# 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:** 12
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2012, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-shodan-more-retarded-lately-or-has-he-maintained-a-consistent-level-of-retardation-all-along/610530/221 "2012-01-26T15:58:46Z")
> [@SenorBeef](#): > > Luci usually just tries to be funny, occasionally even managing to. Credit where credit is due— **'luci** ’s funny at \*least \*half the time, easy! Minimum! ---
**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, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-shodan-more-retarded-lately-or-has-he-maintained-a-consistent-level-of-retardation-all-along/610530/222 "2012-01-26T16:01:11Z")
> [@Bosstone](#): > > Pff. **Der Trihs** actually makes an effort at substantiation on occasion. You want an analogy, look to **Lobohan**. Fucker reminds me of a spider monkey gleefully dancing on the sidelines and flinging shit, even when it’s the conservative side that has a point. He taunts and sneers and never has anything worthwhile to say that couldn’t be said by anyone else. Lest I be accused of only going after right wankers, I totally agree with the above. ---
**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, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-shodan-more-retarded-lately-or-has-he-maintained-a-consistent-level-of-retardation-all-along/610530/223 "2012-01-26T16:04:19Z")
In proving this board values ideas over political leaning **Der Trihs** is exibit A. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2012, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-shodan-more-retarded-lately-or-has-he-maintained-a-consistent-level-of-retardation-all-along/610530/224 "2012-01-26T16:07:34Z")
> [@SenorBeef](#): > > …Luci usually just tries to be funny, occasionally even managing to. His posts are never as mean spirited as yours. He doesn’t lie anywhere near to the degree that you do… Gee, thanks. Sorta. Kinda. “Ol’ ' **luc** , he’s not nearly as unpleasant as cholera!” Damned white of you, coming to my defense like that. Tell you what though, just between me and you, you catch me lying about anything…and I do mean anything!, you get right down here and point it out. I got my faults, and its a long damn list, but “liar” ain’t on it. As far as the aforementioned **Shodan** , this is the first evidence I’ve had in over ten years that he even reads my posts, I pretty much assumed he ignored. So, anyway, here we are, the hippest, smartest people on the planet. Overwhelmingly lefty. Fancy that. However did such a thing happen? ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2012, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-shodan-more-retarded-lately-or-has-he-maintained-a-consistent-level-of-retardation-all-along/610530/225 "2012-01-26T16:09:10Z")
> [@VinylTurnip](#): > > Credit where credit is due— **'luci** ’s funny at \*least \*half the time, easy! Minimum! Sent you a package from Prague, mail order bride. Yes, that’s right, the Czech is in the mail… ---
**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, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-shodan-more-retarded-lately-or-has-he-maintained-a-consistent-level-of-retardation-all-along/610530/226 "2012-01-26T16:09:33Z")
> [@SenorBeef](#): > > Do you mean that people attack their arguments in GD? Is this oppression to you? No, I mean they gang up and pile on and harass him in the same way they do every other non-liberal. > [@](#): > > People didn’t tee off on **Sam Stone** the way people tee off on you or Clothahump or any of the other worthless malicious assholes. Yes they did, and that is what drove him away. So your claim is easily disproven. [ul][li]Honest conservatives don’t get attacked and driven away[/li][li] **Sam Stone** is an honest conservative[/li][li] **Sam Stone** got attacked and driven away[/li][li]Ergo, the premise is wrong.[/ul][/li][quote] Luci usually just tries to be funny, occasionally even managing to. His posts are never as mean spirited as yours. He doesn’t lie anywhere near to the degree that you do. [/quote] This is just the No True Scotsman fallacy, and means you agree with his posts and not with mine. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Fotheringay-Phipps](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/d9b06d/32.png) [@Fotheringay-Phipps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fotheringay-Phipps)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2012, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-shodan-more-retarded-lately-or-has-he-maintained-a-consistent-level-of-retardation-all-along/610530/227 "2012-01-26T16:11:19Z")
