I like satire as much as the next guy, and I can see what you’re saying, Scylla. However, the manner of his presentation is unacceptable, to me and to others.
I can accept that JET has issues with the way people deal with things. I do, too. So do you. However, it is morally and ethically reprehensible for him to even suggest that killing children is in any way acceptable.
I find no real fault with his ability to create a stimulating discussion, and once I see through his bullshit, he has some valid points.
My issue with him is the manner in which he starts these discussions. He sounds like a modern day Nazi (yes, a Nazi) when he says “School shooters are my heroes”.
It seems to me that he is only capable of having a discussion when he sets himself up as the bad guy. That is very unnecessary. I’d be willing to have a spirited discussion with him anytime, as he seems to be intelligent. He just doesn’t need to be so antagonistic all the time.
That’s what I think, anyway.
If I’m wrong, though, and he really is the prick that he seems to be, he can go to Hell. But again, I’m not so sure that he is. Time will tell.
I don’t know that any idea is morally and ethically reprehensible to suggest in and of itself. I’ll discuss anything if it’s a worthwhile discussion.
I also noticed that JET is very careful about how he phrases his little bombs. He purposefully sets them up so that they look like they mean one thing when he’s really saying another.
If you read the school shooters thread his thesis is that killing a child isn’t the worst thing that you can do to them.
I don’t think I agree with his thesis, and I think the way he states it is unnecessarily Machiavellian at best, and more likely just juvenile glee at causing a stir.
That doesn’t make him nonhuman offal though.
And, he is using himself to prove a point about providing fake positive sentiment to a meaningless abstract while being hurtful to people you actually have contact with.
No he doesn’t. I doubt he’s even read anything about the incident aside from the fact that 8 kids got whacked (at the time of the post in question, that is). He sees nothing but a chance for him to build up his whole “I’m a creepy, scary motherfucker!” shtick.
Unless his point is (again) “I’m a creepy, scary motherfucker!”, I don’t see how this is so.
Note the repeat of the “I’m a creepy, scary motherfucker!” bit. It’s a trait that’s not uncommon in children.
See, JET is as shallow as a puddle of piss. He knows he’s a spineless wuss with about as much spine as an amoeba, so he acts like a big shot tough-ass no-nonsense mo-fo via the Internet to pump up his own ego. He can’t accept disagreement or differing opinions - if you ever have the gall to suggest that, hey, he might be wrong, BOOM! you’re targeted for the JET treatment… that is, much name calling and little intelligence.
I see no reason why we should give a shit about him. He’ll self-destruct and earn his just desserts on his own, eventually.
Scylla, you’re a really nice guy, but JET is getting old.
Trust me, I see this stuff all the time on SAAN. I have to wonder if he’s from Something Awful, because that’s how he acts-saying outrageous things to see people’s reactions. It gets very old after a while.
JET suggests that he suffers from psychiatric problems.
The nature of the problem is anti-social.
People who claim they suffer from depression, and exhibit that behavior receive support on these boards.
If JET has psychiatric problem he deserves the same support for that illness as we would provide anyone else suffering from physical or mental difficulties.
The fact that his problems are not touchy-feely, or fashionable, doesn’t mean they aren’t every bit as valid as anyone else’s.
They don’t make him human offal either.
This in no excuses his behavior, but if we take his assertion at the same face value we take anybody’s else’s claim it does most definitely add context to his behavior.
I myself feel that a little forbearance which costs me nothing was immediately rewarded with an interesting and thought provoking discussion.
Jonathon Swift he ain’t. From the posts cited, he ain’t any kind of swift at all.
scylla
You say that Jet wants to demonstrate the hypocrisy of extending empathy to people one does not know while withholding empathy from those one can effect more directly. You say that he chooses to demonstrate this by purposefully generating hostility within the SDMB community.
That isn’t satire, it’s a self-fulfilling prophecy.
I won’t even go into the fallacies present in the “See, I can piss people off so their concern for strangers must be hypocrisy” argument, since you say that you don’t agree with it and Jet has not associated himself with it publicly. I will say that I generally find you to be an insightful poster.
I may not know the families involved in the incident in Osaka personally; however, I did find myself close to quite a number of Japanese whilst I was living just outside Tokyo. Five years is a long time, after all, and it helps to be friendly with your neighbours. Many of my friends in Japan have children in Elementary School, so this does, in a way, touch me.
