"George M. Middius" cmndr [underscore] george [at] comcast [dot] net wrote
in message ...


Where have all the 'borgs gone? All that's left is the feeble-minded Mikey
Bug-Eater. Much to my amazement, some Normals continue to "debate" with
Mickey about the value of aBxism. I don't think Mickey will ever
understand what's being said to him. But even if you believe he is smart
enough to grasp it, in the end it's not a question of understanding but of
religious devotion.

You think they're gone? In this war, there are no silver bullets, only cough
medicine.

With other 'borgs, like Ferstler and Dickless, the agenda is overt: They
rail against the high prices of high-end audio. Their snarling hatred of
Stereophile encapsulates their class warfare agenda. They don't try to
animate the lifeless corpse of aBxism as a smokescreen. Even the
Terrierborg has the honesty to admit that he resents the "elitist" aura of
high-end audio.

Why, one wonders, do They resent high-end audio so much? These uneducated,
uncomprehending curs slobber their devotion to "science" while making
mistake after mistake whenever they try to talk the talk. There was a time
when home audio really was a do-it-yourself hobby. We also had to grow our
own food once, and make our own clothes. Now we buy audio equipment. Why
can't the 'borgs be happy that they can buy very good performance at low
prices? Why do they so resent the very existence of high-priced stuff?

I think it's human envy, which feeds opportunistically on any advance by
one's peer. Zombies always pull down, toward the grave. But envy of the
other person's economic situation is a small part. The abilities of another
person to see the things one cannot see, to think the things one cannot
think, and yes, to hear what one cannot hear, is a passionate incitement to
envy.

The other reason has to do with the personalities of engineers. They say
about themselves, "Anyone can build a device if there is enough money. A
good engineer can do it when there isn't." While this is a worthy goal, it
spills over in a reflexive way. Recently, on this forum, I have raised broad
questions about the physics of relay contacts. The disdain by some reflects
an engineering mentality that rejects inflation of costs by making something
better than it has to be. These people fail to realize the special
responsibility that devolves upon a person or group who promote a standard
device, or a standard way of doing things.

They will tell Normals that They don't care about prices, that what They
hate is the "claims". Riiiiight. Let's pretend nobody ever exaggerates the
supposed benefits of their products in order to sell them. Let's pretend
all "claims" offered for consumer goods are fully tested and documented
for absolute "accuracy". How about "fat-free" foods that aren't really
free of fat? How about "clean" fuels that still cause pollution? How about
"quick acting" pain pills that take 20 minutes to work?

The reality is that "tests" are meaningless for consumers. They don't help
people. If you want to believe they are valuable, that's your privilege,
but you're indulging in religious faith, not undertaking a "scientific"
experiment.

And the tests aren't actually available. Two separate concerns exist:
1. The transparency of the hardware
2. The equivalence of discrimination during the test to equivalance during
routine use.

A third, and very legitimate concern, could be that lying is actually a
legitimate part of the recreational activity. And why not? Entire religions
have been based upon acceptance of various "truths". When is Arny Krueger
going to ABX the heavens for God? If hifi is part religion, what business do
nonbelievers have in busting it up and spoiling the fun?

We are so far from the arrival of both good testing and easy accessibility
to the same, I agree with you. If I had more confidence in the gadgets, I
might have one for my own amusement. I might use it to chide my friends, and
they might stop inviting me to visit

It's my personal opinion that if you can't distinguish an
audible difference from a preference based on some other criterion, you
probably lie to yourself about a lot of other stuff too. But lying counts
for nothing for 'borgs, since they're engaged in a holy war, and Their end
justifies (for Them) any and all means they can think of.

Yes, people do lie to themselves, and as you have noted above, to others.
But it is unethical to fight lies with lies, which is what the 'borgs have
chosen to do.