> [@Lobohan](#): > > No, although you might be stupid. I said, that right now, American conservatism is being run by the most extreme elements of the right. That isn’t saying there is no value to conservatism, it’s saying that right now the people speaking for conservatism are jumping the rails. > > If Democrats were being run by the most shrill and insane members of the left it would be the same. But right now the left is moderate and the right is so far right _there by dragons_. This is just a game of semantics, so favored by intellectually bankrupt people everywhere. “I think I’ll just call moderates “conservative” and conservatives “extreme” so that I can pretend that I have respect for some “conservatives” and thus make my attacks seem more legitimate.” > [@Jas09](#): > > But it shouldn’t be surprising that folks are more likely to “attack” the “other side” than people that they perceive as being on “their side”, even those that don’t really help their side of the argument very much. > > I’ll admit I am much more likely to question a post that seems dodgy if I disagree with the underlying position than if I agree with it. I don’t think this is “a good thing”, but it’s not really unusual or surprising either. I’ll plead to the same as well. Though in my case I think it’s a bit more than that, in that I shy away from “me too” posts in general, and with the makeup of this forum it’s rare that I would have criticism of a conservative post (or poster) that would not also be expressed - and in much more extreme form - by a lot of other people. (In addition, even if I did criticize the conservative it would not attract much notice, largely for the same reason. As an example - this thread - where I agree with the criticisms of Shodan’s posts to the Romney tax thread, but have attracted more attention for my position that Shodan is overall a good poster.) But I’m not sure any of this is relevant in context here. Someone said that Shodan is unlike the good and decent conservative posters etc. My point is that the notion that there are these good and decent conservative posters in the eyes of the SDMB liberal masses is largely a myth (though it may be true for an individual liberal poster) and is generally more a way to bolster the credibility of attacks on the conservative victim du jour than a reflection of reality. > [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > This last requirement is silly. There are some idiots on the left here, as I said, and just as the idiots on the right attack the very good lefty posters, the idiots on the left attack the very good righty posters. You won’t find any lefty around here that hasn’t been shat on by the rightwing idiots, either, I don’t think. The last requirement is the whole point. If you want to say that you (collectively) respect the respectable conservatives, then you need to find some conservatives who are actually respected. If virtually every conservative is frequently the subject of mob attacks based on this or that perceived shortcoming, then this suggests that the perception of shortcomings is related to the conservative ideology. (Though someone did suggest that Martin Hyde might be an exception.) > [@xtisme](#): > > Yeah, I agree with this. Another poster up thread asked John Mace if he’s a ‘victim’ (or something like that), and while he’s had his turn in the barrel it’s not been a constant attack by all of the boards lefties, but sporadic attacks by some of the loopier lefties around here who think he’s a ‘conservative’ (_snort_). That kind of supports the point I was making. What you’re saying is that a guy who deviates only slightly from the dominant view on these boards gets fewer ideologically-driven attacks than someone who deviates more, but that even he gets his share. That’s exactly the way I view things, and I have no doubt that if John Mace had the exact same reasoning capabilities, integrity, posting style etc. but was a true conservative, he would get attacked a lot more. (Do you disagree?) [Of course, no doubt some will argue that no one with any sort of reasoning capability and integrity would ever be a true conservative to begin with, but while that’s a valid argument, it’s not consistent with an argument that "I respect the intelligent and substantive conservatives, unlike Shodan et al.] ---
**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, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-shodan-more-retarded-lately-or-has-he-maintained-a-consistent-level-of-retardation-all-along/610530/228 "2012-01-26T16:12:03Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > Gee, thanks. Sorta. Kinda. > > “Ol’ ' **luc** , he’s not nearly as unpleasant as cholera!” > > Damned white of you, coming to my defense like that. Tell you what though, just between me and you, you catch me lying about anything…and I do mean anything!, you get right down here and point it out. I got my faults, and its a long damn list, but “liar” ain’t on it. Sorry if I sold you short. I don’t think of you as dishonest generally but I couldn’t say anything conclusively just to have someone cite some lie you told so I left it vague like that. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2012, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-shodan-more-retarded-lately-or-has-he-maintained-a-consistent-level-of-retardation-all-along/610530/229 "2012-01-26T16:14:53Z")
Accepted. It never happened. _Egotist te absolvo._ ---
