letter from crazy RUE student

This is a letter I received from a crazy RUE student in response to my column. This is better than television.

Dear Jared,

You are brave, but your mind is weak, or more likely, you speak untruths comfortably;
If something is not real, you cannot write about it.
As for non existence, the stock market is real, and it is the very best example of your subject matter that you brought up in your editorial--
"not existing in nature or subject to explanation according to natural laws; not physical or material."
Sure you could explain away the pieces that make up the stock market in terms of certain 'natural laws' but you still would not have the thing itself.
As far as the supernatural being a poor model for driving force for market procedure, you might revisit the fallacy of rational actors in light of the last two years of economic history (and the previous 15 years, and on and on back in time) and make some definitions for yourself between the realms of wishful thinking, imagination, and the supernatural.

But I would guess that your view is skewed from your perspective.
You are from a supernatural place, manhattan, which is as far as most people are concerned, is almost entirely an unreal and abstract place,
and because of this you are so deeply embedded in the most logical
and deeply untrue modernist fantasies
that you cannot actually see percieve them
as anything but the rationality that they pose as.
I am from the forest. I have no problem believing in your city. Howzabout a little intelectual generosity?
Seriously, don't they teach you to think in philosophy, or at least encourage a love for thinking?

If you care (I care) to better your mind and self, study some history and philosophy of science and get a handle on what this natural-supernatural business is all about.
Natural is actually not much of a thing to stand on, my friend, speaking again of weak or falacious arguments.
'Controlled scientific conditions' is decided by and acted out by people, just as a satanic ritual is.
The former is actually just better at accessing and gaining power over the supernatural, making it 'natural'.
What is 'natural' now only became so by science forming a bridge to what was once supernatural.
What is the difference between a virus and a devil?
You may be so smart and lucky to know best, but how would you describe what I virus looks like?
I dare you not to use any science fictive metaphors.
While I admire your sense of entitlement to publish, I also encourage trying to think a little deeper before stridently decrying the firmament of human life on earth. Two points to the matter:
1. Your attack reeks of fear. There is no need to attack that which you do not fear.
2. You are not smarter or better than other people.
In 7000 years of recorded human history, people have managed to live with the supernatural with less fear than you.
It seems like you are maybe afraid that if people believe in the supernatural, they will become a threat to you.
But really, even if you will not look to the past, take a minute and look at the conditions of who and where you are.
Are people that are heavily under the influence of a mistaken be
lief in the supernatural the greatest threat to you and your health? Or is it people (and things) spawned from the god of rationality that threaten your life?
Are you more scared of a virus or a car crash?

ok, I gotta go now,

You should work harder now, please,

Bochay I Drum
Science and Society
2009.5        RUE