A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To Posting
I learned an amazing lesson yesterday.
For years now, I’ve labored under the false impression that a lot of the so-called discourse normally seen on many so-called news channels, is over-hyped and over the top.
Okay, that’s not false. It is over-hyped and over the top.
My error was thinking the arguments were “staged.” My mistake was believing the “actors” involved were actually reasonable, rational human beings, playing with the extremes to generate “buzz.” I know a little about writing, conflict generates interest, right?
Yes, that is right, but I was dead wrong.
It’s not about ratings, after all, even though both “sides” appreciate a favorable poll.
What I discovered was hate.
Not TV hate. Or TV hype. Real, down to the ground, irrational, “F*** off!” (asterisks added) hate.
How was this revelation made manifest, aside from the above quoted, and repeated, suggestion? After paying a visit to a few “political” blogs, and leaving a relevant comment or two, in short order I was “spotted.”
Spotted as what?
Well, according to the phalanx of sudden vitriolic responders, I was labeled many things they no doubt thought would hurt my feelings, i.e., putz, dimwitted, asshole, ignorant, apathetic, and prig.
Luckily for me, I didn’t need to look up any of these sophisticated terms. I dig their vernacular. And truth be told, I can be all of those things sometimes ;-p
But none of those folks knows me from Adam’s off ox, yet in about a nano-nano (for they seemed to come from a distant planet) second, one and all convicted me of being the one thing I’m not:
A Democrat!
As Tweety might have said, “They don’t know me very well, do they?”
Being castigated and mislabeled was a severe blow to my pride, of course :-), but the worst part was, just when the conversation might have gotten interesting – perhaps even “balanced” – I was summarily booted off a couple of sites, and my posts erased with the explanation: [OFF-TOPIC OR ABUSIVE COMMENTS DELETED].
Okay. The blogs belong to them. They can run them as they see fit. No skin off my nose.
But my comments (concerning Sen. Chuck Hagel, R-Ne) were completely “on-topic,” until suddenly I became the topic, and I was never abusive, although one could argue the fusillade of responses aimed at me were.
Since I don’t know any of them any more than they know me, I won’t jump to the conclusion that they are simply mean-spirited, spiteful, bitter, narrow-minded, self-righteous, angry, hateful people, who aren’t intertested in any opinion but their own.
And I surely will not use the label they claim with pride: Republican.
After all, that would be off-topic and abusive, wouldn’t it?
To which they would most likely reply… “F*** off!”
November 28th, 2006 at 9:09 pm
Wow, that’s harsh. (And maybe what you get for hanging out with Republicans?) Reminds me of this weirdo on StumbleUpon who cursed me out as an armchair psychologist for jokingly saying he couldn’t be trusted since he had 3 or 4 different user names.
November 28th, 2006 at 9:18 pm
Harsh.
Like totally.
I’m also an elitist, by the way.
And veddy, veddy something or other. But those were the “nice” comments
It isn’t just this collection of what are definitely “unfair” and apparently “un-ballanced” folks on the right.
I’ve been bumping into a number of folks, who seem to dangling close to the very edge of leftist reason, who are likewise less-than friendly toward differing opinion.
BTW: Or so I’ve been told:
The center is now occupied entirely by centrist Republicans.
Unless you talk to the centrist Democrats.
Let’s hear it for Moderate Radicals! Moderads! Morads!
Up the revolution!
Gently ;-p
November 29th, 2006 at 12:55 am
Chuck Hagel is a scumbag cheat. He “won” his seat because the paperless machinery he *owns* gave him an “unprecedented” victory over the long-time Dem incumbent…including 80-90% of the black vote. Right. I always give my Dem site a tongue-lashing when they post something “moderate” Hagel says. I don’t care how radical, moderate or otherwise he is. He’s a cheating worm who has no business representing the constituents he ABUSED to get into office. I’m just sayin’. Maybe you were too mild-mannered with the rethuglicans.
November 29th, 2006 at 1:05 am
Hey Zee,
So where is this Dem site of yours?
I always try to visit poster’s sites if at all possible.
As to “mild-mannered…” I think about Clark Kent in a suit. I’m no superman (too much loose kryptonite everywhere), but I was attempting to “rationally” make a case for my point of view.
So I blame rationality.
November 29th, 2006 at 3:35 am
Tim, it’s Buzzflash, where you linked to here.
Do you have a link to the rabid ravers’ site? I’ll bet they were originally lambasting Hagel for being too “moderate” —yes?
November 29th, 2006 at 7:59 am
I’m not going to comment on Hegel. What seems more relevant to me is the utter lack of civility with which you were treated. I have a small political blog which is decidedly left of center, but I have a regular commenter who is as far right as I am left. If anyone were to treat him they way you were treated, I’d be all over that person in a heartbeat. Perhaps the reason is that many people on the right are so insecure in their own beliefs that they feel a need to strike out when questioned.
November 29th, 2006 at 1:37 pm
Hey Zee,
It was actually a couple of spots at http://www.rantburg.com.
Mostly, being too “moderate” was not mentioned. They focused more on his un-Republican nature, you know…
liberal in wolf’s, I mean, conservative’s clothing.
