Meanwhile, students of the basement may note with interest the degree to which denizens of the lower chamber strenuously defend their "right" to live there. A form of defence this often takes is "justification":
1. I have the right to live wherever I want - even if it's dark, smelly & damp.
2. I have the right to express my opinion on any matter whatsoever, even where I have no experience / knowledge of the subject at all.
3. I have the right to defend my right by by misquoting, misreporting, leaving out salient facts, mixing metaphors & straining analogies.
4. I have the right to put my head where sunlight cannot reach & continue to comment on the weather.
In ET 585, on 15th. April, Raymond R. Raupers Jr. seeks to justify his recent basement commentary on "gifting USA" which attracted my response in this Diary. Mr. Raupers' latest gem: "I may be imperfect yet reasonable. I would even steal food before my family went hungry".
1. The basement has its own rationale & approaches to reasoning. All basement reasoning is impervious to contradiction, debate, discussion & the products of impartial reflection.
2. We are only able to give away what is ours to give. "USA" is not within the domain of RJR's gift.
3. To compare necessity - feeding a family - with copying a record currently out of print strains analogy too far. Actually, to absurdity.
i) There are other forms of nutrition easily available, representative of the 1973/4 Crimson, without the need to feed on "USA".
ii) Mr. Raupers' interest falls under the heading of "want" not "need".
iii) Equating "gifting" USA with stealing food for Mr. Raupers' family is a fine example of basement analogy.
But hey! - this is the basement after all. Egotism seeks to confirm its authority & hold over our lives - whatever it takes.
"Be very careful about the beginning.
Then, be very careful about the end.
Then, be very careful about the middle."
