# Is Shodan more retarded lately, or has he maintained a consistent level of retardation all along? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [January 24, 2012, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-shodan-more-retarded-lately-or-has-he-maintained-a-consistent-level-of-retardation-all-along/610530 "2012-01-24T20:31:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 10
**Author:** ![ladyfoxfyre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ad7895/32.png) [@ladyfoxfyre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ladyfoxfyre)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2012, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-shodan-more-retarded-lately-or-has-he-maintained-a-consistent-level-of-retardation-all-along/610530/181 "2012-01-26T03:13:46Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > How do you reconcile that with that cohort’s interest in the works of Ayn Rand? Libertarians are also retarded. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2012, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-shodan-more-retarded-lately-or-has-he-maintained-a-consistent-level-of-retardation-all-along/610530/182 "2012-01-26T03:23:57Z")
> [@Starving\_Artist](#): > > **Shodan** is both witty and intelligent. The only reason anyone around here would call him stupid is because of his conservative political beliefs, and frankly, accusations of stupidity on this board due to conservative political beliefs have become both predictable and banal. So if it makes you feel better about your own political beliefs to call **Shodan** stupid then knock yourselves out. Just don’t expect anyone of intellectual honesty or discernment to take you seriously. This is like seeing Moe come to the defense of Curly. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2012, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-shodan-more-retarded-lately-or-has-he-maintained-a-consistent-level-of-retardation-all-along/610530/183 "2012-01-26T03:29:04Z")
Hey! He resembles that remark! ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2012, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-shodan-more-retarded-lately-or-has-he-maintained-a-consistent-level-of-retardation-all-along/610530/184 "2012-01-26T03:51:58Z")
> [@VinylTurnip](#): > > no u Thanks for rushing in here to prove my point. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2012, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-shodan-more-retarded-lately-or-has-he-maintained-a-consistent-level-of-retardation-all-along/610530/185 "2012-01-26T04:17:42Z")
> [@DianaG](#): > > Whereas conservativism is essentially toddlerhood writ large. > > Mine! Mine!!! MINE!!! MIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINE!!! Nah, I think that fits Libertarians better. Or as I described their philosophy in another thread, “I don’t wanna and you can’t make me!” Since I mostly stay out of the Rethuglican vs. Dodocrat threads, I am not bothered by whatever **Shodan** may be posting there. I find him to be a valuable ally in the fight against quackery and woo, for example in countering antivax nuttery. ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2012, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-shodan-more-retarded-lately-or-has-he-maintained-a-consistent-level-of-retardation-all-along/610530/186 "2012-01-26T04:40:57Z")
> [@Starving\_Artist](#): > > Just don’t expect anyone of intellectual honesty or discernment to take you seriously. Don’t speak for others, it’s not polite. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2012, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-shodan-more-retarded-lately-or-has-he-maintained-a-consistent-level-of-retardation-all-along/610530/187 "2012-01-26T04:44:27Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > I was busy fucking in the mud. Why don’t we do it in the mud? Why don’t we do it in the mud? No one will be watching us, Why don’t we do it in the mud? ---
**Author:** ![Lobohan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobohan/32/79_2.png) [@Lobohan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobohan)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2012, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-shodan-more-retarded-lately-or-has-he-maintained-a-consistent-level-of-retardation-all-along/610530/188 "2012-01-26T04:59:51Z")
> [@Clothahump](#): > > Thanks for rushing in here to prove my point. Shhhh… shhhh… just lay down and we’ll get you a cup of warm pudding. ---
**Author:** ![Lobohan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobohan/32/79_2.png) [@Lobohan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobohan)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2012, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-shodan-more-retarded-lately-or-has-he-maintained-a-consistent-level-of-retardation-all-along/610530/189 "2012-01-26T05:00:53Z")
> [@Frank](#): > > Why don’t we do it in the mud? > Why don’t we do it in the mud? > No one will be watching us, > Why don’t we do it in the mud? I can only speak for myself, but I don’t do it in the mud because I don’t want nematodes in my peehole. ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2012, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-shodan-more-retarded-lately-or-has-he-maintained-a-consistent-level-of-retardation-all-along/610530/190 "2012-01-26T05:16:00Z")
**Clothahump, Starving Artist** … This thread is about how stupid **Shodan** is. I know you feel all jealous that nobody is currently pitting you for your idiocy, but come on, give him his turn. I’m sure someone will pit you for your vacuous empty-headed statements soon enough. ---
**Author:** ![Zeriel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/58956e/32.png) [@Zeriel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeriel)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2012, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-shodan-more-retarded-lately-or-has-he-maintained-a-consistent-level-of-retardation-all-along/610530/191 "2012-01-26T05:40:41Z")
> [@Starving\_Artist](#): > > **Shodan** is both witty and intelligent. The only reason anyone around here would call him stupid is because of his conservative political beliefs, and frankly, accusations of stupidity on this board due to conservative political beliefs have become both predictable and banal. So if it makes you feel better about your own political beliefs to call **Shodan** stupid then knock yourselves out. Just don’t expect anyone of intellectual honesty or discernment to take you seriously. As someone who is fairly often on the same side of policy positions as Shodan and STILL thinks that in every political thread he’s an uncouth idiot who couldn’t argue his way out of a wet paper bag if I spotted him two bon mots and a boxcutter, I think perhaps that you should talk to your doctor about senile dementia? ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2012, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-shodan-more-retarded-lately-or-has-he-maintained-a-consistent-level-of-retardation-all-along/610530/192 "2012-01-26T05:56:32Z")
