Radio Show #2
"Radio Show Host: "Ladies and gentlemen the battle in this country is not so much between Democrats and Republicans or liberals vs. conservatives as it is a daily battle between realism and idealism between American culture and American counter-culture. The battle continues on a daily basis not just every two years during election time. Let's go to the phones. Bob in Costa Mesa you're on with Ron."
Caller: "I was listening to Rush and he said that our politics is what shapes our country."
Radio Show Host: "Thanks for calling. Rush is wrong. If you listen to talk-radio you'll be led to believe that politics shapes our culture when in reality the exact opposite is true. Ayn Rand was right when she recognized that philosophy is the foundation for all other forms of thought. Philosophical theory begets cultural trends that influence politicians and legislation."
Radio Show Host: "Let's go to Joe in Pacific Palisades. Hi Joe, you're on with Ron."
Caller: "Rush and Sean say one thing, you say another. How do we know who is right?"
Radio Show Host: "Thanks for the call. We have in this country public employee unions despite the fact that every politician in the country opposed their formation. If Rush and Sean were right how can this be? It makes no sense. If I'm right then the explanation is self-evident. All you have to do is look at the cultural influences . The supporters of public employee unions were able to get around the barrier (conflict of interest) to their goals by using an anti-concept (stakeholders). We've got another call from Alhambra. Carlos! you're on with Ron."
Caller: "What's an anti-concept?"
Radio Show Host: "Excellent question! Ayn Rand first identified anti-concepts. An anti-concept is a concept that is used to obliterate another concept. Psychologically speaking it is almost impossible to eliminate the use of a concept by simply demanding that people stop using it. A more effective way of getting rid of the concept you don't like is to replace it with another concept (the anti-concept). In this case the SEIU et.al. encouraged people to use the word "stakeholder(s)" instead of the phrase "conflict of interest" thus removing any possible objection to the unionization of public employees. Let's see who's next...Chris in Redondo Beach welcome!"
Caller: "What does all of this have to do with philosophy?"
Radio Show Host: "Well Chris, it has to do with three philosophical theories. Pragmatism, subjectivism and scientific value relativism. Using anti-concepts is in the domain of Pragmatism that declares in a fancy way that "the ends justify the means", subjectivism that says that reality is whatever the majority says it is and scientific value relativism that tells people that there are no universal rights and wrongs. These philosophical theories are wrong and the counter-cultural trends that these theories support are equally wrong. These philosophical theories and counter-culture trends can be seen flourishing not only on radio and television but at the grocery store, the soccer field and at work. Who else have we here? John! You're on with Ron!"
Caller: "What can we do about these trends?"
Radio Show Host: "They can be defeated by the individual. They can be defeated every day. If you defeat the cultural attitudes then you defeat the political ideas that they support. In the case of public employee unions they way to begin to defeat them is to reinstitute the concept of conflict of interest. As people realize the inherent conflict of interest in public employee unions the political support for these unions will disappear."
Caller: "I was listening to Rush and he said that our politics is what shapes our country."
Radio Show Host: "Thanks for calling. Rush is wrong. If you listen to talk-radio you'll be led to believe that politics shapes our culture when in reality the exact opposite is true. Ayn Rand was right when she recognized that philosophy is the foundation for all other forms of thought. Philosophical theory begets cultural trends that influence politicians and legislation."
Radio Show Host: "Let's go to Joe in Pacific Palisades. Hi Joe, you're on with Ron."
Caller: "Rush and Sean say one thing, you say another. How do we know who is right?"
Radio Show Host: "Thanks for the call. We have in this country public employee unions despite the fact that every politician in the country opposed their formation. If Rush and Sean were right how can this be? It makes no sense. If I'm right then the explanation is self-evident. All you have to do is look at the cultural influences . The supporters of public employee unions were able to get around the barrier (conflict of interest) to their goals by using an anti-concept (stakeholders). We've got another call from Alhambra. Carlos! you're on with Ron."
Caller: "What's an anti-concept?"
Radio Show Host: "Excellent question! Ayn Rand first identified anti-concepts. An anti-concept is a concept that is used to obliterate another concept. Psychologically speaking it is almost impossible to eliminate the use of a concept by simply demanding that people stop using it. A more effective way of getting rid of the concept you don't like is to replace it with another concept (the anti-concept). In this case the SEIU et.al. encouraged people to use the word "stakeholder(s)" instead of the phrase "conflict of interest" thus removing any possible objection to the unionization of public employees. Let's see who's next...Chris in Redondo Beach welcome!"
Caller: "What does all of this have to do with philosophy?"
Radio Show Host: "Well Chris, it has to do with three philosophical theories. Pragmatism, subjectivism and scientific value relativism. Using anti-concepts is in the domain of Pragmatism that declares in a fancy way that "the ends justify the means", subjectivism that says that reality is whatever the majority says it is and scientific value relativism that tells people that there are no universal rights and wrongs. These philosophical theories are wrong and the counter-cultural trends that these theories support are equally wrong. These philosophical theories and counter-culture trends can be seen flourishing not only on radio and television but at the grocery store, the soccer field and at work. Who else have we here? John! You're on with Ron!"
Caller: "What can we do about these trends?"
Radio Show Host: "They can be defeated by the individual. They can be defeated every day. If you defeat the cultural attitudes then you defeat the political ideas that they support. In the case of public employee unions they way to begin to defeat them is to reinstitute the concept of conflict of interest. As people realize the inherent conflict of interest in public employee unions the political support for these unions will disappear."
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