You have no idea how true that statement is...
Yeah I have an axe to grind. Unfortunately, I'm one of those "victims of conscience" who has become a self-created refugee due to my inability to participate in the corrupt, anti-Constitutional fascism of the military-industrial complex.
Do I have an "axe to grind"? You bet I do. Because of the actions of these very people I'm talking about, my entire field has been outsourced. Because of these people, my IRA has been devalued to the tune of about 65%. Because of these people, 70,000 other hard-working Americans this month alone, have been given pink slips. Because of these people, there are retirees, community organizations, and charitable foundations all over the world that are now essentially bankrupt. And yet these people still walk the streets, grinning their snarky little smiles and snapping the collars on their Zenga suits.
Sure I have an axe to grind. These sociopathic SOB's should be happy that the only thing people like me have is a verbal "axe to grind". The crypto-fascists in our government and the oligarchical "captains of industry and finance" should say prayers of thanks every night (to their Golden Calf, or Moloch, or whatever demons of duplicity, covetousness, and avarice they worship) that the VAST majority of Americans are too stupid, lazy, brainwashed and chemically rendered mentally deficient through lifetimes of exposure to flouride and prescription psychotropics to come to their senses and do what the French did in 1789...
Is this inflamatory language? You bet. Do I care if my statements offend someone on this list. Sure I do, if that person is offended because my words are too strong and aggressive for "polite company". I don't want to upset anyone who may have delicate sensibilities.
But I won't lose one wink of sleep if someone finds offense because my statements hit "too close to home". In fact, I pray that anyone who takes offense to my posts for that reason would lose sleep themselves. I doubt they would, because oligarchs and sociopaths generally don't put much stock in silly things like social responsibility, humane behavior, or personal culpability for their actions. And if anyone feels the need to come to the defense of these types of people, then in my book they are co-conspirators in the century-cyclical rape and pillage of of the "common man's" wealth, and deserve FAR harsher treatment than a textual tongue-lashing on some obscure corner of the Internet.
Is everyone who owns "flagship" audio gear in this class? No, I don't think so. I mean, Fabio owns Martin Logan Statement e2's, and he's about as socio-economically relevant as a pile of compost.
But I'll bet Bernie Madoff has a pretty hot stereo...
Several members of this list own VPI HRX's, top-of-the-line ARC monoblocks, and Cary 2-chassis preamps, and from what I've seen in posts (and the few I've met in person) most of them seem like pretty cool people. Most of the folks on this forum that I have met are the exception to my premise. I'm not pointing fingers at specific people on this forum. Then again, I haven't seen to many Continuum Caliburns or ClearAudio Statements on people's "System Profile" here either...
I am, however, pointing fingers at people on this forum who would present snarky comments with veiled classist references, and would insinuate that people who dont have such gear are somehow incapable of perceiving the differences that such gear display. I find it morally reprehensible that anyone on this forum would even entertain the thought that aural and sensual acuity, and enthusiasm about the hobby would somehow, in any way, be related to financial status or "class standing". That is just plain nonsense, and is coded classism.
I didn't make this a "class warfare" discussion. I just pulled the veil back from the "coded" insinuations. Some of you may think that you can turn your Freudian slips back on me, but I will not allow it.
I didn't start this, but I will try my best to put an end to it. "Isms" of any type are ugly, inhumane, and divisive, and have no place in a forum like this.
Let's just talk about audio gear.
But please try and be honest about it, and have some sort of real-world perspective about it, eh?
