# New rule: shut the fuck up about Bush **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [May 16, 2005, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-rule-shut-the-fuck-up-about-bush/304125 "2005-05-16T20:29:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Zoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a4c791/32.png) [@Zoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoe)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2005, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-rule-shut-the-fuck-up-about-bush/304125/41 "2005-05-17T02:35:03Z")
**Priceguy** , I think you picked the wrong thread to use as the basis as your criticism. After all, even **Airman** mentioned “the President” and “Reagan.” It is not difficult to think that today’s President might be relevant to today’s generation. It should also be noted that President Bush was mentioned as part of an answer to one of **Airman’s** questions. (He answered all three.) No offense to you personally, but it was your chastizement that was the hijack for me. I thought his post was on OT. One of the other examples you mentioned might have been a better illustration of your point. ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2005, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-rule-shut-the-fuck-up-about-bush/304125/42 "2005-05-17T02:40:27Z")
Considering the nature of this thread, and observing that I still couldn’t resist getting my own shot at the Prez in, I withdraw my previous comments. It would be hypocritical to join the “opposition” when I was guilty of it right here too. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Rufus\_Xavier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eada6e/32.png) [@Rufus\_Xavier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rufus_Xavier)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2005, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-rule-shut-the-fuck-up-about-bush/304125/43 "2005-05-17T02:52:35Z")
I’m surprised that so many people have characterized **rjung** as a “one-trick pony.” Looking at the two threads linked to, as well as his last 20 posts, I disagree with that characterization, and have decided that this is the least-deserved pitting of an individual poster that I have seen in a long time. ---
**Author:** ![Reeder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Reeder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeder)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2005, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-rule-shut-the-fuck-up-about-bush/304125/44 "2005-05-17T03:04:51Z")
> [@Rufus Xavier](#): > > I’m surprised that so many people have characterized **rjung** as a “one-trick pony.” Looking at the two threads linked to, as well as his last 20 posts, I disagree with that characterization, and have decided that this is the least-deserved pitting of an individual poster that I have seen in a long time. Duh. ---
**Author:** ![Excalibre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@Excalibre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Excalibre)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2005, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-rule-shut-the-fuck-up-about-bush/304125/45 "2005-05-17T04:38:34Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > Well, let’s see - **milroyj** hijacked a thread to beat on one of _his_ pet peeves. But it wasn’t Bush-bashing, so… > > **rjung** is a one-trick pony. I started a thread in Cafe Society about chilling last lines - the silly bastard tried to hijack that too with the same shit. > > I doubt he has any political ideas beyond a knee-jerk \* tu quoque\* about Bush and the Iraq war. But by golly he gets about ten thousand miles of of that. > > Regards, > Shodan See, now you’ve hurt your cause. Because you’ve pointed out the only vaguely positive thing that can be said about **rjung** - at least he’s not as big an ass as **milroyj** was. Anyway, I fully support **Miller** ’s rule. I’d love to see every irrelevant political hijack go, but we could get about half of 'em if **Miller** ’s rule was implemented. **rjung** does one thing that’s good, though. He unites us - Democrat and Republican - behind a common cause. Trying to get him to shut his goddamn mouth. > [@rjung](#): > > Geez louise, anyone who thinks I’m a “one-trick pony” must have missed the dozens and dozens of messages I’ve posted in the various SDMB forums that have nothing to do with George, Dick, Condi, Donald, or Paul (I’d dig up the Hitchhikers’ Guide To the Galaxy thread in Cafe Society, but I’m being a lazy bastich right now). > > But then, selective memories make the pitting that much easier, don’t they? **rjung** , let me say this one America-hatin’ leftist to another: _I don’t care if you’ve posted ten thousand messages unrelated to Bush, each of whose poignant prose is outshadowed only by the depth of thought and research therein._ You post countless utterly irrelevant Bush-related hijacks. I doubt I’m a bigger fan of the dude than you are. But that doesn’t mean it’s acceptable to try to end discussions by turning them into screaming hatefests. No one really cares whether you’re a “one-trick pony” or not (you’ve certainly got at least one other) because even one of these stupid hijacks is too many, and you’ve posted far more than one. Even if your ratio of good posts to irrelevant hijacks was a hundred to one, it’s still too many when I see them in what seems like every other thread I read. (And don’t make me count your posts and do the math. I’ll get bored, and it’ll end up embarrassing for you.) > [@Reeder](#): > > Please post the the last time before today I bashed him. > > Thanks. Why does it matter? We all see you do it, _all the time._ Taking a week or two off between bashings is not such a great achievement. And even if you prove you’ve done it, _who cares?