**Author:** ![Fotheringay-Phipps](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/d9b06d/32.png) [@Fotheringay-Phipps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fotheringay-Phipps)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2012, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-shodan-more-retarded-lately-or-has-he-maintained-a-consistent-level-of-retardation-all-along/610530/230 "2012-01-26T16:16:13Z")
Re elicidator, I think he’s funny much more than half the time, and in general is one of the most talented writers on this board. (Although I should qualify that I don’t read this board as much as a lot of other people, so it could be that his shtick wears on you.) But it’s hard to argue that his posts are generally substantive. I’ve seen a few here and there, but these are the exception. Still, everyone has his place. ---
**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, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-shodan-more-retarded-lately-or-has-he-maintained-a-consistent-level-of-retardation-all-along/610530/231 "2012-01-26T16:19:34Z")
> [@SenorBeef](#): > > **Der Trihs** is actually a good example. I refrained from bringing him up as a counter-example because I think he fully believes what he says and there’s no trolling or snark whatsoever. But he’s a good example of when a lefty says something that’s over the line, not everyone immediately rushes to his defense and backs up everything he says. > > Of course “over the line” is different from the sort of lying, trolling, stupid bullshit that started this thread. But the point stands - SA and Shodan and Clothahump and that whole retarded crew will stick up for each other no matter how stupid one of them is being, whereas there’s no one always coming to the unconditional aid of der trihs. Count me as a leftist that also does take **Der Trihs** to task on several occasions; really, the extreme conservatives mentioned by \*\*SenorBeef \*\*are really clueless if they think there is just intellectual honesty behind the attacks of many on this message board. BTW I do think my complaints against gonzomax and FX(not a mastermind) helped with the first one being banned and the second warned formally to stop making this site a blog against nuclear power. So yeah, even though I lean left I bust also block headed ideas coming from the left. For me science is first and partisanship a distant second. It is just by historical timing that currently most of the evidence supports the liberals rather than some conservatives on important issues of today like climate change and evolution. ---
**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, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-shodan-more-retarded-lately-or-has-he-maintained-a-consistent-level-of-retardation-all-along/610530/232 "2012-01-26T16:20:28Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > No, I mean they gang up and pile on and harass him in the same way they do every other non-liberal.Yes they did, and that is what drove him away. So your claim is easily disproven. Whether he was driven away was entirely his decision. People argue with me about shit all the time. If I decide I’m bored with the SDMB tomorrow, have they driven me away, but if I don’t, they haven’t? It’s not as if their behavior is any different. > [@](#): > > [ul][li]Honest conservatives don’t get attacked and driven away[/li][li] **Sam Stone** is an honest conservative[/li][li] **Sam Stone** got attacked and driven away[/li][li]Ergo, the premise is wrong.[/ul][/li] If he posts an argument in GD, and 10 people post counterarguments, do you consider that an attack? Because that’s sort of the whole purpose of the board. The demographics of the board suggest that more people will take up one side of the issue than the other in a lot of cases, but that’s not really relevant. If his argument is sound, he can withstand the criticism whether it comes from 1 or 10 sources. Look at all the reactions in this thread to you. Everyone besides your retarded butt budies are saying you’re a shitbag who doesn’t post anything useful ever. People did not say the same about Sam Stone. Or Bricker for that matter, who was much worse at being partisan than Sam, but at least made a real effort to argue. So if some value of “attacked” means “debated against in a forum made for debating”, then you’ve got me. Otherwise I don’t recall threads in which everyone pretty much agreed that Sam Stone was a useless windbag that never said anything interesting. But there are plenty of those for you. > [@](#): > > This is just the No True Scotsman fallacy, and means you agree with his posts and not with mine. > > Regards, > Shodan I think we can make a de facto\* ruling that you are not good at using the English language, because that doesn’t mean what you think it means. How in the world is “Luci shares a few traits with you, but differs significantly with other traits” a no true scotsman argument? Is any time you differentiate between similarities or differences a no true scotsman? “The ford and chevy both have good engines, but the chevy transmission is always breaking down” “No true scotsman!”