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Saturday, Nov 7, 2009
Sonofabastard
Published Letters: 218 Editor's Choice: 2
I agree this should be done. I was commenting on another website today when some jerk used another guy's screen name to make an asinine joke. I felt this was a violation of the rules of engagement and pointed out that if he was a soldier he would have been summarily executed.
"must be bombed into quivering terror."
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This is Coulter's way of saying she's suffering from delirium tremens.
It's hard to believe that segment was originally forty minutes. As always Joan came off well, but I've got to admit Donohue didn't come off that bad either. I saw him last week debating The Chocalate Jesus artist and he got hoisted by his own petard.
It's interesting that the neo-con movement, especially the religious right, praises countries like Iran if they show any indication of becoming more liberal and less theocratic or authoritarian. Why don't neo-cons embrace the fact that democracy is an extrapolation of liberalism and that our Constitution is a holy document that will guide us to the light?
Here is a quick and easy test to see how much of an authoritarian you are. Most of the amendments to the Constitution expand rights to citizens or restrict the power of government. The 18th(prohibition) amendment is a notable exception. It was repealed when the 21st was passed. Which amendment do you favor, the 18th or the 21st?
Talk about fantastical thinking! I have yet to hear a coherent explanation of what you lefty visionaries forsee happening once we capitulate and leave the Middle East to its own devices. Some kind of nirvana I expect, like you envisioned after the end of the cold war. We followed your advice, let our guard down and unsurprisingly 9/11 ensued.
-- nabalzbbfr
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Nabalzbbfr, you need to buy a vowell and a clue. It's really simple. America needs to become self reliant by developing a clean source of renewable energy, so that we aren't dependent on Middle East oil. When Bush took office, before 9/11, that was the number one priority. In fact it's been our number one priority since 1973. Reagan, Bush I, and Clinton have all dropped the ball on this one.
One thing America doesn't need is a delusional right-wing nut job trying to protect us from foreign right-wing nut jobs. It just doesn't work that way.
You are correct, it is an unfortunate choice of names since it does ignore left wing authoritarians such as committed Marxists.
I prefer the term "authoritarian follower" even though it is a damn sight harder to type.
Jonathan Hoag `
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I don't believe the political spectrum is communism on the left and facism on the right. The gist of this blog is that the spectrum runs from anarchy on the left to totalitarianism on the right. Hardline Marxists are right wingers. Islamic jihadists are right wingers.
Democracy springs from liberalism, and you can't have a liberal democratic society without a free enterprise economy. At the same time you need a modicum governmental authoritarianism to maintain the free enterprise system so that the environment doesn't get ruined and cheaters don't prosper.
You might be interested in taking the Political Compass test. By answering a series of multiple choice questions it will place you on a two dimensional graph with the vertical axis running from libertarian to authoritarian on the social scale and the horizontal axis running from left to right on the economic scale.
I highly recommend the Political Compass to anyone interested in politics and policy.
http://www.politicalcompass.org/
Jonathan Hoag
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Jonathan, I'm pretty sure I took that test a few months ago. I was disappointed that I only scored a fourteen, which put me near the average. I've always fancied myself as a staunch anti-authoritarian. In fact one of my fantasies is that I'm part of the Milgram Experiment and I end up punching the lab guy in the nose. It probably wouldn't go down that way. Although to my credit, or detriment, the biggest impediment to my career has been the fact that I'm belligerent with my superiors and let my subordinates take advantage of me. Needless to say, I'm not in the military.
http://www.politicalcompass.org/
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I just took the test again and scored -3.00 economic, -6.00 authoritarian. The only celebrity near me was the Dalai Lama.
I'm not sure I would have the two lines perpendicular to each other. I think communism and authortarianism are closer than 90% apart.
Also, will the American elites be the last people on earth to learn that our most-read columnists are laughing at Al "I have a 10,000-square-foot, twenty-room, eight-bathroom, McMansion" Gore?
Ben Terpstra
Geelong, Australia
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Let's see what we have here. An Ann Coulter loving, global warming denying, right wing nutjob from Australia. Has this guy been playing football without a helmet? I guess if he's not worried about the drought and dying coral reefs, then we shouldn't either. When the Australian economy goes down the drain does it swirl counter-clockwise?
BTW Nobody give's a rat's ass what you imbeciles are laughing at. Most-read Australian columnist, isn't that an oxymoron? Or as Paul Bunyan once said, "My trust helper Blue reads Australian newspapers, but he's an oxymoron."
Camille Paglia's articles are the intellectual equivalent of a spoiled bear rummaging an ill-secured trash bin. On reading one of her columns, I get a visual image of a lot of well-chewed garbage strewn across a parking lot. I find it odd that Salon has chosen to rehabilitate this particular bear.
horklet
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Since bears don't hibernate anymore now that global warming is upon us, Camille will be with us twelve months a year. At least she's smarter than the average bear. Her zoology professor told her so.
Much of the initial coverage about Fort Hood turned out to be wrong. Is there anything wrong with that?
The accountability imposed by another country for the CIA's kidnapping and torture reveals much about our own.
Fox News' morning show plays to type, talking about whether Muslims in the Army should face "special debriefings"
The Maine fight was supposed to be the dress rehearsal for repealing California's Prop. 8 -- but gay marriage lost
Once one obtains Seriousness credentials in the Washington media, they are irrevocable no matter one's conduct.
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