Comments Posted By Postagoras
Displaying 21 To 30 Of 55 Comments
WHELAN APOLOGY LEAVES QUESTIONS UNANSWERED ABOUT BLOG COMMENTERS
You left out one reason for anonymous commenting... the example from literature. But I will give up my anonymity and confess that I am Andrew Wiggin.
Comment Posted By Postagoras On 9.06.2009 @ 08:09
DEALERGATE: STATISTICAL COINCIDENCE OR POLITICAL BIAS? (IMPORTANT UPDATE BELOW)
I agree that the "bitch slap" is used by all sides to substitute for discourse. It's sleazy whoever uses it.
It's sad that the best rejoinder you could make was that I thought it was all right when the other side did it. That is not true.
This particular story is over, Rick. Move along.
Comment Posted By Postagoras On 28.05.2009 @ 10:26
Sorry, this story has no legs- it's a classic conspiracy theory that cannot be disproved. It falls neatly into the "bitch slap" approach to politics that continuously generates accusations, knowing that the background noise will eventually help your side.
Heckuva lot easier than engaging on the issues.
I wonder just what you consider an "issue?" Political corruption? Cronyism? Gee, they seemed to be good enough issues when Bush was in office. Wonder what happened?
ed.
Comment Posted By Postagoras On 28.05.2009 @ 09:22
SMALL TOWN HEROES FROM THE HEARTLAND
Ooooooh, those "big city elites". I thought it was Memorial Day... I didn't realize that it was Halloween and we needed to trot out the symbols of fear from ages past.
You know, it's possible to celebrate people without needing to invent an enemy. But it's just EASIER to write a Superman comic book when he's going up against Lex Luthor.
Comment Posted By Postagoras On 25.05.2009 @ 13:32
DEMOCRATIC PARTY PARTISANS TO 'OUT' GAY REPUBLICANS
This man is a blight on American politics and should be banished from public life forever.
While I agree 100% that this guy is a blight, this is an empty statement... there is no authority in charge of banishment.
Instead, like his partner in “exposing Republican hypocrisy” porn magnate Larry Flynt, they receive the plaudits and adoration of the left for their efforts.
This, however is a lie. Even you point out that these are actions of a small clique. Does Rogers have an audience of like-minded jerks and fools? Yes. Does the Left en masse adore this guy? No.
What would you like to see the Democratic Party do? If they denounced this behavior, would you say "Great, they made a statement on principle", or would you say "The hypocritical lefties are weeping crocodile tears as they further publicize this jerk."
Comment Posted By Postagoras On 24.04.2009 @ 09:44
BLOWHARD NEW YORK TIMES CONTRIBUTOR A PARANOID LOON
As one of your liberal idiots whose posts are filled with paranoia, nauseating condescension, and hate... I agree with you, Charles Blow is a bozo.
Comment Posted By Postagoras On 4.04.2009 @ 13:50
You have given too much authority to Minelli, who is the founder of a clinic, not a government worker... he is being idiot on his own time, he is not speaking for any government.
Two phrases that always start warning bells with me are "slippery slope" and "chilling effect"... each of them usually signal that someone just wants to stop the discussion. Each phrase treats the status quo as something that is important to preserve, without actually saying that. I have a distrust of that, whether it comes from liberals or conservatives... both groups are guilty of this.
Our culture, which you say has "forbidden suicide", is actually in the midst of a discussion about suicide.
You invoke "Soylent Green" to give some zip to your slippery slope argument... oooh, I'm very afraid.
If we are going to fantasize about ghastly situations, how about the case of the saintly grandmother in Oregon suffering from inoperable cancer... she's in such pain that massive amounts of opiates can only limit it... she is moaning "I want to die, I want to die..." but her heartless grandson won't allow the assisted suicide because he wants the money from her life insurance policy.
Oh, the slippery slope of those anti-suicide policies, it moves me to tears.
Comment Posted By Postagoras On 3.04.2009 @ 10:52
ON FAILURE - OBAMA'S AND AMERICA'S
Wanting Obama to “fail” in this pursuit is very tricky. I would compare it to the left wanting Bush to “fail” in winning the Iraq War. Of course, they would never admit it but in reality, that is what they were advocating. Are they going to try and convince us that they wanted Bush’s war policies to “fail” but they wanted the US to win in Iraq? That’s even too convoluted for a liberal. I grant them their sincerity in opposing the president’s policies in Iraq but is there any other way to look at it except liberals wanted the US to fail? And if there is another way to see it, why not give conservatives the benefit of the doubt in opposing Obama’s economic policies?
Actually, I see nothing intrinsically wrong with Republicans hoping that the President's policies fail. I think that this IS the principled position for the Republicans. The more that come out and say it, the better. As a sound bite, it will certainly be used by either the Republicans or the Democrats in the next elections, depending on what has happened.
So, I agree with your premise about the Republicans. But when you attempt to give the Republicans "cover" by talking about opposition to the war, you lose me.
The left certainly had distrust of the Bush Administration's ability to pursue a good strategy in Iraq... there were strategic mistakes until they started paying off the Sunnis and set up the surge. Distrust is not the same as wishing them to fail.
Simply put, your attempt at your usual "They ALL do it" is a lie. No Democrat with any stature came out and said "I want President Bush's policy in Iraq to fail." Mostly it was "I'm afraid that Bush's strategy in Iraq will fail... again."
Comment Posted By Postagoras On 9.03.2009 @ 11:59
IF IT WASN'T SO FRIGHTENING, I WOULD LAUGH
Well, Rick, you had basically declared the Obama Administration a failure after a week... so you are just repeating yourself. Get a grip, man. These weekly declarations of disaster are getting boring.
Then there’s the aggrandizing of power within the White House, marginalizing the Secretary of State and the bureaucracy. The last president that tried this? Nixon.
Hello McFly??? Where the hell have you BEEN for hte last eight years??
Comment Posted By Postagoras On 13.02.2009 @ 20:43
Good post, Rick.
There's an eternal question in American politics... how do you register your dissent against the decisions of the President, who rightly has "Executive" authority, especially in times of war. President Bush made some big executive decisions... he sure didn't lack cojones. But in Iraq, while "small steps were being taken in the right direction," the Administration had declared victory a few times. OK, an exaggeration, but you get my drift. I totally agree that there were cases of derangement on the left... but I also note that the electorate spoke fairly loudly about Republican policies.
Now it's Obama's turn. Isn't it refreshing to hear a President own up to a mistake and say that the buck stops with him? Of course President Bush didn't make any mistakes while in office, so there was nothing to own up to... yeah right.
This is only the beginning- Obama's reach out to the Republicans, which you damn with faint praise, is not something he's going to do for a week or two. He's going to be doing this for the duration. And it's going to be a while before we know whether it's changing Washington, whether the leadership (on both sides) in Congress can stop playing chicken with each other.
If you know of another way to try to reduce the partisan sound bite craziness, I'd like to hear it.
Comment Posted By Postagoras On 5.02.2009 @ 11:50
