Letters to the Editor
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re: usmlrf, my final thoughts
I must confess to being inadequately versed in blog lingo -- even after all this time -- to completely understand the term "concern troll," and thought that it could include not just opponents posing as concerned allies and sowing doubt, but also genuinely concerned allies who have been convinced in some degree of the truth of a destructive meme such as "liberals aren't interested in understanding anything, they just hate anything Bush, Republican, etc."
At first I wasn't sure, usmlrf, whether you were the intentionally deceptive kind, or the other kind, though the effect can often be the same -- I think I expressed that in my first post. Now, I'm willing to accept that you are genuine, but from the start what I did not appreciate was the condescending tone you took. Perhaps you weren't aware of how you came off, but it did sound like you were scolding everyone here for not viewing Krauthammer as objectively or analytically as you, for just piling onto to the big-bad neoconservative with mindless zeal. If that's not the way you intended your comments, so be it, I can accept that.
I definitely appreciate anyone's coming to the discussion with novel or intelligently contrary ideas. I'm certainly all about challenging assumptions, if done logically and fairly. I would never seek to shut down debate with anyone that is reasonably and intelligently trying to make a point or establish better understanding. Also, by no means am I some kind of Unclaimed Territory "Old Guard," or even a very frequent poster, for that matter. I often don't have the occasion to comment here for days or weeks at a time. If my responses in any way made you, usmlrf, feel like you were being chased out by some Glenn-approved guard dog, I did not intend that.
Just please keep in mind that, lacking the benefit of hearing your voice, your choice of words when making an initial comment to one of these threads can very much determine how people perceive you. That's all from me, no hard feelings, I hope.
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email/blog posts are emotionally tone deaf (usually)
DCLaw1, you're a good soul for offering the olive branch; written word such as email and blog posts are emotionally tone deaf unless of course there are obvious incendiary terms used. Face to face, you can see and adjust impressions accordingly as the conversation evolves; on a computer screen, not so much.
This thread is probably dead, but I have a comment or two that ties together some of the later discussion. A point was made that authoritarians can't embrace chaos; which I strongly suspect is true (though they seem to like creating it - Iraq is my illustrative example of that). However, what is a more classic neocon trope than "creative destruction"? Oh how they love those 2 words, it is a code for so much of what lies at the heart of their world view. Is it projection on their part, or just one more example of the double bind issue?
Though I must admit I am hearing "creative destruction" a whole lot less now that Iraq as the testing ground for "smash it all and rebuild it as you want it to be" isn't working out so well for them. Or the Iraqi's. Or the US soldiers being killed or maimed. Or the wounded US veterans who are being treated like so many broken toys no longer deserving of any care or respect. At this point, using words like "creative destruction" basically identifies you as a heartless, brainless authoritarian in love with shiny, cool-sounding words.
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@usmlrl and Stars
"I gather that GG agrees with your positions, if the stars next to your posts are dispensed by him."
The yellow background stars to which you are referring are a mark to show that the poster is a 'Salon Premium Subscriber'. That means they spent 6 bucks or more - depending on how long of a subscription they bought. Glenn has nothing to do with those stars.
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Great Article, Glenn
As usual, Glenn, your posts are fantastic. Good reporting on Krauthammer's blatant hypocrisy.
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@ Fraud Guy
P.S. If a thread is graced by bebop-o (fka clownsense), throw the above out. Just read and ponder. Kind of like throwing Joyce and Proust in a blender with Miles Davis and Warren Zevon.
You forgot to add..."Joyce and Proust (on acid)..."
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C.K.
Respect and admiration? What have you been smoking? Look at the media he writes for. Faux news! Sure there are other semi respectable papers etc. but his number is well known to the general public. At least he's consistent, consistently wrong that is.
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Mr. Krauthammer
is a sad, old man. I take enjoyment that this 3rd rate hack needs help to get on the toilet to shit while he spews the unsupportable neocon bile he is accustomed to writing.
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more fuxxsnooze bile
hate, hate, fear, hate, fear, Moslems, terrror, fear, hate. There: fuxxsnooze text in it's reader's indigestion version. Whatta marroon.
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A Nordic viewpoint to weapons
I must say, as a Finn, that the relationship that you Americans have with your guns is quite intriguing to me. I don't understand the emotional responses that erupt every time when even a hint of gun control is on the horizon. I mean, for us here, a gun is a gun is just a tool. Civilians use them generally for hunting or sharpshooting hobbies, the authorities (like the army and the police) to enforce their legal duties. End of story.
Even though we have somewhat strict gun-control laws over here, we still have almost as much guns per capita as you have in the U.S.A. Providing you are a law abiding citizen without a history of mental illness or violent crime, and if you can provide a good reason, you can get almost any kind of cannon you can think of. IF you are up to fight a mountain of paper, that is. But it is possible to get almost anything, barring a heavy machine gun (caliber .50 and over).
This does not mean that we don't have our gun related tragedies. We do. But generally speaking, the kill-rates are around one to two victims per incident and usually the weapon of choice has been something like a puukko (a finn-knife) and not a gun.
Anyway, here's some food for thought, your Constitution was written in the time of front loaded muskets, not fully automatic weapons.
I really do hope that you will solve this Gordian Knot. Otherwise these tragedies will happen again, again and again.