I have to say, that's a fascinating article - on reading, I was thinking of the Paul Harvey radio piece. @beelzael and I have been having a long, ongoing conversation on values; I'm a believer that there are core human values - what Lewis calls "The Tao" in Abolition of Man. I have not yet been successful in convincing @beelzael of this, but I persevere.

This article shows, to some degree, why I hold this position - beyond the fact that I believe it to be true. Without a set of core human values - and these don't have to be transcendent - there's very little option other than doing what one thinks is best. That can work, in the short term, but without grounding in something larger, "things fall apart."

Without a firm conviction that 2+2 makes 4 - regardless of what Comrade O'Brien may say in the cellars of the ministry of Love - we have nothing firm to stand on, and everything becomes feeling, impulse, and personal taste - which Lewis discusses at length in Abolotion. I have no idea how to return to that, though. These values, in the West, were carried, mainly, through religious beliefs which are not accessible to many. Beyond that, the demonic (and I do, personally, believe in non-corporeal entities that do not have our best interests at heart) have made any limitation on one's wishes unacceptable.

To comment on @beelzael's points - I of course agree; as you know, I've been trying to learn logic over the last months just to better see this. But your comments made me think of something I hadn't seen. In the past, people knew A) what ad hominem arguments were and B) that they were invalid. Now, they're completely acceptable. "Author AB holds political position CD, and therefore their works are vile and must be consigned to the flames." There's no logic to that - but these days, that's not even seen. The point on shortening attention span is also very well taken; I hadn't thought of that, either. A real discussion takes time to develop - if there are only 35 seconds, nothing real can be said.

Finally, moody? Me? I'm completely calm, Dude. Calmer than you are.