[Buddha-l] Enlightenment for Sale! (was: Review of a review)

[Dan Lusthaus]

>
>> Indian business practices -- the corruption, extortion, etc. -- are
>> legendary, so I didn't think further explanation was necessary.
>
> So the point, Erik, is that since there is corruption in India, there is 
> no corruption in America. If one can find anything worthy of criticism 
> anywhere else in the world, then it is illegitimate to criticize the 
> United States. I'm surprised you did not know this, Erik. It shows you 
> have not studied Lusthaus's commentary on Dignāga. His interpretation of 
> Buddhist logic explains it all.
>
> Richard

A demonstration of how to distort what someone says -- a charge Richard 
likes to level at me, except when directly confronted about doing so. The 
issue was national models that are having international impact, apparently 
(though never stated by Richard) by emulation by others (or is the US 
accused of imposing Macdonalds and Starbucks by force? **). That was 
identified as the greatest threat to the human community on this planet. 
Nevermind that Richard, who has recently admitted to not being a historian, 
neglects to mention that neither greed, mercantilism, nor capitalism were 
invented in the US. His favorite demon has to be the devil in the play.

I pointed out that there are other national models available for 
international emulation -- and that the more clear-headed among us might 
find some of them more worrisome than we currently have.

I never claimed the US is free of corruption, though everyone except Richard 
will easily concede that it is different in kind and quantity. And the 
Indian judicial system looks to the US judicial system to provide precedents 
and principles on how to tackle corruption, discrimination, etc.

If Richard feels the need to periodically broadcast his atavistic skreeds --  
helps him justify his existence -- then, by all means, vent. Don't be 
surprised when such unbalanced diatribes get challenged.

Dan

** P.S. Since I'm vegetarian, I don't eat at McDonalds either at home or 
abroad, and I hate Starbucks, who is in the business of selling milk, not 
coffee. For Coffee chains I prefer Caribou or Peets, and Mr Brown in Taipei 
suits me fine.