I started a thread on another forum about several subjects. One of the questions was: "Is it justified to perceive [NF] idealism negatively as an arrogant, patronizing, hypocritical and naiive attitude, as some people do?"
No one on the other forum answered that question but it just keeps bothering me, so I decided to start a thread about it here.
Sorry, I haven't read every post but there's a certain amount of irony to the fact that when a thread about idealism is embraced by apathy that the idealist would go out and start another thread on idealism...
But I ain't mad atcha.
I guess one problem I have is that people want to separate idealism and reality or pragmatism on two opposite sides of the spectrum. One pov could be one person's ideal.
One sense of idealism I have is the belief that everything doesn't have to be about money. I wouldn't say I'm a baseball purist. I'm cool with the wildcard, the DH in one league is great but I get upset when major league baseball whores itself out and screws with the integrity of the game.
Like a couple of years ago there was a proposal to put Spiderman II logos on all the bases to coincide w/the release of the movie. Thank God the plan was leaked to enough people in the press a couple of days before it happened for there to have been enough people to revolt before it actually came to fruition. There's a part of me that believes that it never should've gotten so far to have been even formally considered.
This year the whores in Fox broadcasting decided to move Game 1 of the world series from a Saturday. I was so freckin' pissed when I found out. Traditionally, Saturday is a lower watched TV night. It's like how much are you actually making with that switch? Is any of that income going to be realized? Does it guarantee increased ratings through out the series? I look at the decline of boxing as a prime example of what happens when idealism is ignored.
I don't know how to put this but I do believe that "things" need sort of a structural integrity that needs to be protected or decay (corruption/corrosion, etc) will ensue. Generally there is a cost to preserve such an identity. Many times there isn't a quantitative benefit or reward or at least one that's immediately recognizable. Though to me there a plenty of times, even in apparent defeat, that the sacrifice was well worth it.