Monday, April 09, 2007

Dear Blogging Tories: Here's what I'm gonna do.


You know, it's just not that much fun slapping the Blogging Tories around the room anymore. There's no challenge to it -- it's kind of like beating your 5-year-old nephew at chess, then prancing around the room, yelling, "Whoo hoo! In your face! Yeahhhh!!"

Mostly, there's no real enjoyment in taking their arguments, on a regular basis, and disemboweling them utterly, when the best comeback you can ever expect is something about the intellectual level of, "What a hysterical moonbat," or "Oh, yeah? Well, you're just a Fiberal! So there!"

Examples? Oh, puhleeze ... where to even begin? Working backwards chronologically, we have the irrepressible Jordan Alcock, who thinks denigrating my readers with photoshopped pics is just hilariously funny. Yeah, Jordan, I'm sure that's a real scream at Young Conservative get-togethers. I'll bet the chicks just swoon over dynamite material like that.

Then there's Jack of Jack's Newswatch who, after I pointed out that he was full of it, followed up one of his own commenter's note of "Always nice to have visitors, isn't it?" with the thoroughly indefensible, "They drop by now and then." Witty. Very witty. I don't think Brent Butt is worried about having to get a day job anytime soon.

And after a fairly detailed post of mine involving laptops, privacy and civil rights, we have "Neo Conservative" testing the limits of his intellectual prowess, referring to your humble scribe with phrases like "yappy little dog", "perv" and "putz." Wow, dude, that's like ... deep, you know. And, of course, the list goes on and on and tediously on. So, what to do?

Not surprisingly, most of these individuals feel thoroughly justified in dismissing any critical commentary from this corner because, in their opinion, I lack the requisite social graces to engage in their typical level of sophisticated banter. In short, all of my devastating logic and objective analysis when I tear them a new orifice can be dismissed because I have -- what's the phrase they like to use? -- ah, yes ... a "potty mouth." That's so cute. And so annoyingly inappropriate, given their own talent for name-calling, wouldn't you say?

So here's what I'm gonna do.

I would like to engage the BTs in actual discourse. Real discourse. Where we engage on the field of intellectual competition, and see whose ideas carry the day. No, seriously ... stop laughing. I mean it.

And to that end, I'm prepared to put away my Dumbass-o-saurus, and play nice, and be polite, and say "Please" and "Thank you," and only say "Fuck you, you lying, piece of shit, dumbass motherfucker" when it's absolutely called for, or if it involves Brian Lemon.

I envision an attempt at investigating current events something along the lines of those used at sites like, say, Talking Points Memo or Media Matters, where the name-calling is kept to a minimum and is replaced by actual logic, accompanied by links to the appropriate references to bolster one's arguments, and where arguments aren't dismissed with infantile inanities like, "Oh, they're all leftist moonbats at that site!," and painstaking eviscerations of someone's position aren't met with dumbass comebacks like, "Hey, thanks for the links!"

I also envision the idea that, if you post something hideously stupid, and it gets ripped to shreds and is nailed bleeding to a door, you have the intellectual honesty to admit that you were full of shit, know what I mean? Unlike, say, this worthless, lying, piece of shit, dumbass, weaselly motherfucker.

So, what's it gonna be? Are you willing to actually engage in some intellectual discourse? Or do we get the same childish bullshit from you folks over and over? Are you men? Or are you Kate McMillans?

I'm waiting.

14 comments:

Ti-Guy said...

When he read that (and we know he did), Macademia Nut was picturing you in a leather teddy, brandishing a whip.

...he's imagining me in a short skirt, jumping up and down, waving pom-poms.

Every time I interact with a Blogging Tory, I need to take a shower afterwards.

The Blogging Tories will never rise to the challenge you've presented here, because, simply put...they're lazy.

Anonymous said...

I'm keeping an eye on this new direction. Good luck.

Paladiea said...

I of all people have tried to foster some sort of discussion, but all I get for my troubles is being called a skank, a stupid cunt, oh and my favorite, an anti-semite.

Rev.Paperboy said...

cc -- you've got me thinking about it. I don't cruise the Blogging Tories or other site on the otherside of the blogosphere to the extent that you do, but I'm willing to lay down the hatchet and cool the rhetoric and discuss things in a reasonable way if they are.
http://kevinswoodshed.blogspot.com/2007/04/civility-and-polarization-which-side.html

Anonymous said...

I'm afraid there's no hatchet to bury over here CC - I've been reactionary to your childish attacks. If you want some open dialogue and discussion, All you need to do is offer it up.

Show some of this logic you claim to have, and we'll go from there. Feel like continuing your childish attacks, and I shall follow your lead.

Ti-Guy said...

If you don't want to be ridiculed, Alcock...then stop writing ridiculous things.

Or maybe that's just too much to expect from you?

Anonymous said...

ti - I don't mind being ridiculed by the likes of you... I expect no less. Being able to conjure this kind of angry response from people like you,by expressing my thoughts just proves to me that I'm doing a good job.

But if CC wants to offer some open and fair debate instead of tossing baseless insults, I'm more than welcoming (actually, I'm kind of excited by the prospect of some good dialogue.) I always welcome fair and honest debate between sides...

CC has done a good job of hiding intelligent commentary with a barage of childish insults. No wonder others question the validity of arguments on this site..

I'm looking forward to some good discussion CC.

As for you Ti-guy... when you decide to act like an adult, I will welcome intelligent discussion with you as well.

Ti-Guy said...

I expect no less. Being able to conjure this kind of angry response from people like you,by expressing my thoughts just proves to me that I'm doing a good job.

Doing a good job of what, exactly?

As for you Ti-guy... when you decide to act like an adult, I will welcome intelligent discussion with you as well.

Jordan, the only time I read your damn blog is when you write something really hissy and stupid and CC links to it. Then I go over and see that's pretty much all you ever write. So if you want reasonned dialogue, you'll have to write something reasonnable first.

I doubt you can. You're too lazy and unread.

Anonymous said...

You obviously didn't read very much...

I don't think I get particularly "hissy and stupid " at all.. in fact, I think you will find that I offer fair discussion to all sides; I've even stood up for those on the left as they were being attacked by members of the BT.
In fact, if I recall, you attacked me when I made fair commentary on this very site that was in contrast to many of those on the same side of the political spectrum as myself. Your way or the highway? I'll take the highway...

Of course, it is only fitting that I offer you the chance to be civil and you fall back to petty childish attacks. It's only to be expected when one has nothing intelligent to add.

I'm sorry I intimidate you, but you are not doing yourself or CC any favours by acting like that.

I guess that's the beauty of using a pseudonym instead of your real name ;)

Anonymous said...

Nice banner, but I can't help but think I've seen those characters before. Let's start with a partisan discussion on the theft of intellectual property, from a Liberal point of view.

George said...

I think this is a great idea -- and long overdue, for all of us. Blogging shouldn't be about insults but about constructive and productive debate of the issues.

CC said...

andrew e:

Is that seriously the best you can do?

Ti-Guy said...

I'm sorry I intimidate you, but you are not doing yourself or CC any favours by acting like that.

See? I can't take you seriously when you say things as comical as that. If you meant it to be funny, I'd have newfound respect for you (I have a nephew who cracks me up with his shtick of being 'a force to be reckoned with'). But somehow, I don't think that's how you meant it; you are, above all, completely humourless.

As far as I'm concerned, Jordan...you're ridiculous. I'm sure you've heard that before.

Progressive Maritimer said...

I tried calling for more civility and intellectual discussion twice and it never went everywhere. I think you are right and I commend you for it but don't expect things to change. The best thing we can do is stick to the policy we propose and hope others will follow.