Now you're doing the same thing you are saying BT is doing... trying to push his opinion on others. You're opinion is that collectibles are trivial and don't compare to say... the Sistine Chapel... well that is your opinion. I could care less about the Sistine Chaple, or Picasso's Sunflowers, or most other "works of art" that the general public think so highly of. If the "value" of a Dr. Doom PF and Picasso's Sunflowers painting were the same, I'd pick the Doom each and every time! At their "current" value, I'd pick the Sunflowers painting... and sell it to buy 1000's of collectibles more than just the Doom!
My point was not that the Sistine chapel was inherently worthy of your attention or caring ... or even that I care much about it personally. Its a good painting. My point was that I could at least see the "artistic" point as arguable under those circumstances, whereas I could not see such a point as arguable with regard to mass-produced retailed action figures.
That this is merely an opinion goes without saying. I'm not sure where I was guilty of "pushing" my opnion on anyone -- except to the extent that stating an opinion qualifies as "pushing". Merely having an opinion does not constitute "pushing" it. The fundamental basis of my argument was that, with regard to private property, people have the right to value what they want, and sell/scalp what they want.
Here is my problem... just who decided what "greed" was... and that it is bad... or what is right and wrong... etc, etc, etc. It was a human being somewhere who first decided something was wrong or immoral, or greedy... why was he right? He wasn't. The "majority" of people just happened to believe it also. Does that make it right? No.
The majority does not define right and wrong ... but a definitive right and wrong does exist, and is not a moving target. Morality is not a feeling, or a guess, or a vote -- it is a defined set of behaviors. I won't claim to always know what the right answer is ... but I do know that there is always a right answer.
As someone above stated, you're treading into religious territory here. I don't push my beliefs about right and wrong on other people (except to the extent that "wrong" is also "illegal", I suppose) -- live however you want ... its not really any of my business. But I do use my beliefs about morality as a yardstick by which I measure my behavior, and the behavior of others.
All of our "beliefs" are just made up constructs by mankind to help mankind describe and try to understand the world around him.
Some beliefs are constructs of mankind. Some beliefs are truth. In this life, it is up to you to determine which is which. In my belief system, there will be someone thereafter to let you know whether you chose wisely -- if you believe differently, which I assume you do, so be it. No need to explain yourself to me.
Have a good one.
SnakeDoc
, my point was just that the first prong you mentioned usually goes unmentioned.
