Comments on: What We're Up Against http://www.peterwall.net/2010/01/17/what-were-up-against/ by peter wall Mon, 21 May 2012 13:32:17 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Peter http://www.peterwall.net/2010/01/17/what-were-up-against/#comment-584 Peter Mon, 01 Feb 2010 21:29:21 +0000 http://www.peterwall.net/?p=939#comment-584 I see no reason to believe that conservatives have a corner on the ad hominem attack; their liberal counterparts are just as shrill. Liberals can certainly be humorless, but they are not passive: they are <em>ineffective</em>, which is different. And I disagree that liberals have a strong advantage in language skills. For decades, conservatives have controlled the debate by whipping up a stream of emotionally-charged labels that obscure the truth but garner enormous support from the public. I see no reason to believe that conservatives have a corner on the ad hominem attack; their liberal counterparts are just as shrill. Liberals can certainly be humorless, but they are not passive: they are ineffective, which is different.

And I disagree that liberals have a strong advantage in language skills. For decades, conservatives have controlled the debate by whipping up a stream of emotionally-charged labels that obscure the truth but garner enormous support from the public.

]]> By: Volly http://www.peterwall.net/2010/01/17/what-were-up-against/#comment-583 Volly Thu, 28 Jan 2010 01:26:34 +0000 http://www.peterwall.net/?p=939#comment-583 Over the last couple of decades, I've concluded that those who self-identify as conservative are much more likely to go aggressively on the ad hominem attack. They often use mocking humor and rude tactics in argument. I believe Limbaugh and his ilk wrote the playbook on that one. Liberals, unfortunately, have gradually evolved into a humorless and passive bunch. The troubles Obama is having now reflect this. The one area where liberals seem to have a strong advantage is in language skills. The letter writer in the <i>Bee</i> is a glaring example. These ideological arguments make me weary. And it's not going to ease up anytime soon, probably not in our lifetimes. Even a unifying event such as 9/11 did more to divide us as a nation than to unite us. -Volly, gloomily Over the last couple of decades, I’ve concluded that those who self-identify as conservative are much more likely to go aggressively on the ad hominem attack. They often use mocking humor and rude tactics in argument. I believe Limbaugh and his ilk wrote the playbook on that one. Liberals, unfortunately, have gradually evolved into a humorless and passive bunch. The troubles Obama is having now reflect this.

The one area where liberals seem to have a strong advantage is in language skills. The letter writer in the Bee is a glaring example.

These ideological arguments make me weary. And it’s not going to ease up anytime soon, probably not in our lifetimes. Even a unifying event such as 9/11 did more to divide us as a nation than to unite us.

-Volly, gloomily

]]> By: adam http://www.peterwall.net/2010/01/17/what-were-up-against/#comment-582 adam Tue, 19 Jan 2010 18:42:21 +0000 http://www.peterwall.net/?p=939#comment-582 Like most threads at their site, that is a depressing one. Like most threads at their site, that is a depressing one.

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