# 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:** 13
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2012, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-shodan-more-retarded-lately-or-has-he-maintained-a-consistent-level-of-retardation-all-along/610530/241 "2012-01-26T17:35:13Z")
> [@Lobohan](#): > > nematodes in my peehole. It took only 53 years for someone to come up with the perfect follow-up to “Lipstick on Your Collar.” ---
**Author:** ![pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pseudotriton_ruber_ruber)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2012, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-shodan-more-retarded-lately-or-has-he-maintained-a-consistent-level-of-retardation-all-along/610530/242 "2012-01-26T17:36:39Z")
> [@wmfellows](#): > > elucidator is a waste of human flesh only slightly less obnoxious than shodan because he has just a wee bit more style. And a little more wit, and a lot more self-awareness, and good deal more raw intelligence, and a whole lot more subtlety. But your point–that they’re basically equals because they’re both partisans–I approve of, and wish to subcribe to your newsletter. ---
**Author:** ![FuriousGeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecae2f/32.png) [@FuriousGeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FuriousGeorge)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2012, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-shodan-more-retarded-lately-or-has-he-maintained-a-consistent-level-of-retardation-all-along/610530/243 "2012-01-26T17:37:34Z")
> [@Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](#): > > **Shodan** is capable only of binary conceptualizations. Us versus them. He is not about evaluating particular arguments for their merit. Good fucking lord, did you, of all people, just type that? Not only did my irony meter explode; but it supernova’ed into its individual quarks. From this point forward, much like Twitter followers are measured in Wheatons, ironic statements will be measured in Hentors. ---
**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, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-shodan-more-retarded-lately-or-has-he-maintained-a-consistent-level-of-retardation-all-along/610530/244 "2012-01-26T17:41:19Z")
> [@wmfellows](#): > > Skin in the game is a quite useful concept really. As Mace says: > > It’s easy to argue for something one is not involved in. > > I have to agree with this. Not useful to most people. I’d surmise that most people who use the “skin in the game” argument with regards to taxes would deny it with regards to abortion. Now, there are pros and cons for abortion, but attacking some opponents of it because it doesn’t affect their body is not a morally sound argument. Similarly, there are pros and cons of high taxes but claiming you shouldn’t get to decide them unless you pay taxes is again not a sound argumentation. It very well could be that those that argue that, all else being equal, a slightly higher tax rate for the very rich would be better are correct. Their personal income has no logical bearing on the correctness of their arguments. ---
**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, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-shodan-more-retarded-lately-or-has-he-maintained-a-consistent-level-of-retardation-all-along/610530/245 "2012-01-26T17:42:57Z")
So Shodan doesn’t understand what a _No True Scotsman_ fallacy is. He knows so little, and much of what he does know isn’t true, yet he sees fit to tell other people they’re wrong. ---
**Author:** ![FuriousGeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecae2f/32.png) [@FuriousGeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FuriousGeorge)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2012, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-shodan-more-retarded-lately-or-has-he-maintained-a-consistent-level-of-retardation-all-along/610530/246 "2012-01-26T17:44:14Z")
> [@Lobohan](#): > > So Shodan doesn’t understand what a _No True Scotsman_ fallacy is. He knows so little, and much of what he does know isn’t true, yet he sees fit to tell other people they’re wrong. \ ---
**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, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-shodan-more-retarded-lately-or-has-he-maintained-a-consistent-level-of-retardation-all-along/610530/247 "2012-01-26T17:45:15Z")
> [@SenorBeef](#): > > 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. IMHO \*\*Sam \*\*was as you describe, but on some subjects his partisanship and ideology got the best of him like on the Iraq war and the invasion; most recently, supporting the coup in Honduras was a very sore point specially when he deftly avoided looking at the evidence that the new “rulers” of Honduras never deserved support as on top of everything they were actively closing opposition tv and radio stations. Regarding the climate change issue, at the beginning \*\*Sam \*\*got a lot of flack for swallowing hook line and sinker many of the talking points of climate change deniers, but he got better, I will go on a limb to say that one factor why he is not showing much on the board is that he is now on the record of calling people like \*\*Starving Artist \*\*to be just full of hot air and that means that not only flack from the left could come, but it guarantees that flack from the mad tea party right side would come, as \*\*SenorBeef \*\*is getting here; who needs that level of sniping, specially coming from people that were supposed to be your allies? ---
