I understand what you're getting at in the idea of being fair in your criticism of both sides, but again, and I believe Rick is beating around the bush with this point, a certain argumentative decorum is lacking in your blog. And, as a matter of course, you do refer to the GOP or Republicans in the general sense in a way and a frequency that you don't with liberals or democrats. It's fair to go after both sides, but when you group one and not the other, then that comes off as partisan. Why don't you come up with a unique name for all the leaders, Democrats and Republicans (no matter what the ratio) who fit into the dishonest character structure that you abhor. This way you won't run the risk of offending people on one side or the other who may have legitimate policy arguments. Or just say what you mean... "These people who happen to be Republicans are...," not "Republicans are..."
Obama IS an adult, emotionally mature, and rational as you point out. And that makes him a great leader. He's also an incredible debater with an uncanny ability to get you to see things his way. And with that in mind, I would challenge you to find a speech given by him that uses the following words to describe his political and ideological opponents.
"...retrogressive, racist, sexist, homophobic, xenophobic, greedy, needy, prescription drug-filled, numbskull Deliverance hypocrites..."
What I'm saying is - you catch more flies with honey.
PL:
As usual, L56, I find you to be fair-minded... to a fault.
So, let me again clarify some things. I am not running for office, nor am I engaged in a debate or trying to convince those that I criticize of the idiocy of their behavior or attitudes. In other words, I am not trying to "catch flies." If anything, I am swatting the flies, and I am meaning to offend. I am also, to put it differently, deliberately only preaching to the choir in an attempt to do as much exposing of the cancerous "retrogressive, racist, sexist, homophobic, xenophobic, greedy, needy, prescription drug-filled, numbskull Deliverance hypocrites" as possible. That a preponderance of the loudest of those numbskulls happen to be Republicans right now is neither here nor there to me. It really isn't a partisan thing. The right is begging, literally shouting to be given the "How stupid are we?" award right now, so I'm awarding it. Believe me, if I had this blog up and running in 2004, I would have been talking about what a mealy-mouthed jackass John Kerry was.
Finally, I do have another name, and I have used it many times, for the crooks and liars around us: it is the psychopathic character structure.
Thanks, L56. Sorry about my lack of decorum, but I've seen too much to be polite at this point in my life. Oh, and here's my role model for how to deal with flies -
First of all, Kudos to you for the presidential fly swatter reference. I didn't see that one coming. LOL
ReplyDeleteSecond: "Preaching to the choir"
I have two problems with this. First, if you are in fact intentionally "preaching to the choir" then I ask the obvious question that is bound up in that very adage, "what's the point"? The very phrase itself means that one is tied up in a futile exercise in teaching people something they already know. So, very simply: What's the point?
Second: I'm calling out your BS on this one anyway because I don't believe you actually are "preaching to the choir". Numerous times in your postings you've very adamantly asked people (directly and indirectly) to disagree with you or you've spoken directly to a group of people outside "the choir". There's a June 1st posting that's actually called, "PL's Challenge!"
Here's a quote from a relatively recent post that suggests that you're attempting to reach people way outside "the choir":
PL: I've already written and posted and reposted my article entitled "SAY IT: RACISM IS A PSYCHIATRIC DISORDER!" so many times that I will only link to it this time. But now I would like to get even more offensive to the baby souls who blindly love blind authority and live with intense fear of the Other: "SAY IT: BEING A COP IS A PSYCHIATRIC DISORDER!"
This is not "preaching to the choir" at all, this is directly engaging the "baby souls" as you call them. (And I'm not gonna' buy the argument that the directive, "SAY IT" is intended for us, "the choir". If it is, then you need to start paying serious attention to the syntax and clarity of your writing. In the context of what you've written here, you're asking the "baby souls" to "SAY IT!")
So again, I'm calling you out, you're not in fact "preaching to the choir" at all. Which I'm totally fine with! In fact, I think that's fantastic. From Luke Chapter 15: "...there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent." So...
That brings me to my original point. Since you are (at least I believe you are) attempting to change people's minds and you agree that Obama is a great leader, why don't you act like him, and leave words like, "...retrogressive, racist, sexist, homophobic, xenophobic, greedy, needy, prescription drug-filled, numbskull Deliverance hypocrites..." at the door?
To tie this in with anons comments as well. I have no problem with vigorously defending the truth. I think this is a major difference between the Obama administration and the Clinton administration, Obama has been much better at dispelling rumor, lies and what not than Clinton ever was. But discourse does matter. Two wrongs don't make a right. Words when strung together like this, "...retrogressive, racist, sexist, homophobic, xenophobic, greedy, needy, prescription drug-filled, numbskull Deliverance hypocrites..." have a meaning that's larger than the individual definitions of all the parts. Even if individually all of it happens to be true, there is a definite insult that's synthesized by the collection of the out-of-context adjectives which is really just as un-helpful to the public discourse as the lies that these politicians spew in the first place.
And for those of us on the side of progress, leading by example is not a weakness or a fault. I believe it's an absolute necessity. "Do unto others as you would have others do unto you." How will we ever break the dreadful partisan cycle until one side decides to hold back their punches?
Defend the truth: YES, YES, YES!!!
Swat the actual lie: YES, YES, YES!!!
Destroy the liars: NO! NO! NO! Convert them!