_ Do you think we’ll all forget what we’ve seen? You can’t argue your way out of people finding your conduct annoying. > [@Rufus Xavier](#): > > I’m surprised that so many people have characterized rjung as a “one-trick pony.” Looking at the two threads linked to, as well as his last 20 posts, I disagree with that characterization, and have decided that this is the least-deserved pitting of an individual poster that I have seen in a long time. Think of it as symbolic of our hatred of _all_ irrelevant Bush hijacks. These two are the biggest offenders, but that doesn’t mean we think they should go away, or that their posts are always without value. It’s just that we’ve seen it enough times that we’re really sick of it. Both contribute elsewhere - but that doesn’t make it okay for them to do this. There’s not some magical ratio that you have to keep your irrelevant hijacking below for it to be okay. . . . Ok, ok, I’ll stop. I just take this crap personally because I’d really like to make that whole “irrational screaming leftist” thing even less accurate around here. I don’t like sorta implicitly feeling like I’m in a category with these two. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2005, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-rule-shut-the-fuck-up-about-bush/304125/46 "2005-05-17T04:49:14Z")
> [@Zoe](#): > > **Priceguy** , I think you picked the wrong thread to use as the basis as your criticism. Yes, that thread is just _begging_ to go off into ABM, nonproliferation and other treaty issues that impact MAD. It’d be quite a trick to bring any of that up without mentioning Bush. ---
**Author:** ![Dunderman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecb155/32.png) [@Dunderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dunderman)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2005, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-rule-shut-the-fuck-up-about-bush/304125/47 "2005-05-17T05:07:28Z")
For the people who think **rjung** ’s comment was on-topic, focus on this part of my original post instead: > [@](#): > > I propose a new rule: shut the fuck up about Bush if it isn’t specifically on-topic. You all know it’s a hot button, but you just won’t leave it alone. If the thread is about alcoholism, someone will say Bush is an alcoholic and someone else will dispute it, or someone will say he cured his alcoholism through faith and someone else will dispute it and off we go. If the thread is about ornithology, someone will say Bush’s environmental policies are making birds extinct and off we go. If the thread is about Andromeda, someone will give voice to their fears that Bush will go there to eradicate any terrorists living there and off we fucking go. > > I hate him too, I’d like to see him and everyone like him removed from power, but he’s there and doing your best to turn this message board into a shitpile won’t change that. Just leave it the fuck alone, says this very leftist but also extremely bored poster. “You”, above, is the collective “you”. ---
**Author:** ![duffer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duffer/32/1026_2.png) [@duffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/duffer)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2005, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-rule-shut-the-fuck-up-about-bush/304125/48 "2005-05-17T05:14:42Z")
> [@Reeder](#): > > Please post the the last time before today I bashed him. > > Thanks. Please post the last illegal war Bush started. If was more than a week ago, everything gets reset to zero. Didn’t you read the entire memo? ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2005, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-rule-shut-the-fuck-up-about-bush/304125/49 "2005-05-17T05:50:40Z")
> [@Rufus Xavier](#): > > Looking at the two threads linked to, as well as his last 20 posts, I disagree with that characterization, and have decided that this is the least-deserved pitting of an individual poster that I have seen in a long time. Aw, you’re not playing along with the game, **Rufus!** It’s very simple: 1. Somebody tosses out a broad generalization as an excuse to pit a “controversial” poster. 2. Other folks of a similar ideological bent use that as an excuse to pile on the dude. 3. Insults are exchanged until people get tired of slinging crap, and everyone retires to their respective corners. 4. After an indeterminate amount of time X, rinse, lather, and repeat. Me, I’m just mildly amused by this, especially watching The Usual Suspects[sup]tm[/sup] jump through the hoops. I know **Shodan’s** week has been made already, as this thread is the closest thing to an orgasm he’ll have until mid-June. 😉 > [@Excalibre](#): > > You post countless utterly irrelevant Bush-related hijacks. To you, they’re “utterly irrelevant Bush-related hijacks.” To _me,_ they’re mere slivers of my “I’m mad as hell at having the name and honor of my beloved country dragged through the mud by a bunch of hairy-knuckled troglodytes, and I ain’t taking it any more” fury peeking through. If it bothers you so much, may I recommend judicious use of this board’s Ignore List functionality? Trust me, it won’t bother me none… ---
