As an ally of yours on political issues, may I just say,
BULLSHIT, you old country hag!
Or something like that.
This is the oldest line of tripe in the leftist radical catalog, and it stinks to high heaven. This DOES NOT WORK. Nobody, when confronted with an idiotic argument, says, “Wow, maybe there’s something to that point of view after all!” Instead, they say, “Wow, people who believe that are idiots!”
The effect that poor arguments in favor of good ends have is to make those good ends harder to achieve, by alienating people from the good ends. The effect of an argument like Bob’s is to make it harder for reasonable people to discuss whether Sharpton has a positive impact overall.
Fortunately, Bob is increasingly marginalizing himself, so he doesn’t make it especially hard to have that discussion: we just talk over him. But when stupid radicals succeed in outshouting more reasonable people (whether or not those reasonable people are also radicals), they don’t make people re-evaluate their ideas. They reinforce people in their opposition to radical ideas.
Too many radicals are just in it for the smug satisfaction. I say, if you’re looking to feel jazzed up after a protest, go learn to play fuckin pingpong and stay out of the way. Achieving positive social change isn’t sexy, isn’t exciting, isn’t done by shouting slogans and wearing a clown suit. It’s hard, day-by-day work.
I’m an ass. If I cared whether people loved me, I might compromise the truth and be polite like I am in real life. But behind this screen name, I’m a fucking asshole. And I love it! Two more days!!!
Ya know Danny boy (may I call you Danny boy? I’m going to anyway), I’ve been polite to far too many people who shout and scream that they won’t listen to anything Al Sharpton (or Jesse Jackson) has to say, even when the point is well taken. I’m shouting them down here. I’m calling them out and telling them they are the pussies of racists. Al Sharpton crap turds with more integrity they someone who will dismiss a cause because someone like Sharpton or Jackson are the only spokesmen. This is the Pit. Fuck the fucking fucker racists.
Oh, and I know in my heart of hearts that every single person here has rethought the issue, despite the fact that they have taken offense. Deny it all you want, all of you, but after you cried at my name calling, you have thought it over. I’d be willing to bet that a few of you are secretly thinking, in your innermost private dialogue: “ya know, he’s kinda got a point. But I’ll never let that on here, cause he’s an ass!” But just you wait, next time Sharpton is used as a doormat on Fox, you’ll listen to find out if he’s better spoken than Hannity or O’Reilly, and then you’ll say, it’s a good thing old Bob Loblaw isn’t around to say “I told you so.”
When I retire, I’ll join. But I can’t get any work done and my employees are starting to get suspicious. This is so much fun. I’m off for the night, buh-bye.
That’s funny, because I never gave it a second thought. Not even once. At no time did I ever think that you had a good point. At no time did I ever think that you were doing anything but baiting us. I’d say what you really are, but there are rules about that.
Since I won’t be here when your time runs out, let me be the first to tell you that it’s been fun beating the hell out of you, and don’t let the door hit you in the ass on the way out. Of course, I suspect you’ll be ba… wait, I’m not allowed to say that. Ah, what the hell. You already know what I’m saying.
Bob, I think it’s fair to say we all agree with the cause. I haven’t seen anyone here saying “I’m against civil rights”. What we don’t agree with, however, is the methods used by some people to aid that cause.
Your thread title is “Al Sharpton is a decent man”. I don’t think he is a decent man. However, I will still listen to him (taking into account that I do not trust him). He’s likely to be right on occasion; everyone, from the wisest person to the most foolish, is right on occasion. I’m going to take the advice of the person I think is the wise one over the more foolish one, generally. I’m still going to listen to the foolish person, though, because like I said, they could be right on occasion.
And, shockingly!, the colour of a person’s skin has no influence on whether I consider them wise or foolish. It is their actions by which I judge people. I find it personally insulting to be told that I am racist because I do not think that the opinions of a person are the right ones.
I seriously think you need to reconsider your definition of who, in your opinion, is a racist; Just because one person dislikes another, who has a different skin colour, does not mean that they dislike him because he has a different skin colour.
Nothing compares to the righteous indignation of a called out leftist with unexamined racist inclinations. :rolleyes:
I’ll overlook the personal insults and insinuations because they are so off the mark. You must be confusing me with someone else.
But, are you really trying to say that there is no racism on the left? I wasn’t talking about outshouting or smug satisfaction. I’m siding with one of brickbacon’s arguments - re the way black leaders are held to a different standard than white leaders (not to mention the different degrees of power at their disposal).
