rearden put in endless hours perfecting his metal or designing a bridge, only with Pigero, it's not fiction and it's not just about manufacturing and practical crap like that, it's real and it's the most important thing ever! It's happening right now, and we are fortunate enough to be alive to witness it! Future generations will ask us what it was like to live through January, 2014, and to dream of the new world about to be born.

J

Is this sarcastic wit?"

[Jonathan]

The urge to exempt Rand from her own ethics.

J

[Brant Gaede]

The urge to exempt Rand from her own ethics.

J

Her own ethics are found in the life she lived which is true for all of us. Her ethics for others? There's the problem; they aren't the same.

--Brant

it wasn't hypocrisy, it was practicality; she put her ethics up there in the air but really didn't try to ground them except in a general way

what are your ethics--and why?--(pay attention class!)--How do they relate to the Objectivist Ethics?

let the guilt begin

[caroljane]

Randian Exceptionalism. As only she herself could entirely expound her philosophy, only she herself could interpret its ethics as to her own behaviour.

[Jonathan]

Pigero has crawled out of his burrow early.

If you're wondering, no, he hasn't yet unveiled his new Credos which will save mankind. That's not scheduled to happen until February.

But, with this typically frantic tantrum, he has started to turn SLOP's dim lights back on in preparation for the big Credos unveiling:

Airhead Americans, You Asked for It!

For anyone falling within the category, "human," there can have been no more repulsive spectacle recently than President Obama's State of the Union address today. It was vile on several counts:

1) the Anti-American President's invoking of the Founders several times to bolster an agenda that is so utterly the antipode of theirs;

2) the litany of lies the creature uttered;

3) the infantile, fawning obeisance with which members of Congress, who have the outer form of adults, lapped it all up;

4) the lip-service paid to liberty by Obamarx when he has done more to destroy it than all recent presidents combined (quite an achievement) and quite clearly intends, with his brazen unilateralism, to carry right on doing so; and

5) the oleaginous nature of the official Republican response from some ghastly Goblian female wittering on about her child's Down's Syndrome being a gift from Gobby. With such self-indulgent mawkishness do Republicans now routinely lower their party's me-too sacrifism to new depths of garish hideousness. Even Rand Paul was pathetic, dutifully reciting tired and boring Romneyesque lines about jobs when the root of all the problems, including joblessness, is Obamarx's aforementioned assault on liberty.

All I could think, over and over, was, "Americans, how can you stand for this?!" Then I remembered the times I have been chastised on this very forum, my own, by Americans for raising such a question as a mere New Zealander. And I thought, so be it. Americans, you asked for it. You are reaping the fruits of your cowardly—and deeply, deeply stupid—acquiesence to airheadery, about which you're in such denial. Enjoy, with my compliments!

First of all, have you noticed that Pigero seems to have a boner lately for using the word "antipode"? WTF? Does he think it's mind-blowingly poetic? Heh.

Anyway, I love his collectivistic notion that all Americans deserve what we're getting. And of course that we're getting it due to our tolerance of "airheadery," which, in Pigero speak, means tolerating or even enjoying art works that Pigero dislikes.

But I wonder what Pigero believes that he would do so as not to be cowardly like all Americans. In fact, what has he done, and what is he doing in response to the New Zealand government's attacks on liberty? From what I've seen, he hasn't done anything. He's whined a lot, and thumped his chest, and he even once made a threat that he and a few toadies were thinking about overthrowing the government. Seriously! But when will he act? When will he stop tolerating Kiwi "airheadery," "filth," and "scum"?

Or does he think that his whining and chest-thumping is acting? If so, is his theory that America will become free again if we all follow him in "action" and use the word "antipode" a lot and spend most of our time bitching about others' tastes in art?

J

[Francisco Ferrer]

Anyway, I love his collectivistic notion that all Americans deserve what we're getting. And of course that we're getting it due to our tolerance of "airheadery," which, in Pigero speak, means tolerating or even enjoying art works that Pigero dislikes.

Alas, the notion that the population of a country is responsible collectively for the evils of its government can be traced straight back to Rand herself.

In two separate appearances at Ford Hall forum in the 1970's, Rand famously declared:

If by neglect, ignorance, or helplessness, they couldn't overturn their bad government and choose a better one, then they have to pay the price for the sins of their government--as all of us are paying for the sins of ours. . .

If some people put up with dictatorship--as some do in Soviet Russia and as they did in Germany--they deserve whatever their government deserves.

and

But we should care about having the right social system, because our lives are dependent on it--because a political system, good or bad, is established in our name, and we bear the responsibility for it.

[Jonathan]

Anyway, I love his collectivistic notion that all Americans deserve what we're getting. And of course that we're getting it due to our tolerance of "airheadery," which, in Pigero speak, means tolerating or even enjoying art works that Pigero dislikes.

Alas, the notion that the population of a country is responsible collectively for the evils of its government can be traced straight back to Rand herself.

