Letters to the Editor
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It's like you train the pit bull to attack "them"
but never teach it to stop, then get mad at the person that got bit.
Dogs are cool.
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patg and war talk
no, the media will not. in most workplaces, barbershops, churches and bars this conversation is ongoing. peace is the objective all folks want, really. only clowns like w. and the rest of the neocon posse push this fear factor that would make anyone think of offing their neighbor because they may pose a threat to 'national security'.
Yes it all starts with us, and the people always want peace. They are frightened into interventions becuase we never talk about when fighting is allowed.
If you talk openly about war ahead of time you are accused of tipping off our intentions to the 'enemy'; and you can not talk about the war while troops are in the field or you are giving aid and comfort to the enemy. Then you can not talk about the damn thing after it is over or they say you dishonor the troops who died or where injured.
So we never really discuss war in any rational way; only as a political football to get votes. And we damn sure never talk about the morality of the act -- only if it was 'worth it' or if 'we won'.
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WT
Sorry, I was away for a bit when you replied.
For example, I've noticed that your more recent posts have been steeped in a righteous anger which was completely absent back in the day when you were debating the intricacies of FISA law here. Forgive me for saying so, but I don't think that diminishes them in any way -- you are still one of the best, and most thoughtful contributors here.
Thanks. Yes, my more recent posts have been much more pissed-off than the early ones, I'm aware of that. I don't know if that's because I'm much more upset with the state of things, or if I'm just letting my more polemic side show. The legally technical side of FISA brought out my more academic voice, so maybe that explains some of it. I'll let others judge why my tone has changed, but I enjoy getting passionate about these issues. I also love to nail people to the wall from time to time, especially if they are all empty swagger. Can't be a bloodless technocrat forever, you know?
On the other hand, that changed tone might very well attract the attentions of others who lack either your skill or your probity. What then? Will you ignore them utterly, or risk a quick lash at them with the back of your hand? And what will you do if one of them sinks his teeth in that hand and not having much of a life, refuses to let go, even unto the end of UT?
Honestly, I don't care. I really, honestly couldn't care less if someone makes it his or her full-time job to come after me because of my tone, or something I said. My responsibility is to be truthful, incisive, perhaps sometimes strident, but hopefully always insightful. Even when I'm worked up, my words are very carefully chosen. I look for responses that are either substantively challenging or at least show the potential for entertainment. The rest is noise to me.
I always enjoy your thoughts, though, WT.
omooex:
I agree, Chris Matthews could have handled the subject better. I was just glad he brought it up at all. I guess the bar is set pretty low.
PBS is having a Frontline right now, and again tomorrow at 9pm, on the Iraq War from start to present.
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WT
Can we replicate the process, or is it just that we're none of us real Americans?
I've been watching the hate spilled here today by people who are at least nominally on similar, if not the same, sides. It seems most indicative of America, and indeed even humanity, as a whole.
If you think Americans in general are capable of deep self reflection then I would love to hear from you how to go about inducing it in them because I haven't figured it out in nearly two decades of trying.
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@Chris
Chris, I have very little to say as far as making some kind of conclusion about the quality of LWM's ideas, but today buckyl maintains that I, and several others, are really some form of LWM.
Can you substantiate the accusation that my posts were written by LWM at any time, by any method? Can you show me a method by which someone can post as Derbig Mooser, once I have an account under that name?
So you throw around one of the worst accusations of on-line behavior, and you've got nothing to back it up, in anay way, but you demand that other commentors take you seriously!
Chris, I certainly hope you are not a liberal. I have never believed in the "brain-dead liberal" and hope I don't have to start.
So from now on, when I post, shall I just accept that a certain proportion of the commentors or readers will assume I am not who I say I am, but rather a clone or handmaiden of LWM.
And I'm supposed to like you, and listen to you, in return for this.
Thanks friend, You and bucky and patg sure know how to advance both your case and the conversation.
It has been a most discouraging and disheartening demonstration of some particularly disturbing aspects of herd mentality.
So when I start making posts under your name, and they don't reflect well on you (and they won't friend, they won't) who ya gonna call? But your not worried about it-cause you know as well as I do it can't be done. But you hoped by volume and repetition to convince whatever suggestible readerrs there be that it is the case.
Thanks friend. we're in good hands with you.
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Oh, so LWM
posted at certain times under another handle, which he is perfectly at liberty to do, and it just drove you nuts. Now you're seeing LWMs everywhere.
Holy Shit, does he have that much power over you, that you offend every new commentor for his sake? Wow. What a stellar addition to the discourse.