Someone actually credited him with being a patriot, however, so there was some disagreement. Apparently, I was the only subject about which all could concur.
And you know what their conclusion was ;-p
Hey TomCat,
(Does that handle feel a little funky, with what’s his name and her name, these days? Just wondering like an idiot ;-))
Like most regular Americans, I strongly support everyone’s right to hold opinions. I’m at least as opinionated as anyone I know.
Obviously, there’s going to be conflict with all this freedom. It’s pretty neat, though, isn’t it?
I think we’re awfully lucky to have the opportunity to listen and talk to people from all over the world and share our ideas, hopes, dreams and convictions.
And the tools we have these days!
Can you imagine the joy some of our ancestors’ might have experienced on the web?
On the other hand, think of all the new crap they’d share, too. Oh, well, I guess each new age brings new challenges. It seems reasoned discourse might be among our most daunting obstacles these days.
Ironic, huh?
Re: “insecure in their own beliefs,” I posted something a while back on http://www.BenFranklinBlogging.com which dealt with that issue.
Sometimes it seems a lot of the answers we could use today are somewhere behind us waiting to be rediscovered.
November 29th, 2006 at 6:51 pm
Hi Tim. What can I say? I was TomCat when TomKat was in diapers.
I have watched online communications grow from the time when modems were 110 baud (bps) and online services were single computers with one incoming phone line. Once I told friends to stick with CP/M, because Bill Gates with his buggy PC-DOS would never amount to anything. OOPS!
I agree with your notion of answers behind us. Years ago when taking Philosophy in college, I was appalled that those fellows had the audacity to steal my best ideas thousands of years before I was born.
November 29th, 2006 at 8:16 pm
I hear you, sir.
No harm intended, of course. Hey, I’m Tim Tyler. Not the one with the luck! Okay, so I’m lucky to be alive, to live in America in 2006, good family, reasonable health…
What was I saying?
I often wonder whether those guys were thinking about us, far more than we bother to imagine the distant future, or if everybody’s more or less lived in the moment.
I’m reasonably certain the past century or so, especially the years since ENIAC, have made a tremendous impact on our ability to truly focus on the great-great grandkids.
Maybe the longer the lifespan, the more myopic the vision?
December 1st, 2006 at 9:07 am
Could be….. Or could it be that the explosion in human knowledge has changed our view of the big picture?
December 1st, 2006 at 12:45 pm
Now there IS a thought to consider.
But I wonder, TC, exactly how has this explosion altered our outlook? What should I infer from your insight?
Are we better able to see the big picture now, or are we blinded by the pixels in front of our eyes?
Remember when being “pixellated” referred to someone experiencing the unrealistic possibilities hiding within reality?
Or was that insanity?
I can’t recall. Perhaps I’ll just ask my old friend Harvey what he thinks. He’s always been the smarter of the two of us.
February 2nd, 2008 at 2:08 am
pre teen pageant gown
March 29th, 2008 at 8:18 am
Привет?твую в?ех!
У мен? такой вопро?,кто что интере?ное под?кажет буду признателен.
Мы ? друзь?ми ?обираем?? поехать в круиз по про?торам Ро??ии и ближнего зарубежь? ме??ца на два на ?воих машинах,но не как не можем ?огла?овать маршрут,е?ли у кого уже был опыт такого путеше?тви?,может,что по?оветуете.Девчонок ? ?обой не берем,думаем,что во в?е городах Ро??ии ? ?тим не будет проблем,е?ли у кого будут рекомендации и в вопро?е отдыха ? девушками тоже буду признателен.
С уважением Сеньчик
August 2nd, 2008 at 5:18 am
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October 13th, 2008 at 3:12 am
Billy always convinces me to buy and sell stocks at the perfect time. He must be a billionaire because he always asks me to give some of it up as he probably doesn’t need anymore. When there is a selloff in stocks, he tells me to follow because that’s probably when the market is at its bottom; while the opposite is true too because he always tells me to buy stocks when everyone is optimistic, signaling a top in the stock market.
A few years ago, 2003 to be exact, Billy told me “It’s time to sell your stocks! Look at your negative returns! Cash out your index funds because you should put your money somewhere else!” He is really good because the next few years turned out to be great for the stock market. A couple of days ago when everyone was selling stocks, he tries to convince me again to sell because we needed to join everyone else. He must’ve seen yesterday’s big move up coming.
Billy is truly my friend because he doesn’t want me to suffer the pain that I endure because my stocks are going down. So, when fear is at its maximum signaling a bottom, he convinces me that I should sell just to get me that temporary relief.
Today though, I decided to start ignoring Billy. Although I appreciate his friendship and advice for the past 20 some years, it is not making me rich. In fact, even though he’s a billionaire, I’m still working hard for a living. I have most of my life ahead of me, and I cannot keep listening to him anymore.
I need to think long term for my investments and ignore market fluctuations. I want to be wealthy, but not busy. I want to live happily, and not miserably. I need to stop being silly, and definitely not listen to Billy.
http://www.moneyning.com
Laura K (SOIC)