Aren't we nuking Iran today? I swear I heard we were.

As I read Glenn's latest post, he is -- somewhat reluctantly, I think -- arguing that we cannot afford to shrink from the propaganda war. Mona -- as I read her comments on his post -- is concerned that we are fighting on the wrong ground, that the goals we aim at will be lost in the fog of battle.

To me, this is the real argument, and I look for some balanced way to stop the bullies while at the same time not losing sight of the policy changes which are our true objective. I don't want to suffer the indignities which come of bringing a knife to a gunfight, but neither do I want myself and my friends from turning into left-wing Rush Limbaughs, or used-car salesmen.

My approach so far goes something like this: argue the policy changes we want rationally, but firmly; concede no ground on the issues. Avoid sneering at people (this a hard resolution for me to hold to) but don't accept being called a wimp with the humility and grace our opponents are counting on.

In politics, support the Democrats, even when they do things -- like voting for the Kyl-Lieberman amendment -- which makes my skin crawl. Make sure liberal issues are always on the table in internal party discussions, but don't threaten to take my ball and leave when I'm outvoted.

Keep at it.

McConnell's phone: (202) 224-2541

Fax: (202) 224-2499

...is good for the neocons and the lily-livered Senators who voted with them.

But, who will be the next forthright Mitch McConnell? Can we dare hope that McConnell himself, or another outraged Republican, will take action to denounce this disgusting slanderous attack on our brave soldiers?

I'll be watching... and calling McConnell's office to urge him to do the right thing.

I'm way behind and need a withered-spoon of honey for to sweeten a cup of tea. It takes me days to answer a simple question.

Remember M.C. Escher (1898-1972)? Was that behind or before the times?

Fish flew into the clean air becoming a squawking geese, dropping dirty dung on the head of a lonely damn creep gop.

Stairways up the ladder will lead to no man lonely anywhere? Gads. 'i' no in gap's great gulf between heaven and a hell.

D.S. (d.s.) D.C. is bitter. In response to your question, my son lives at the farm-Place. It's right down the road and often a sanctuary, but "lonely" gets to be a philosophical dilemma. I'm not really lonely...but of course, I get lonely like everyone else. I'm a pt-time recluse. I am companionable.

I flew the coop.

Petrayus is snake?

Petrayus sound: hiss,

And I say: shed skin.

Be a humane creature.

When I receive a visitor who sips tea.

I rejoice. But often miss a sweet kiss.

Not only do I agree with Glenn about retalition (though I have no hope the Dems will actually do it) I would go beyond retaliation and enact a policy along the lines of: grind them into the ground; chop up the ground; turn the ground into a raging fireball; and when the fire dies out, salt it thoroughly.

The right wing believes in only one war, and that is the war against the rest of us. They are engaged in all-out combat 24/7-365. Note that Christmas itself is one of their battlegrounds.

The rest of us need to take Republican tactics and refine them and make them more extreme. For example, a righteous non right-wing president would immediately order comprehensive audits of neocon outfits.

You can't win a gunfight with knives. At some point the right wing might notice that they have an enemy that fights back. It would be time for my beloved civility if, and only if, the right wing sues for peace.

An ever-escalating political fight cannot be good for anyone. But a war in which only one side fights hard is just a slaughter.

Rupert_C tells us that African acquantainces don't understand why Americans don't rise up and overthrow Bush - that's what would happen in Africa, they say. Yeah, that's the model we want - Africa! I forget, is Mugabe a liberal hero or not? On the con side, he is starving and oppressing millions of black Africans. On the pro side, he did stick to the white man. I think in liberal calculus he comes out way ahead!

Speaking of sticking it to the white man, Holly and David cheer on the jena six. Yeah, that's the model we want - beat up a white boy to show black power! Liberal justice at its best. I mean after all, Crystal Gail Magnum and Tawana Bradley show that the justice system won't always fry them white boys - it's best to take matters into your own hands.

I love liberals. That's right, liberals, Fox News and Bush are the prime evil in this world. It's not hyperbole to call this fascism and conservatives hypocrites; your motives are as pure as the driven snow. MoveOn.org has America's best interests in mind. And white boys who get framed / beat up / demonized in the service of liberalism are collateral damage and should just shut up about it.

Boy I hope it happens to you.

All quite on the home front. Where nary is heard a discouraging word and faux news is happy all day.

Dismissed.

Cmd. bah.

ps. I got your back!!!

I know you are not a neocon, but this...

I am deeply unsure the risk is worth it.

-- -Mona-

comes across a bit concern trollish.

No, they're not a new band from Seattle.

I've noticed some people throw the phrase concern troll around without seemingly understanding what it really means. Here's a definition taken from Wikipedia:

Concern troll

A concern troll is a pseudonym created by a user whose point of view is opposed to the one his/her sockpuppet claims to hold. The concern troll posts in web forums devoted to its declared point of view (for example, Democrats or fans of the Prius), and attempts to sway the group's actions or opinions while claiming to share their goals but with some "concerns". The goal is to sow fear, uncertainty and doubt within the group.

Now, Mona is a lot of things, but a concern troll isn't one of them. And adding "ish" onto the end of the slur doesn't make it appropriate either. Mona and others have a legit opinion about this whole fight-fire-with-fire supposition. And comparing what the GOP and its RWNM does and the Democratic/Progressive response using metaphors like "bringing a knife to a gun fight ..." etc does nothing to further the dialog. If I understand Mona and the others correctly, they are concerned that these tactics simply degrade our national discourse and end up causing the Constitution and the various Legislatures to be invoked and used inappropriately.

It is IMHO a legitimate question.

There's no fake postings involved, no sockpuppets. NO concern troll behavior is going on!

So how about we knock off throwing out this slur every time someone (who posts here and reads Glenn regularly I might add) simply expresses a contrary opinion to what is being suggested?