I dunno Mark, there seems to be a whole wave of reverence for the LAW lately, another example is all the rhetoric about immigration policy. Nattering on about the LAW is the way to avoid being labelled a racist for wanting to kick Mexicans out of the US, and an obsession with motorized drilling and the LAW is a way to oppose all drilling, and indeed all human access to the wilderness. This was certainly the case in the Joshua Tree bolting ban, and plays no small roll in the furor over Infinite Bliss up here. Funny thing is, those so smitten with LAW don't seem to hesitate to smoke pot, drive while over .08 BAC, speed, run red lights, cheat on taxes, and commit adultery.
In the case of your Scott Loomis quote above, I really liked Ron Olevsky's response:
The where in particular is the real issue: how many bolts is too much, what places shouldn't be bolted, what role should fixed protection play in the wilderness, indeed, what is "wilderness." This is the real debate, and concern over battery powered drills is a tactic, not the substance.
But yeah, Loomis sure does come off as an arrogant asshole, doesn't he?
btw, you can't say "fuck" on supertopo either.