In two separate appearances at Ford Hall forum in the 1970's, Rand famously declared:

If by neglect, ignorance, or helplessness, they couldn't overturn their bad government and choose a better one, then they have to pay the price for the sins of their government--as all of us are paying for the sins of ours. . .

If some people put up with dictatorship--as some do in Soviet Russia and as they did in Germany--they deserve whatever their government deserves.

and

But we should care about having the right social system, because our lives are dependent on it--because a political system, good or bad, is established in our name, and we bear the responsibility for it.

The difference between Rand's and Pigero's comments is that Rand included herself -- perhaps inadvertently -- as being among those getting what they deserved. But still, they're both totally nonsensical.

I wonder if the blame-the-victim attitude extends to all instance of "helplessness" in the face of the initiation of force. If a rapist overpowers a woman despite her best efforts at fighting him off, should she be told that Objectivism holds that she deserved what she got for being "helpless"?

J

[Brant Gaede]

I think Rand's hatred of the Soviets and the many Soviet citizens who went along with the communists colored many of her remarks in this area.

--Brant

[anthony]

Quite obviously, what we see around us when young may shape our future concepts, and Rand evidently perceived the ill-effects of communism early, and more deeply than the majority of adults could. But one can't take away from her, her capability to transcend her own experiences and recognize the universality of altruism-collectivism. Wherever she'd been born, I guess she would have gone the same way.

[Jonathan]

It's already mid-February, and still no new world-saving Credos over at SOLO. How fucking hard can it be to write a Pigeronian Credo?

I believe in Ayn the Almighty,
Maker of Romantic Realism:
And in Mario Lanza her Soul-Brother our Lord,
Who was conceived by Sense of Life,
Born of Objectively Superior musical taste,
Suffered under Hollywood,
Binge drank, overate, used barbiturates, died, and was buried:
He descended into obscurity;
Then he rose again from the dead due to Pigero's hectoring and nagging;
He ascended into Perfection,
And sitteth on the right hand of Ayn the Almighty;
From thence he shall come to judge the Heroic Sense of Life Romanticists and the Brandroid existence-hating airhead pomo scum.
I believe in Holy Romanticism;
The holy Objectivist Church;
The Communion of those who share Objectively Superior Consumers' tastes over others;
The Virtues of Rage;
Massively overblown self-importance,
And pigheaded ignorance.
Amen.

[Brant Gaede]

The mighty gestation requires patience.

--Brant

think of an elephant (using your free will)

[Michael Stuart Kelly]

Jonathan,

You left out the value swoon.

Michael

[PDS]

How about some "anti-credo" possibilities:

-The Credo is delayed because of too many Spirits,

-People are Bored by the Turgid Mario,

-Suffering under Pompous Bile.

-LP is juicified, face-red, and not married.

[Jonathan]

Jonathan,

You left out the value swoon.

Michael

Yeah, and I left out other things as well, but there's always room for more Pigeronian Credos!

I believe in having Total Passion for the Total Height;

which means that the ultimate virtue for me,

and the highest possible achievement for me,

is to adore Mario Lanza's artistic accomplishments.

I vow to be the best music consumer the world has ever known!

I believe in Value Swooning;

which means that I will weep and moan and giggle and then weep again over Mario Lanza,

just like a little girl doing the same over Justin Bieber.

Obsessing over Mario Lanza's music and having a girly crush on him,

while creating nothing myself, is not weird, but is a major virtue.

I believe in having KASS (a brilliantly creative shortening of "kick" and "ass");

which means that it is virtuous of me to scream at others

for not having a girly crush on Mario Lanza,

or to scream at them for enjoying Mario Lanza while

also enjoying things that I hate.

My esthetic consumer tastes are the best,

and you'll get an earful of my heroic "KASS"

if you don't immediately conform to them!

I believe in having Belly Laughs, and in giving others permission to have them;

which means that there are things that we can laugh at,

and I will announce when it is okay to laugh at something,

and then we'll all have Belly Laughs and talk about the fact

that it is good to have Belly Laughs.

I believe in having a primary female confederate,

and to give her a brilliantly creative nickname;

I've found that it's an effective means of manipulating people.

Somehow it just makes me look reasonable and respected if

I'm being praised and endorsed by a vocal woman

(whom I've bribed with praise and attention).

Might you be my next "Majesty," "Regina Dildo" or "Lady Slapper"?

All you have to do is praise me when I burn the last one.

[Michael Stuart Kelly]

Jonathan,

I just took a peek over there and it appears someone (Olivia) made a post in a Lanza thread.

Are the sundry life forms coming out of hibernation?

Michael

[Jonathan]

Jonathan,

I just took a peek over there and it appears someone (Olivia) made a post in a Lanza thread.

Are the sundry life forms coming out of hibernation?

Michael

Oh, fun! She's written a review of Pigero's book on Lanza:

This book is a testament to the passion of a love that can only be felt for a great hero who deserves it.