? You lie, he doesn’t. You say stuff in a mean spirited way, he doesn’t. These are substantial differences that are entirely relevant to the discussion. Ass Horn, Graded ---
**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, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-shodan-more-retarded-lately-or-has-he-maintained-a-consistent-level-of-retardation-all-along/610530/233 "2012-01-26T16:23:40Z")
> [@Fotheringay-Phipps](#): > > Re elicidator, I think he’s funny much more than half the time, and in general is one of the most talented writers on this board. (Although I should qualify that I don’t read this board as much as a lot of other people, so it could be that his shtick wears on you.) But it’s hard to argue that his posts are generally substantive. I’ve seen a few here and there, but these are the exception. > > Still, everyone has his place. That’s why I said he’s the closest person I could think of to Shodan, in the sense that he rarely or never actually stakes out a position, but rather just snipes and mocks other people’s positions. But the posting styles are clearly different. Luci doesn’t lie, he doesn’t seem to deliberately misrepresent other people, and he’s generally not hateful and mean spirited. And he occasionally manages to make a post that’s worth reading. Those are all pretty substantial differences. Those things are bigger sins than taking a “sniping from the sidelines” posting style alone. I don’t recall any posts Luci has made that are as retarded as the shit Shodan said in the thread that started this pitting. ---
**Author:** ![Giraffe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giraffe/32/129_2.png) [@Giraffe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giraffe)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2012, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-shodan-more-retarded-lately-or-has-he-maintained-a-consistent-level-of-retardation-all-along/610530/234 "2012-01-26T16:49:38Z")
> [@SenorBeef](#): > > Okay, do some quick math. What would Romney’s tax rate be if he didn’t donate any money to charity? Do you think the OP would’ve drawn the line at that point? That the “too low” threshold for the OP was between Romney’s pre-deduction and post-deduction tax rate? :smack: Read this again: > [@Giraffe](#): > > The trick to understanding his posts, however, is realizing that he’s not trying to have a discussion. At all. He is there to prosthelytize his political views, nothing more. He isn’t trying to learn anything, he doesn’t care if what he says bears any relevance to a thread or matches reality in any way, he just wants a chance to repeat his views. Trying to have a discussion with Shodan is absolutely pointless. Shodan is not here for discussion. Rebutting his “oh how sad liberals hate charity” response with numbers and facts is like trying to win a fistfight with a fart. Pure waste of energy. If you need this illustrated, read the post of yours I quoted and then read every post of Shodan since. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2012, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-shodan-more-retarded-lately-or-has-he-maintained-a-consistent-level-of-retardation-all-along/610530/235 "2012-01-26T17:00:07Z")
**Shodan** is like a dog constantly shitting in the middle of the living room carpet. Those that oppose him do so because he is shitting on the rug and not because he is a dog, and those that approve of him do so because he isn’t shitting on _their_ living room rug. ---
**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, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-shodan-more-retarded-lately-or-has-he-maintained-a-consistent-level-of-retardation-all-along/610530/236 "2012-01-26T17:10:41Z")
> [@SenorBeef](#): > > Whether he was driven away was entirely his decision. The point is your idea that honest conservatives don’t get piled and attacked and harassed and driven away is wrong, and obviously so. But sure, it’s his decision to leave (which I hope he reconsiders). It is my decision to stay and make fun of people like you, and foolishness like yours, instead. And that drives you crazy. > [@](#): > > Look at all the reactions in this thread to you. Everyone besides your retarded butt budies are saying you’re a shitbag who doesn’t post anything useful ever. Actually it is the other way around that is instructive - the only ones attacking me are liberals. > [@](#): > > Otherwise I don’t recall threads in which everyone pretty much agreed that Sam Stone was a useless windbag that never said anything interesting. But there are plenty of those for you. You are simply disregarding (heh) evidence against your conclusion - everyone agrees on something except those who don’t, and those who don’t don’t count. > [@](#): > > How in the world is “Luci shares a few traits with you, but differs significantly with other traits” a no true scotsman argument? Because the stuff about how I lie and am mean-spirited is just something you made up. So is the stuff about how I don’t post anything substantive and only snark, but let’s pretend it isn’t. The aforementioned troll never adds anything substantive, never does anything but snark, refuses to learn anything, and refuses to debate. But he’s OK, because he is a liberal. But you think I do the same things, but I am not OK. Because, as mentioned, I am not a liberal. Regards, Shodan ---
