tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post6942990871039359874..comments2024-03-29T00:44:42.046+13:00Comments on Bowalley Road: The Not-So-Happy Prince (A Guest Posting by Dr Charles Pigden)Chris Trotterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09081613281183460899noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-56096430398789998752011-10-19T15:16:52.759+13:002011-10-19T15:16:52.759+13:00I am not sure I can ever look at calls for 're...I am not sure I can ever look at calls for 'realism' the same way again. Have a look at this as a classic example.<br /><br />I had always thought engineers were more into safety than cost - but there appears to be one 'realistic' engineer that has bucked the trend.<br /><br />http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/5814612/Quake-safety-standards-unrealisticAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-39919191744397517612011-10-08T22:24:58.026+13:002011-10-08T22:24:58.026+13:00On the surface, the story is about success through...On the surface, the story is about success through principled dedication. Often Abraham Lincoln's initial entry into politics and subsequent, crushing defeat which is used to illustrate such a point (Lincoln came 8th out of 13 candidates when standing for office in New Salem). <br /><br />Unlike Lincoln's story, it isn't actually about being steadfast in the face of overwhelming odds or defeat. Most of the writing is about not accepting a view of "reality" put forward by others. Trying to find examples where this type of stoic refusal of the "reality" held by others is not so flattering. <br /><br />The Left Leaning blog this week argues one of Jim Anderton's "Iron Laws" was "Compromise on everything except principle". Jim Anderton is the perfect example of the hero who would not accept the "social reality created by other people" and continually acted in accordance with what he thought was right.<br /><br />The anti-smacking law is another obvious example of how one person's principles may be seen as tyrannical when forced upon those who don’t feel the same. Surely Sue Bradford would also meet the same criteria as the stoic Prince in the story? <br /><br />Students' Associations too are a topical demonstration of where principled representatives have isolated themselves (over generations) from the views (and realities) held by the student body itself. No doubt the vanquished student representatives also fit the representation of celebrated hero.<br /><br />Perhaps the best political example of the steadfast Prince is Roger Douglas himself. When faced with the "reality" of what the Labour Party stood for he refused to betray his own ideas and rejected the general consensus held by everyone else.<br /><br />Not accepting the world view of others isn't by itself a virtue. In a democratic system, representatives who refuse to accept the beliefs of those they represent (i.e. a social reality) are more likely to be eventually judged as tyrants than celebrated as forward-thinking champions of a cause.Lozhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12064567381918975446noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-38761362020135915562011-10-08T15:27:24.968+13:002011-10-08T15:27:24.968+13:00Yes. I hope we do hear more of him.
It has to be ...Yes. I hope we do hear more of him.<br /><br />It has to be noted that, even now, there are wealthy and privileged people who support a more equal and fairer society.KjThttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13583435107822078614noreply@blogger.com