**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, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-shodan-more-retarded-lately-or-has-he-maintained-a-consistent-level-of-retardation-all-along/610530/248 "2012-01-26T17:45:55Z")
> [@FuriousGeorge](#): > > Good fucking lord, did you, of all people, just type that? Not only did my irony meter explode; but it supernova’ed into its individual quarks. From this point forward, much like Twitter followers are measured in Wheatons, ironic statements will be measured in Hentors. Garsh, I sure am honored! Thanks! But just so I can really feel comfortable in accepting, can you please give me an example of me taking a political position that was not based on some evidence? I am certainly biased, and that does mean that I will give more scrutiny to a claim here on these boards from a conservative, but I am very dedicated to empiricism wherever possible. So, show me don’t tell me, please. ---
**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, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-shodan-more-retarded-lately-or-has-he-maintained-a-consistent-level-of-retardation-all-along/610530/249 "2012-01-26T17:47:04Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > The point is your idea that honest conservatives don’t get piled and attacked and harassed and driven away is wrong, and obviously so. Again, if your definition of “piled on” is “has his arguments challenged in a forum designed for the purpose of having arguments challenged”, you’re only showing your conservative persecution complex. > [@](#): > > 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. Are you admitting then, that when you responded to my post in the Romney thread, you weren’t trying to present a serious interpretation of anyone’s position, or present an argument, but just to make fun of us? > [@](#): > > And that drives you crazy. Actually it is the other way around that is instructive - the only ones attacking me are liberals. John Mace called you worthess (paraphrasing) on page 1. Are you calling him a liberal now? It’s sort of funny that you’ll say that essentially this board is nothing but liberals, but then use the fact that only liberals are around to bash you as proof that they’re off base. > [@](#): > > 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. 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. If I ran an IMHO poll that had a series of checkboxes like “Shodan is dishonest” “Shodan is mean spirited” and also “eluicidator is dishonest” and “elucidator is mean spirited”, and the results came in overwhelmingly against you, would that mean anything to you? Would you consider that as evidence for my point? Or would your persecution complex kick in again and you’d just dismiss it all because hey this board is full of liberals anyway? > [@](#): > > 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. I didn’t say he was okay, I just said that he was your closest counterpart, except for being a lying dick. I also don’t get a troll vibe from him. > [@](#): > > But you think I do the same things, but I am not OK. Because, as mentioned, I am not a liberal. > > Regards, > Shodan Is this like how I think deductions are evil because republicans do them, but reductions are good when liberals do them? I would have to say that if you are not on a decade long mission to consistently stay in character at all times to consistently troll this board with your nonsense, then I think your inability to comprehend reality reaches the state of a mental disorder. ---
**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, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-shodan-more-retarded-lately-or-has-he-maintained-a-consistent-level-of-retardation-all-along/610530/250 "2012-01-26T17:47:23Z")
> [@FuriousGeorge](#): > > \ Considering the user name I guess you have a lot of those uh? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![FuriousGeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecae2f/32.png) [@FuriousGeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FuriousGeorge)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2012, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-shodan-more-retarded-lately-or-has-he-maintained-a-consistent-level-of-retardation-all-along/610530/251 "2012-01-26T17:47:52Z")
> [@Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](#): > > I am certainly biased, and that does mean that I will give more scrutiny to a claim here on these boards from a conservative, but I am very dedicated to empiricism wherever possible. :rolleyes: Seriously… ---
**Author:** ![FuriousGeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecae2f/32.png) [@FuriousGeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FuriousGeorge)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2012, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-shodan-more-retarded-lately-or-has-he-maintained-a-consistent-level-of-retardation-all-along/610530/252 "2012-01-26T17:48:55Z")
> [@GIGObuster](#): > > Considering the user name I guess you have a lot of those uh? 🙂 WetNaps? No, gave him my last one or would’ve given **Hentor** one, too. ---
**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, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-shodan-more-retarded-lately-or-has-he-maintained-a-consistent-level-of-retardation-all-along/610530/253 "2012-01-26T17:49:29Z")
> [@GIGObuster](#): > > IMHO \*\*Sam \*\*was as you describe, but on some subjects his partisanship and ideology got the best of him like on the Iraq war and the invasion; most recently, supporting the coup in Honduras was a very sore point specially when he deftly avoided looking at the evidence that the new “rulers” of Honduras never deserved support as on top of everything they were actively closing opposition tv and radio stations. I also found that to be a problem. I talked with him a bit privately about it once, saying that essentially when he sticks to ideas he truly believes are right, he’s among the best debators the board has to offer. But when he feels the need to align himself with the right wing tribe and act as an apologist, it taints his image. He could argue conservative ideas well (some of his counterproposals on health care reform were clever), but only when those ideas are true to his beliefs, rather than trying to make the best out of idiotic decisions like Iraq out of some sense of party loyalty. Which is ironic, since it’s not even his party, not being American. ---