**Author:** ![Dunderman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecb155/32.png) [@Dunderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dunderman)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2005, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-rule-shut-the-fuck-up-about-bush/304125/50 "2005-05-17T05:53:46Z")
> [@rjung](#): > > 1. Somebody tosses out a broad generalization as an excuse to pit a “controversial” poster. You’re not controversial, not even “controversial”. Also, this is not a pitting of you, it’s a thread with a dual purpose: it allows me to respond to you without hijacking the Great Debates thread, and it allows me to pit this behaviour, which I’ve been thinking about doing for quite some time. You just gave me the opportunity. > [@](#): > > 1. Other folks of a similar ideological bent use that as an excuse to pile on the dude. You’re either a moron or an illiterate. Which is it? ---
**Author:** ![Excalibre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@Excalibre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Excalibre)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2005, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-rule-shut-the-fuck-up-about-bush/304125/51 "2005-05-17T06:03:24Z")
> [@rjung](#): > > 1. Somebody tosses out a broad generalization as an excuse to pit a “controversial” poster. Does it never occur to people that _maybe_, just _maybe_, they’re “controversial” (a euphemism if ever I heard one) because their behavior is unpleasant and perhaps even inappropriate? I don’t understand how people can be so _certain_ of themselves - are most people just incapable of thinking, “Hey, maybe I’m wrong, and they’re right.”? > [@rjung](#): > > 1. Other folks of a similar ideological bent use that as an excuse to pile on the dude. Yeah, cuz it’s a total right-wing wankfest in here, what with noted conservatives **Priceguy, Miller, wring, Cervaise, elfbabe** , and more engaging in their usual Rush Limbaugh-esque hatred of the left. Yep, it’s all because your beliefs are being bashed by those who disagree. It’s not like the folks who share your politics ever find your behavior unpleasant. > [@rjung](#): > > To you, they’re “utterly irrelevant Bush-related hijacks.” To _me,_ they’re mere slivers of my “I’m mad as hell at having the name and honor of my beloved country dragged through the mud by a bunch of hairy-knuckled troglodytes, and I ain’t taking it any more” fury peeking through. That’s very, _very_ nice. And might I again point out that folks aren’t objecting to your beliefs, just your presentation of them? You can believe as strongly as you want, but that doesn’t make bad manners acceptable. Besides, they’re irrelevant to everyone. Do you think your constant snarking is changing hearts and minds, here? Like I said, that’s the problem I have with this (well, besides just the irritation I feel whenever anyone steers a thread onto their own pet agenda just to start a fight) is that _it makes you and us look bad and it helps the Republicans hang onto power._ No one who’s undecided is going to want to be associated with the crazed fanatics who can’t think about anything but how mad Bush makes them inside. You’re just not accomplishing anything here besides annoying everyone else. Except **Reeder**. Seriously, couldn’t you guys just meet offline for some nice mutual masturbation and leave us out of it? ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2005, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-rule-shut-the-fuck-up-about-bush/304125/52 "2005-05-17T06:11:03Z")
> [@Excalibre](#): > > Do you think your constant snarking is changing hearts and minds, here? Of course not. I harbor no delusions; this post is but an insignificant speck on a backwards corner of the outer spiral arm of the internet. > [@Excalibre](#): > > _it makes you and us look bad and it helps the Republicans hang onto power._ And speaking of folks losing perspective… > [@Excalibre](#): > > Except **Reeder**. Seriously, couldn’t you guys just meet offline for some nice mutual masturbation and leave us out of it? I don’t think my wife would approve. ---
**Author:** ![Dunderman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecb155/32.png) [@Dunderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dunderman)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2005, 6:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-rule-shut-the-fuck-up-about-bush/304125/53 "2005-05-17T06:20:27Z")
Nice dodging. ---
