Re: virus: Re: AIDS Meme

Peter =?iso-8859-1?Q?=D6kner?= (okner@arch.kth.se)
Fri, 25 Oct 1996 16:26:25 +0530

David Leeper wrote:
>1] Martyrdom is usually thrust upon someone. If you want to die, it's no
>big deal when your
>killed, we all saw it coming. But when someone (like, say, Jesus) whos
>memes have little to do
>with death its martyred, it has a powerful effect.
>
>2] People who willingly sacrifice themselves, like those at Jonestown, do
>not usually do it as a
>sense of martyrdom and they do not usually make great changes to other
>peoples memes.

Isn't that a bit heavy on the generalization? I remember reading about how
the first heads of christianity in Rome had to change their message to
their flock, people were so eager to get to guaranteed heaven they would
take any chance of martyrdom. Apperently it was tuch and go there for a
while; if there was going to be any christians left. Young Palestine men
have the same affliction today, thou to a smaller degree.
And there is always the 'normal' soldier risking death to defend the memes
of his elders.

************
Peter =D6kner
okner@arch.kth.se