There's no doubt about it, Mario Lanza had a heroic soul which was not only expressed through the use of his magnificent voice, but also his larger-than-life star quality presence in the flesh. The One Tenor resurrects Lanza from his untimely death on every page. The author, Lindsay Perigo, knows what he is talking about in this beautiful tribute to a man who oozed fervor from every pore.

I had heard that it was alcohol stench and fat sweat that oozed from Lanza's every pore, not fervor.

All too often people are hasty to either be critical of genius, or bestow the label willy-nilly on anyone with half a talent.

Nah. That sounds like Olivia has bought into a Pigeronian hate fantasy. People aren't hasty to be "critical of genius," but to be critical of the stupidity that some geniuses indulge in. Ultimately, Lanza wasn't a hero but a weakling. He didn't want there to be consequences to the choices that he made, and then he indulged in self-destruction when he didn't get his way.

Btw, what are Olivia's qualifications for identifying true, genius-level talent versus "half a talent"? Is she somehow more qualified and objective than others in her judgments of artistic talent? If so, how did she acquire the qualifications? By being loudmouthed and opinionated? By being Pigero's current primary female sidekick?

The word "genius" befits Lanza like no other, due to his natural musical instinct, his ability to master the power of a god-like voice and his bold determination to share his gift with the world - and be recognized for it!

He had an instinct?! How anti-Objectivist of Olivia to make such a statement! Doesn't she realize that she's pissing on Ayn Rand's genius by claiming that human instincts exist?

To know him was to love him. Those who did testify to the fact that Lanza was an electrifying force of affectionate, friendly, fun-loving, intelligence with a super-abundance of life coursing through his veins. In a word, he was exhilarating to be near.

Except when he was a self-pitying drunk and an overeating pig?

With such a mighty personality as this, and coupled with so great a talent, it is little wonder that there are those who try to relegate Lanza to the Bi-polar Disorder camp - here we go with the criticizing genius penchant! Mr. Perigo conducts a written interview with Roland Bessette, who himself wrote a biography on Lanza titled "Mario Lanza - Tenor in Exile" back in 1999. In this interview (and his book), Mr. Bessette lays forth his reasons as to why he considers Lanza to have suffered from chronic Bi-polar Disorder. I'll let the reader make up his/her own mind on this one, but I will say that "passionate genius" will usually be labeled as some kind of disorder or another by laymen who lack both passion and genius.

Ah. So any recognition of Lanza's self-abuse is an attack, not on self-abuse, but on genius, and any informed speculation about the likely causes of Lanza's destructive behavior is necessarily that of a "layman" who lacks "both passion and genius"? But isn't Olivia therefore indulging in the same type of psychological speculation that she's claiming to oppose?

One of the most touching chapters in this tribute was written by Jeff Rense whose grandfather knew Lanza personally. Suffice it to say that his tender account brought me to tears.

Lindsay Perigo has carried off this tribute to Lanza so faithfully that I can only say that if Mario could see it, he would consider Perigo one of the greatest allies a man could have.

I think that Lanza would see Pigero as a hateful douchebag, and as representing the opposite of Lanza's magnificent public persona.

He sure could've done with such a friendship during the darker hours of his extraordinary life.

He had "dark hours"? Isn't saying so an attack on genius?!!!

J

[Brant Gaede]

Don't knock someone who has been "determined" to write. The only problem is content.

--Brant

[9thdoctor]

He had "dark hours"? Isn't saying so an attack on genius?!!!

That's surely a misspelling. She meant "dark houris".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Houris

[Jonathan]

March 5th, and still no Credos!

[Brant Gaede]

March 5th, and still no Credos!

March 5th, and still no Credos!

Maybe he meant "Oreos"?

--Brant

It seems if you write something special he'll put it up--he must have quite a backlog to vet--I'm thinking of something like "Monsters from Objectivism"--as long as he thinks it's about him, he'll go with it

[caroljane]

How about some "anti-credo" possibilities:

-The Credo is delayed because of too many Spirits,

-People are Bored by the Turgid Mario,

-Suffering under Pompous Bile.

-LP is juicified, face-red, and not married.

How about some "anti-credo" possibilities:

-The Credo is delayed because of too many Spirits,

-People are Bored by the Turgid Mario,

-Suffering under Pompous Bile.

-LP is juicified, face-red, and not married.

What ill is obstructing the Credo?

Is it being brought forth out of Play-doh?

Has the sweet Muse been spayed

Or delivery delayed

Cause the Elephant's not getting -- (you know--) ?

- Brant is as inspiring as ever

[Brant Gaede]

- Brant is as inspiring as ever

You mean perspiring. As Big Bad Ba'al Bob (BBBB) would say, you can measure that so it's scientific. Everything else is worthless philosophy.

--Brant

going with the scientific approach

(Hey, hey! My girlfriend's back! You're gonna be sorry--my girlfriend's back!)

[Jonathan]

What ill is obstructing the Credo?

Is it being brought forth out of Play-doh?

Has the sweet Muse been spayed

Or delivery delayed

Cause the Elephant's not getting -- (you know--) ?

- Brant is as inspiring as ever

:-D