Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Addressing the Malcontent(s)

This post has been getting moved back for at least a week, giving me lots of things to add to it.  My original idea was to address the more strident elements of the right (as indicated by the blogger referenced in the title) in a combined conciliatory/challenging letter.  And my intent was to address all bloggers of this particular bent.

But as a result of other's reliance on his absolute wisdom, I'm going to have to give a little more bitch slapping to someone who I very much agree with that is also pissing me off by his omnipresence as the single absolute source of "entertainment and enlightenment" (yes, I have listened to a few shows), the wise and wacky Glenn Beck.

So when I start referring with a little derision to what I shall call the "Beck-o-lytes" (please quote and credit me for such an entertaining term), with as many derivatives as possible just for a laugh (and an underlying point), it's because, as a longer running radio host says (and this is from his book, which is in my hand):

"My success is not determined by who wins elections, my success is determined by how many listeners I have."

I'd quote more, but I'm having to type it in.  In short, radio (and TV) is about attracting and retaining an audience FIRST, not the political activism.

Which brings me to another radio host, who's advice to his listeners is even more sagelike.  From his site:

Don't believe anything you read on this web page, or, for that matter, anything you hear on The Neal Boortz Show, unless it is consistent with what you already know to be true, or unless you have taken the time to research the matter to prove its accuracy to your satisfaction. This is known as "doing your homework."

So with those thoughts in mind:

I address this letter (with an elaborately worded first sentence) to all my conservative brethren that consider me, at best, a flirter with the fires of leftist damnation, and at worst, a collaborator with the soulless enemy, one step removed from the vile treason of Hanoi Jane, the ever-reviled American Traitor Bitch (got that from a gun show bumper sticker:

I have been posting my broad opinions, brutally honest analyses, and often ridiculously entertaining bullshit for a couple of years now.  And I have figured out that, like many of those I've listened to over the years, I can tell if I'm being successful if people on both extremes are getting royally pissed and declaring me as either an incompetent, a drone, or an utter evil.  More importantly, this means that if people I fundamentally agree with like what I say and people I fundamentally disagree with think i'm full of crap, it's bog-standard; if the people I fundamentally agree with are getting pissed and the people who's worldview is diametrically opposed are agreeing, then EVERYONE is thinking.  Or almost everyone.

This brings me to those of you with whom I fundamentally agree with on the matter of worldview.  Let me clarify some things.  First of all, you might try reading what I write and figure out what I am telling you.  Because even if I am critical, I'm often trying to make sure that what you're saying puts the best logical foot forward in arguing with people who are fundamentally wrong, but damn accurate in quoting facts and statistics.  Stupid liberals are easy to tear apart.  The smart ones (and I have a few that comment here) will take a Beck-ing point and shred it if you can't cite the logical source.  And that's even when I agree with it.  So if you're going to bring the argument, have something to back it up.  Because if you can't (and I can't because you're just spouting), then I don't have a problem calling you on it.

Which brings me to the matter of sources.  No one source is always right.  Usually, most of the stuff is second hand, and thirdhand by the time it hits the blogs.  Wikipedia, one source I cite regularly, is secondhand in everything.  And then, when you get to the firsthand sources, you get to figure out their slant. If it's hard numbers, that's great.  But also, how those numbers are created matters as well.

But what's my point, you ask?  If the source is good, there's no argument against it.  So give it up, and find a better argument.

Most importantly, if every post  you make has the phrase "Obama is a Socialist" in it, you've already lost the argument with everyone but the Beck-o-lytes, who rely on whatever Beck-alysis of the Beck-onomics and Beck-ology of the matter clearly says.  I may agree.  But how do you have a rational discussion with people who believe in their misguided hearts that Barack Obama is the greatest thing since sliced bread (which really isn't that good if you want to be technical) when you lead with "your guy sucks ass?"

