Bill Haloupek wrote
>Corey Lindsly wrote:
>> this is still the case. for example, the priest class
>> in present-day America is the lawyers.
>
...
>> the power and magic of deciding the meanings of words has
>> always been claimed by the priest class of any society.
>I never thought of it like that, but you're right--the lawyers are
>the new priest class. I predict that they will give way to another
>priest class: the geeks! More precisely, the computer-literate.
I agree with Corey that a priest class' power stems from its ability
to control society's axioms through language ... ala Orwell.
I disagree with both of you that lawyers or geeks control language.
I agree that lawyers are capable of transform logical points around ethical
lines ... but it is my opinion that it is the clients who draw the lines ...
the LA race trials being classic examples. Similarly geeks are capable of
proof of concept ... but its venture capital that pushes technology ... the
browser/OS wars being classic examples of this. Natural selection for
software is expressed as "good enough" ...and "good enough" being spread
across domains like "Look 'n' feel", "First to market", "Price" ... all
those things that cause paradigms to change .... If Geeks had any decision
making power I think we'd all be running NextStations ...
So, I think Herr Marx had it right ... since the Renaissance we've
been controlled more and more by the bourgeoisie....fortunately the form
that control has taken has become gentler since the 19th century. Economic
warfare has moved from Wall Street to Madison Avenue....and thus the focus
of this group..... Ad busters does a great job of showing "consumption" to
be our new God<tm>... and Madison Ave. to be the new priests <IMHO>...