**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, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-shodan-more-retarded-lately-or-has-he-maintained-a-consistent-level-of-retardation-all-along/610530/237 "2012-01-26T17:18:48Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > **Shodan** is like a dog constantly shitting in the middle of the living room carpet. Those that oppose him do so because he is shitting on the rug and not because he is a dog, and those that approve of him do so because he isn’t shitting on _their_ living room rug. Nicely put. I think that would make a nice conclusion for this thread, as it sums it up very well. ---
**Author:** ![wmfellows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c2a13f/32.png) [@wmfellows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wmfellows)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2012, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-shodan-more-retarded-lately-or-has-he-maintained-a-consistent-level-of-retardation-all-along/610530/238 "2012-01-26T17:25:35Z")
> [@DianaG](#): > > FYI, “skin in the game” is among the most retarded catchphrases since the dawn of catchphrases, especially when bandied about by people (not John Mace) who keep vast amounts of their money offshore. It makes my slappin’ hand itchy. Everyone who lives here has “skin in the game”. Skin in the game is a quite useful concept really. As Mace says: > [@John\_Mace](#): > > I like it. And if you don’t pay income taxes, you don’t have any skin in the income tax game. It’s easy to argue for something one is not involved in. > [@SenorBeef](#): > > Among other reasons, this is why you guys have no credibility whatsoever. > > … > > 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. > … I have to agree with this. As I recall SenorBeef has long been, on American terms, a conservative poster who’s just gotten frustrated with … I guess it is tribalism. SDMB has a left slant, but tribalism is not the solution. Shodan is boring and useless. ---
**Author:** ![wmfellows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c2a13f/32.png) [@wmfellows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wmfellows)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2012, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-shodan-more-retarded-lately-or-has-he-maintained-a-consistent-level-of-retardation-all-along/610530/239 "2012-01-26T17:28:04Z")
> [@Fotheringay-Phipps](#): > > Re elicidator, I think he’s funny much more than half the time, and in general is one of the most talented writers on this board. (Although I should qualify that I don’t read this board as much as a lot of other people, so it could be that his shtick wears on you.) But it’s hard to argue that his posts are generally substantive. I’ve seen a few here and there, but these are the exception. > > Still, everyone has his place. And for the record, I think elucidator is a waste of human flesh only slightly less obnoxious than shodan because he has just a wee bit more style. ---
**Author:** ![Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hentor_the_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2012, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-shodan-more-retarded-lately-or-has-he-maintained-a-consistent-level-of-retardation-all-along/610530/240 "2012-01-26T17:29:42Z")
I’m not at all surprised that **Shodan** has the gall to be butthurt about unfair partisan attacks while simultaneously calling Democrats “pussies.” Logical inconsistencies cause computers to explode only in Star Trek episodes and Emerson Lake and Palmer songs. Suggesting that a bot “man up” is like asking a conservative to consider the well-being of the country in advance of a political party. **Shodan** is capable only of binary conceptualizations. Us versus them. He is not about evaluating particular arguments for their merit. If it can be categorized as conservative, it is right. This is why he has used the phrase the “usual suspects” 254 times on these boards – things coming from “them” are by necessity wrong. (To be fair, I did not determine whether any of those posts were in reference to the film of that name, or to the movie _Casablanca_.) As for **Sam Stone** , his arguments almost exclusively started with a desired conclusion and worked backwards from there. Sure, they were in a sense well-written, and given the scrutiny of a typical message board post, they sounded reasonable. However, you can only argue so long about the positive outcomes that will result from Bush’s economic policies or the dire consequences to the auto industry that Obama will cause before reality jumps in to curb stomp you. Reality does appear to have an unfairly liberal bias after all. On rare occasions, his posts would delve into actual fact, and he typically would misrepresent factual matters, often very badly. I don’t know if he assumed people wouldn’t bother to check, but here people do, and so it didn’t go well for him. [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=11) [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=13)