**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, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-shodan-more-retarded-lately-or-has-he-maintained-a-consistent-level-of-retardation-all-along/610530/254 "2012-01-26T17:49:37Z")
> [@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. Wait, _I need to have stuff to say that couldn’t be said by anyone else?_ Doesn’t that strike you as a little harsh? _Someone else could have said what you said, so it’s irrelevant!_ In any case, I substantiate what I say in GD, in general. If I make a snarky comment once in awhile, it’s mostly to illustrate how insane some comment is. If you have specific problems, I’m sure a pit thread would be in order. Otherwise, I think you’re suffering from some confirmation bias here. ---
**Author:** ![DianaG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7ab992/32.png) [@DianaG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DianaG)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2012, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-shodan-more-retarded-lately-or-has-he-maintained-a-consistent-level-of-retardation-all-along/610530/255 "2012-01-26T17:51:24Z")
> [@wmfellows](#): > > Skin in the game is a quite useful concept really. As Mace says: > > It’s easy to argue for something one is not involved in. No, it’s dumb and baldly self-serving bullshit. You see, there’s this much larger game called “the Economy” and we all have skin in it. Ferchrissake, if Mitt Romney said “Hey, only people who pay capital gains tax should have any say about increasing capital gains tax.” you see what’s wrong with that, right? ---
**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, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-shodan-more-retarded-lately-or-has-he-maintained-a-consistent-level-of-retardation-all-along/610530/256 "2012-01-26T17:52:34Z")
> [@SenorBeef](#): > > 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. False. You’ve never seen me rush to curlcoat’s defense. ---
**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, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-shodan-more-retarded-lately-or-has-he-maintained-a-consistent-level-of-retardation-all-along/610530/257 "2012-01-26T17:54:46Z")
> [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](#): > > It took only 53 years for someone to come up with the perfect follow-up to “Lipstick on Your Collar.” Somebody get Weird Al on the line. \*Peehole \*is exactly the sort of edgy terminology that will keep him relevant. ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2012, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-shodan-more-retarded-lately-or-has-he-maintained-a-consistent-level-of-retardation-all-along/610530/258 "2012-01-26T18:01:59Z")
> [@Lobohan](#): > > Wait, _I need to have stuff to say that couldn’t be said by anyone else?_ > > Doesn’t that strike you as a little harsh? _Someone else could have said what you said, so it’s irrelevant!_ You’re right, of course. Sometimes you come up with half-cooked liberal counter-talking points that anyone else would be embarrassed to use. Most of the time I think the other side is bullshit, and the liberal counter-talking points are spot on IMO, so it’s generally not a worry. But sometimes even when there’s a solid, good-faith discussion to be had, you simply do not shut up with your taunting and sneering. The tenor of your posts differs from **Shodan** ’s, but neither of you act like adults in political threads. _That said_, I stopped caring about the desire to have good-faith political discussions on the internet a long time ago. Difference is, that means I’ve stopped participating in them. ---
**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, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-shodan-more-retarded-lately-or-has-he-maintained-a-consistent-level-of-retardation-all-along/610530/259 "2012-01-26T18:07:42Z")
> [@FuriousGeorge](#): > > :rolleyes: Seriously… Very much so. So, whaddya got? ---
**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, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-shodan-more-retarded-lately-or-has-he-maintained-a-consistent-level-of-retardation-all-along/610530/260 "2012-01-26T18:11:18Z")
> [@Bosstone](#): > > You’re right, of course. Sometimes you come up with half-cooked liberal counter-talking points that anyone else would be embarrassed to use. Example? > [@](#): > > Most of the time I think the other side is bullshit, and the liberal counter-talking points are spot on IMO, so it’s generally not a worry. But sometimes even when there’s a solid, good-faith discussion to be had, you simply do not shut up with your taunting and sneering. The tenor of your posts differs from **Shodan** ’s, but neither of you act like adults in political threads. I’m sure I go over the line. I’ve been warned after all. But I don’t generally post if I don’t have a reasonable argument. You may disagree, but the way to deal with that is to trash my argument. > [@](#): > > _That said_, I stopped caring about the desire to have good-faith political discussions on the internet a long time ago. Difference is, that means I’ve stopped participating in them. Have fun on the sidelines. [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=12) [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=14)