In short, if we're reduced to nothing but blasting the opposition with the the preferred buzzword, while they work to rationally explain their freedom-killing agenda in a way that the dumb masses (also known as the average voters) won't figure out until it's too late, then who's going to win that argument?  However, if we can articulate why freedom-choking government "security" is bad and force them to shrill namecalling, then we have a chance at winning, electing actual conservatives (and not right-wing talking points spewing big government Republicans), and beginning to undo the damage that 80 years of  the entitlement culture and a century of government education has wrought.

So here's the challenge (and if you're interested, find me off the comment section):  If you have a liberal that's throwing buckets of facts at you, and your only impulse is to break out the expletives ("shitty" being popular on Capitol Hill today), then let me know what ammo you need.  I want the Obamagenda crushed like my hopes at getting laid.  Badly.

And as for my liberal readers, I'm wondering if you can handle it if we all get smarter than you (as I alone frustrate you enough).

7 comments:

Satyavati devi dasi said...

I ain't worried.

I've seen what your team's working with.

:P

Shaw Kenawe said...

Patrick,

You and I have been going back and forth on politics for quite a while.

There are conservative pundits, writers I can read and listen to--I've even linked to them on my blog.

But when I read blogs that do nothing but rant and demonize every blasted thing this president and his wife are doing, I ignore the ignorance and where it comes from.

It's just not worth my precious time to respond to trash.

You are passionate in your beliefs, it is true, but at least you have the intelligence to express why you hold those beliefs, unlike a lot of what passes as commentary on some blogs--which will remain namless.

Obviously, there are smart people who respect that intelligence, otherwise, why would SDD bother to come back here? ;-)

dmarks said...

"...But when I read blogs that do nothing but rant and demonize..."

I get to thinking of newspaper columnists I like to read. Shaw's quote reminds me of Frank Rich. A columnist who will tell any mean lie as long as he thinks it is fun. He's pretty awful not because he's a leftist, but because of his meanness and lies. Then there are Leonard Pitts and R. J. Dionne: typically thoughtful, and much more worth reading. They are also leftists, but much different in character than Rich is.

Patrick M said...

First of all, let me address an IM that showed up after this posted, that I'm going to assign a pseudonym so I may respond to it here:

Beck-ette: Seriously man, you suck up to liberal so much I cannot read your blog anymore

Whoa. I offer to help you verbally kick the ass of the commie bastards that have commented above (joking, Dave) and you say I'm sucking up?

I try to help you break out of the mental block that makes you unable to have a rational conversation rather than falling back on the Beck martyr blather and screaming the same three accusations, and you say I'm sucking up?

I cite much longer-running conservative talk hosts that have weathered crapstorms that Beck is only beginning to see, and point out (with the Beck-mocking) your single-source obsession as a problem, and you say I'm sucking up?

If this is the best you can manage, then it's probably good that you stop reading my blog. After all, any challenge to your myopia that doesn't come from some pinko loon like the ones commenting above (Yeah, Dave, joking again) must hurt so much that even the comfort of your Beck-tuary isn't enough.

Think about it, give up (as I expect), or prove me wrong.
Saty: I'm not worried. I'm more than a match for all of you combined.

Shaw: Out of curiosity, what's your thoughts about left-leaning blogs that do nothing but trash their opposition day in and day out rather than engaging in intelligent debate on the issues.

Just sayin'.

Dave: PS - Thanks for not calling us lefties a group of socialist, pinko commie, god hating, freedom destroying, stupid, uneducated elitists.

No that's what Toad comes back here for. (Joking, Toad.)

Anonymous said...

"Anyone who reads this post has a VERY simple choice to make- you either stand with me or against me."

Looks like someone has declared himself King of the World.

dmarks said...

Shaw does appear to like commentators who demonize and lie, as long as they are bashing conservatives.

Patrick M said...

Let me address Anon 1 here.

I'm not even going to quote, because I suspect I'll be copying and pasting something that already had.

Very simply, I value the opinions of all people. But it's opinions that I value, not the rubber-stamp ranting. And while your rant is instructive as to your mental state, it says almost nothing. Which is what the post is all about. So thanks for the non-opinion, because it's the blithering such as you that "prove" all conservatives are idiots, at least on the evening news.