**Author:** ![Muad\_Dib](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/35a633/32.png) [@Muad\_Dib](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muad_Dib)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2005, 6:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-rule-shut-the-fuck-up-about-bush/304125/54 "2005-05-17T06:35:29Z")
I miss **December**. **Mil** getting banned and reading this reminded me of him. He was pretty cool. ---
**Author:** ![Eolbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d07c76/32.png) [@Eolbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eolbo)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2005, 11:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-rule-shut-the-fuck-up-about-bush/304125/55 "2005-05-17T11:07:46Z")
I miss December as well. And Collounsbury. And Aldebaran. Woe betide the day we ever run out of assholes. ---
**Author:** ![Harborwolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Harborwolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harborwolf)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2005, 11:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-rule-shut-the-fuck-up-about-bush/304125/56 "2005-05-17T11:32:40Z")
Usual Suspects eh? Well I’ve been working on my Christopher Walken impression, so I guess that makes me Kevin Pollak by default. I feel sorry for whoever winds up as Stephen Baldwin. **Rjung** , maybe you should look at this thread as a reason to change the overall tone of your posts. ---
**Author:** ![Calendar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c0e974/32.png) [@Calendar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Calendar)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2005, 12:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-rule-shut-the-fuck-up-about-bush/304125/57 "2005-05-17T12:16:37Z")
> [@rjung](#): > > To you, they’re “utterly irrelevant Bush-related hijacks.” To _me,_ they’re mere slivers of my “I’m mad as hell at having the name and honor of my beloved country dragged through the mud by a bunch of hairy-knuckled troglodytes, and I ain’t taking it any more” fury peeking through. Slivers are annoying as hell. You get one of those stuck in you, and they cause pain and discomfort until you peel off a bunch of skin and yank them out, lest they fester in there. And at the end of it, you’re left with a nasty looking scar for a few days. So why do you have to inflict your slivers on those who are content to live without them. If you’re mad, why don’t you go pound a pillow or something. ---
**Author:** ![Excalibre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@Excalibre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Excalibre)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2005, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-rule-shut-the-fuck-up-about-bush/304125/58 "2005-05-17T12:18:00Z")
> [@Harborwolf](#): > > Usual Suspects eh? Well I’ve been working on my Christopher Walken impression, so I guess that makes me Kevin Pollak by default. I feel sorry for whoever winds up as Stephen Baldwin. > > **Rjung** , maybe you should look at this thread as a reason to change the overall tone of your posts. Or maybe we should step up and start reporting every one of his hijacks. At least it’ll make sure the administration is aware of the extent of the problem. ---
**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:** [May 17, 2005, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-rule-shut-the-fuck-up-about-bush/304125/59 "2005-05-17T12:32:53Z")
This must be one of those “using a poor referent to describe a larger construct” kind of thing. **Airman** proposes that we will be in trouble in the future when these young whipper snappers get their fingers on the trigger because they don’t understand the fear of nuclear war and have itchy fingers. **rjung** counters that we aren’t led presently by men of reasoned conscience, so why wait to worry? Doesn’t seem that outrageous or tangential to me, and was remarkably brief. (I confess that reading the OP here, I was kind of expecting more, so perhaps I was a bit underwhelmed). I did notice that **Priceguy** reacted very strongly very quickly, showing his own hair-trigger, so perhaps this was a brewing concern on his part. feh. I agree with **Mr. Sarsaparilla** above ( **Rufus Xavier** to his friends, but you can just refer to him as “he” or “him”). ---
**Author:** ![Dunderman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecb155/32.png) [@Dunderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dunderman)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2005, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-rule-shut-the-fuck-up-about-bush/304125/60 "2005-05-17T12:40:06Z")
> [@Hentor the Barbarian](#): > > This must be one of those “using a poor referent to describe a larger construct” kind of thing. It would appear so. > [@](#): > > I did notice that **Priceguy** reacted very strongly very quickly, showing his own hair-trigger, so perhaps this was a brewing concern on his part. Yep. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-rule-shut-the-fuck-up-about-bush/304125.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-rule-shut-the-fuck-up-about-bush/304125.md?page=4)