Let me repeat something: It helps to be friendly with your neighbours. JET’s been given a chance (some would say more than enough chance) to be friendly with the SDMB neighbourhood and yet isn’t.
Oh, and at least one ohter poster who continuously relied on his anti-social problem got banned from the SDMB.
Almost forgot: Because I feel empathy for an innocent victim does not make me a hypocrite.
This is a “psychiatric disorder” now? And as a community we are obligated forbear criticizing the behavior of a person so afflicted?
Why?
Do we assist him in overcoming his “disorder” by encouraging the fiction that his vitriol is not anti-social? If his anger extends to physical provocation as well as textual shall we also smile and {{{hug}}} the poor lad. After all, he can’t help it if he is anti-social.
And when did you become scylla Jesse Raphael, anyway? I must have missed the memo.
You’re not obligated to do anything. I see worthwhile things in this guy, and I see little doubt that he’s troubled.
No. But whatever the root cause of his behavior, it’s pretty clear that he’s laying bait in what he’s doing. Why take that bait?
I don’t think so.
Can you show me an example of his anger based textual provocation?
I’m just trying to make myself look sympathetic and reasonable in order to build up some credibilty before I launch an unreasoned and senseless attack.
Sorry, Scylla but I think SPOOFE’s “See how scary I am!” hypothesis fits far, far better.
But even if you’re correct and he is “troubled”, then the best thing we can do is help him learn A) that actions (including saying outrageous things) have consequences and B) setting boundaries for him, if he’s incapable of doing it himself. Even if, in fact, he is “troubled” we do not have to tolerate such behavior.
While it’s enviable and kind to help someone with a sickness, one has no obligation to be a doormat for them either, thus JET’s behavior correctly gets him flamed.
And given his virulently homophobic comments, I think the board has shown remarkable restraint.
I know that he’s either troubled or faking it. If the former, he should get off the fucking Internet, stop playing Doom, and find a fucking psychiatrist. If the latter… well… personally, based on the sheer level of hostility he shows most everyone he comes in contact with, I think it’s an act.
Why tolerate assholicness? “If you don’t like it, don’t read it” indeed… there are some things that just shouldn’t be ignored.
Given what I know about Mr. Evil Twin, I don’t think any of the “attacks” leveled against him in this thread have been senseless or unreasoned in the slightest. In fact, I believe the little fucker is simply getting what he’s been asking for since day one.
Neither do I. I see a whiny little snot (in JET, that is) who is trying oh-so-desperately to be creepy and scary. It’s not our fault that he fails miserably and comes off merely as a braindead asshole chickenshit.
I see bad judgement, and an attempt at immature humor in that post. “Cock smoker,” and “Faggot” have been insults for a long time, nor are they always directed at gays.
Using them makes you insensitive to say the least. But, I don’t think you can call it real homophobia by itself.
Spoofe:
Didn’t I already answer this? Go read the school shooter thread and see for yourself.
Yeah, like women who boil your rabbit.
But what I’m talking is bait on a hook. Doesn’t it bother you to be so fucking predictable that he can pull this time and time again knowing that people will react the same way.
The first time. Sure. The second time? Try showing a little independant thinking.
I believe if more people that suffer from this disorder were listened to and treated as if they have a disorder, not that they are “nonhuman offal,” maybe fewer of them would go postal and shoot former fellow employees or stab children.
No one deserves to be called that. And Jeremy’s Evil Twin has never actually DONE any of the anti-social crimes he seems to admire; he is voicing a very unpopular and anti-social opinion.
I have never seen an example of JET replying discourteously to someone who did not first imply that he was stupid or deranged. He has always been courteous to Scylla and to me.
People’s problems do not come from nowhere. People are not born evil, in my opinion. The whole psychological profession is based on the ideas that people’s psychological disorders are either physiologically based, or come from maltreatment during childhood.
I believe everyone does the best they can with the resources available to them. Be happy that you don’t have the problems that JET has to deal with every day, and cut him a little slack.
Yeah, but the same could be said for “Nigger”. It’s not always directed at blacks (the term “white nigger” for example) and it’s been an insult for a long time. That doesn’t matter. Language changes, social mores change and the term “nigger” is no longer acceptable in polite company or in public. Same with “faggot” (and to a lesser degree, so far “cock-sucker”.)
I really disagree with you on this. Regardless of who the terms are directed at/to, both are implying that being gay is bad, given JET’s context. (Yes, some gays use the term “faggot” but it’s said without that “gay=bad” implication. Nonetheless, I still find it distasteful)