It's been a long while since I participated here - mostly due to my developing a profound cynicism w.r.t. all things political

I was thinking about you earlier this week, remembering you already talking that way when we were out for pizza a couple years back. And so was I, feeling that there are after all 5 branches to philosophy and politics is perhaps the least important of them. For me that revelation has been more reason to talk about philosophy not less. I've also been having most of my dialogues in my personal life and in emails. I think that's where the action is, where the work gets done.

But it's 3am and I can't sleep so...

What say we have a yarn about matters ethical?

How's your family?

Rick,
Canterbury

... to see good boys succumb to cynicism.

But Saddamy is rife with it, and Duncan, alas, succumbed to Saddamy long since.

Good luck talking him out of it, Kasper. For the record, I did urge you to get in touch with him, no?

Alas, my outlook is so pessimistic that I think it more likely that he will talk you into Saddamy/cynicism than that you will talk him out of it.

I'm haunted by that boy from Christchurch—Matty?—who suddenly announced he was "suspending his principles" because, in effect, Obama was cool. Just another airhead, who previously showed so much promise.

Flibbertigibbets are a dime a dozen, alas.

You've gone cynical? How disappointing! I'm in Melbourne. If you'd like to catch up for a drink and a de-cynisization then PM me sometime!

Aaron,

Thanks for the kind words. I'll certainly look you up if I'm in that neck of the woods. Likewise if you're in Melbourne (Victoria Australia, not Florida USA) fire me a PM and we can go and grab a beer (or have a homebrew tasting).

W.r.t. cynicism, I haven't battled it, I've carefully nurtured in in order to optimise cost-benefit, sphere of interest / influence issues.

So I still speak out on politics and philosophy - the former mostly on an abstract level because I don't read watch or listen to the news any more (except a few select IT and science related feeds).

It's just that I've narrowed my sphere from the entire world down to those people I'm in regular contact with, and then only those who seem particularly interested. And my local MP, once, for all the good that did.

You've been missed. I've considered you one of the best on SOLO - with thoughtful arguments as well as discussion of diverse and fun interests like weapons and programming and exercise. I've wondered what happened to you and hoped you weren't gone from SOLO for good. I always have to fight with cynicism too, and am sorry it's so significant for you now. Thanks for the update. I wish you the best, and if you're ever in the southeast US, get in touch.

Aaron