If Al Sharpton had been less outspoken and inflammatory, would we even be having this argument about him? I’d guess we wouldn’t even know his name. He’d just be another Reverend Thisorthat, spouting reasonable rhetoric about somethingoranother. What part of “squeaky wheel gets the oil” do you not get?
It’s not even a strictly racial problem. Demogoguery trumps reasonable discourse. Here on message boards and in the real world. Do you really disagree with that?
Sharpton had to know that, and made his choice long ago. Why, when he obviously had real talent for politics and public speaking, I don’t know. Too bad that isn’t one of the questions here.
But what makes this a racial argument is that the options are more limited for black leaders, and the price they pay for their choice of demogoguery is much higher than it is for white demogogues. Do you disagree with that too?
Anyway, those are the issues I came away with from this thread, but of course, you have your own personal issues to consider.
Sometimes the squeaky wheel doesn’t get grease, it gets replaced.
And cars with squeaky wheels tend not to get bought.
No, actually just the opposite. I’ve more recently tended to lean toward conciliatory “he, too has his place” thinking; the arguments presented here against him, combined with your idiotic defense, has reminded why I used to think he was a horrible person, and moved me back toward that thinking.
You forgot to mention the part about how you’ve gotten LOTS of e-mails from people agreeing with you but who are too reticent to post here. That’s generally the last desperate refuge of the piled-upon. :rolleyes:
Well, yes, to be honest, you’ve made me rethink my evaluation of you as a poster and made me wonder what exactly is wrong with you.
As Left Hand stated, absurd rhetoric doesn’t make people think, it makes them hold fools in disdain. The radical leftist position of claiming “secret, unconscious racism” doesn’t make people rethink if they’re really racists, it makes people resent the obnoxious assholes who think they can read minds.
Of fuck you you stupid piece of shit. I haven’t seen any of your posts so far other than here, but if they’re any accurate representation LHoD is worth fifty posters like you.
Well, when it comes to racism, equating Sharpton and Farrakhan to the Left is like equating the KKK and Fred Phelps to the Right. There are members in each camp, but a very, very low percent. I’ll defend the lefties here on being lumped in with Sharpton’s shit-barge. (Hey, even I can grow!)
Nor would he be so fucking rich while “helping” the poor. Your statement belies his intent. He has no great accomplishment to stand on. He has no grand vision for his flock. He needs to rattle the cage every now and then so he can collect the check that makes him go away for awhile. (Taken from the Jesse Jackson playbook). I prefer the righteous anger of Malcolm X or the inspiration of MLK, Jr. They had passion for respect and dignity for blacks. King wasn’t a flawless man, and Malcolm’s rhetoric would probably lead to a bar fight if I met him in real life. But Goddamnit, I respect them and what they were fighting for.
In 100 years, how many of the 5 will be respected and remembered? I’ll lay my wager on 2.
Bat-shit insanity comes to mind. Or racism. Or blind hate. Not sure.
Oh horseshit. Limited options for leaders? A little bit of inspiration and a solid, honest message will always be heard. If things are as bad as you think they are, it sounds like America’s blacks are sufferring a vacuum of leadership. Are you saying there is no better leadership than Sharpton/Farrakhan/Jackson? How about a physics teacher? A high school English teacher? A coach? A minister? Family? Maybe a decrease in promoting the bling lifestyle of pimps and ho’s as the way to a better life? Set the standard low enough and everyone will achieve. And don’t give me the poor shit. I grew up poor. White skin is not a ticket to the good life. Most of us have to earn it as well. (Note: that refers to economic disparity, not skin color)
No, those sound like the issues you came into the thread with.
I agree. It is a calculated risk. But if you wanted to get a message out to the broader audience, do you really think polite discourse would work as well for you? (eg, still no replies to Max the Vool on page one)
I don’t know for sure if Sharpton decided to take that risk, or on what reasoning, but the fact remains that potential black leaders have a different set of options than potential white leaders. So it is highly possible that he considered the options, and chose the squeaky wheel approach. I’m sure he understands the consequences of that - I’ve never heard of him complaining about being misunderstood by the public at large, have you?
The current political climate, and history, doesn’t say that, and I think you know that is true. Your anger comes from something else.
Just furthering my point - you are so angry you can’t even type straight. But your anger has nothing to do with me. I’m just the latest convenient target.
