Re: Humanity 3000 Debate

Don Mikulecky (mikuleck@HSC.VCU.EDU)
Fri, 15 Jan 1999 17:04:21 -0500


Don mikulecky replies:
Yes, I find that this situation is common in scientific discourse. Someone
discusses a topic very rationally and logically as long as you buy into the
belief structure underlying the discussion. Then if the belief structure gives
you trouble, you are told that you are not discussing science and should behave
yourself. I've been in this group for enough years to know what that is all
about. it is interesting that one advocate of short postings was pouring long
postings out in another discussion group. politics is politics folks. call a
spade a spade!
Respectfully,
Don Mikulecky

John J. Kineman wrote:

> No need to sugar coat it folks, tell us what you REALLY think!
>
> I'm happy to be the third to weigh in with Norm and Don on this, as long as
> we're back to voting rather than discussing. I too have serious
> reservations about this "vision." However, I prefer to operate in the
> middle ground where all ideas have value and it is up to all of us to
> discuss the context of that value.
>
> I have, in fact, written my comments in response to Francis's view and have
> not posted it, having been asked formally in an earlier post by Jerry
> Chandler to cool my jets on making lengthy posts. I have no desire to force
> my views on anyone, but would greatly appreciate discussion. It seemed for
> a while that PCP was a good forum for that. What's the verdict now?
>
> My short answer, ala Jerry's request, can be nothing more than another
> vote. But for what it's worth my vote is this: the vision is lacking in
> broad vision, but may be diagnostic of certain beliefs which may indeed be
> a force to recon with in the present and future. There are other such
> forces (views and trends) that are highly conspicuous by their absence.
>
> At 11:10 AM 1/15/99 -0500, you wrote:
> >Don Mikulecky seconds the thought!
> >
> >Norman K. McPhail wrote:
> >
> >> This is a multi-part message in MIME format.
> >> --------------42405E7225B0AD3EC1A8835F
> >> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
> >> Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
> >>
> >> This all star debate between Tom Abel the zero sum fatalist and Francis
> >> Heylighen the closet nazi is a great match up. I can hardly wait for
> >> round two.
> >>
> >> NKM
> >> -
> >
> >I must say that reading as much of that as I could stand makes me wonder if
> >these discussions are anything but a place for folks to vent. I don't see
> >much sign of progess!Respectfully, but sadly,
> >Don Mikulecky
> >
> >
> -----------------------------------------------
> John J. Kineman, Physical Scientist/Ecologist
> National Geophysical Data Center
> 325 Broadway E/GC1 (3100 Marine St. Rm: A-152)
> Boulder, Colorado 80303 USA
> (303) 497-6900 (phone)
> (303) 497-6513 (fax)
> jjk@ngdc.noaa.gov (email)