> [@Starving\_Artist](#): > > **Shodan** is both witty and intelligent. The only reason anyone around here would call him stupid is because of his conservative political beliefs, and frankly, accusations of stupidity on this board due to conservative political beliefs have become both predictable and banal. So if it makes you feel better about your own political beliefs to call **Shodan** stupid then knock yourselves out. Just don’t expect anyone of intellectual honesty or discernment to take you seriously. So _your_ political beliefs have nothing to do with supporting him? To be fair here, it’s his intellectual honesty that’s being questioned, ‘stupidity’ is just the only alternative to troll we’ve been able to come up with. I mean if the man was a least funny that would be something but if your third option is simply to ‘put the system on trial, man!’…well then, I laugh with haughty derision. ---
**Author:** ![Omg\_a\_Black\_Conservative](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/7ba0ec/32.png) [@Omg\_a\_Black\_Conservative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omg_a_Black_Conservative)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2012, 6:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-shodan-more-retarded-lately-or-has-he-maintained-a-consistent-level-of-retardation-all-along/610530/193 "2012-01-26T06:43:49Z")
Shodan is a-okay with me. Haters gonna hate. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Ashtar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ea924/32.png) [@Lord\_Ashtar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Ashtar)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2012, 7:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-shodan-more-retarded-lately-or-has-he-maintained-a-consistent-level-of-retardation-all-along/610530/194 "2012-01-26T07:49:19Z")
> [@Lightnin](#): > > If I were to go onto Hannity’s forums and post “Conservatives suck and here’s a concocted reason why” into every thread, I wouldn’t feel ganged up on when they inevitably started yelling at me… 'cause I would’ve brought it on myself. So you’re saying that this place is a lefty version of Hannity’s forums? ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2012, 8:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-shodan-more-retarded-lately-or-has-he-maintained-a-consistent-level-of-retardation-all-along/610530/195 "2012-01-26T08:36:31Z")
> [@Starving\_Artist](#): > > **Shodan** is both witty and intelligent. The only reason anyone around here would call him stupid is because of his conservative political beliefs, and frankly, accusations of stupidity on this board due to conservative political beliefs have become both predictable and banal. So if it makes you feel better about your own political beliefs to call **Shodan** stupid then knock yourselves out. Just don’t expect anyone of intellectual honesty or discernment to take you seriously. > [@Omg\_a\_Black\_Conservative](#): > > Shodan is a-okay with me. Haters gonna hate. Among other reasons, this is why you guys have no credibility whatsoever. Shodan is obviously worthless. This isn’t a “he’s republican, therefore he’s worthless”, it’s a “he posts nothing but snarky one liners which are just tu queue attacks, which usually are not even directly related to what the thread is talking about, show no understanding of the issue, and add nothing to the discussion” sort of way. Anyone can plainly see that his participation in the thread, as laid out in the OP, is not only worthless, but it’s nonsensical, juevenile, a misrepresentation, and completely worthless. It’s Shodan distilled down to his very essence. But here’s the thing. You are so ridiculously tribal that you can’t even criticize someone when they’re obviously being wrong and stupid so long as you identify them as part of your tribe. You will defend the stupidest shit so long as you view those who (correctly) call out that stupid shit as your partisan enemies. The pathetic thing is that you think this makes you stronger, that this makes your positions more convincing, if you never admit anyone on your side could ever be wrong or anything less than optimal. If you support behavior like Shodan’s in the thread linked in the OP, what wouldn’t you support? It lets people know that your credibility is zero, and you are so partisan that you could never hold an unbiased view in your life, so anything you have to say is pretty much worthless. ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2012, 8:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-shodan-more-retarded-lately-or-has-he-maintained-a-consistent-level-of-retardation-all-along/610530/196 "2012-01-26T08:45:29Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > Again, you are not making any sense. If a system is evil because it causes Romney to pay too low a tax rate, then wouldn’t the factors that reduce tax rates be evil? Charitable deductions reduce the tax rate. > > The OP claimed that anyone who did not oppose the current system - including charitable deductions, and capital gains tax - was unfit to be President. You agreed. Therefore, you oppose the current system, including charitable deductions and capital gains tax. This is just juevenile. If someone says “capital gains taxes are too low”, you feel that it’s logically required of them that they must also hate charity? This is a complete non-sequitor. You don’t have to throw out the entire tax system just because you have a problem with one aspect of it. Deductions for charity doesn’t put any more money into Romney’s pocket anyway - it’s just a way for him not to have to pay extra tax for a charitable donation. It’s a way of not punishing people who gave away to charity, rather than a way of rewarding them for it. They don’t end up with any more money in their pocket. You are most likely factually ignorant of how charitable deductions work. I also did not agree with the OP, as you state. I didn’t make a moral judgement on Romney. I just said that the idea that we must preserve historically low tax rates on the wealthy and instead shut down schools and lay off cops is insane. > [@](#): > > _That’s_ why it is so clear you simply oppose everything Romney does - because you contradict yourself in doing so, and blame it on others. > > _:shrugs:_ > > This is like trying to explain table manners to a chimpanzee. I shouldn’t expect it to do much good. > > Regards, > Shodan Do you still believe that I think giving money to charity is morally wrong? Do you still believe that this is an accurate way to portray my positions as laid out in that thread? If not, are you admitting that you were lying to say so in the first place? ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2012, 8:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-shodan-more-retarded-lately-or-has-he-maintained-a-consistent-level-of-retardation-all-along/610530/197 "2012-01-26T08:55:50Z")
Incidentally, I actually fucking hate that conservatism and libertarianism are underrepresented on this board. I hate when things get too out of control and become a liberal circle jerk. I like when people are posting well thought out counter-arguments to the popular opinions of this board. **Sam Stone** was one of my favorite posters back when he was still posting. This board was more interesting when there was some actual conservative intellect around. But unfortunately all we’ve got left is you fucktards. All you do is troll and threadshit and act like a Fox News talking points robot. You cling to defend anyone or anything right wing no matter how stupid. You are the sort of fucking idiots that would want Sarah Palin to have control over America’s nuclear arsenal because she “riles up the libruls” I think part of the reason that we don’t see as many intelligent conservative posters anymore isn’t because this board is predominantly liberal and hostile to them - it’s been that way from the start and people perservered. I think it’s actually because right wing activism in the US has grown so fucking nuts and out of control that people with real critical thinking skills and more character are unable to continue being apologists for that variety of batshit crazy. This actually includes myself - who voted republican far more than democrat in the past. But I am not a retarded partisan scumbag who’s decided “my side, right or wrong” - so as the republican party becomes more indefensible, the less I’m willing to defend them. But you idiots made the opposite choice - no matter how wrong or insane they get, they’re still your side, so you will still blindly defend them and blindly attack the other side regardless of what’s right. You aren’t under attack because you’re conservatives, you’re under attack because you’re fucking idiots, and your choice to value partisanship over what’s right or what’s true makes everything you say worthless. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2012, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-shodan-more-retarded-lately-or-has-he-maintained-a-consistent-level-of-retardation-all-along/610530/198 "2012-01-26T13:07:12Z")
Well, I’m not saying the constant partisan sniping by Republibots such as **Shodan** and **Starving Artist** is completely insignificant, but does it likewise matter all that much? In more than a decade on this board, I’ve yet to see anyone except persons already pre-disposed to right-wing partisan hackery support their egregious behavior. My main beef with these mooks is as much with the poor framing of their arguments, and tedious predictability if their post content, as might be with any political views they may hold. ‘Usual suspects’, indeeed. These yoyos frankly get far more serious attention than they deserve. Specific to **Shodan** , he rarely seems to bring anything to the table of political discussion but pure-D threadshitting, and the example in the OP is both highly relevant in faming his general obnoxiousness and perfectly justifies this this thread. I really don’t know why the mods wouldn’t have Warned him about being a jerk for his behavior in the referenced thread. Perhaps he’s he’s looked upon as a little pepper to spice things up, but who knows? ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2012, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-shodan-more-retarded-lately-or-has-he-maintained-a-consistent-level-of-retardation-all-along/610530/199 "2012-01-26T13:11:36Z")
> [@SenorBeef](#): > > This is just juevenile. If someone says “capital gains taxes are too low”, you feel that it’s logically required of them that they must also hate charity? The OP did not say “capital gains taxes are too low”. He said Romney was morally unfit to be President because he supported a tax policy that allowed him to pay 15%. Charitable deductions are part of that policy. And it’s spelled “juvenile”. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2012, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-shodan-more-retarded-lately-or-has-he-maintained-a-consistent-level-of-retardation-all-along/610530/200 "2012-01-26T13:13:53Z")
> [@SenorBeef](#): > > It’s a way of not punishing people who gave away to charity, rather than a way of rewarding them for it. They don’t end up with any more money in their pocket. You are most likely factually ignorant of how charitable deductions work. It may not be a reward in practise, but since it’s technically a deduction, it is a **de facto** reward. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-shodan-more-retarded-lately-or-has-he-maintained-a-consistent-level-of-retardation-all-along/610530.md?page=9) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-shodan-more-retarded-lately-or-has-he-maintained-a-consistent-level-of-retardation-all-along/610530.md?page=11)