That’s largely because liberals tend to think that all conservatives are in lockstep agreement with every inanity uttered by any conservative with a microphone.
'Taint so.
As I go about my day-to-day life among people not of this board, Sam’s adage is the one that rings most true.
Ah. Perhaps. I would have thought that the remainder of the post would have made it clear. I’ll try again.
I understand being glad that someone is dead. I do not understand being glad that someone suffered a horrible, painful, suffering, and/or lengthy death.
Actually, no. The world is better off with some people dead - and it’s a very small list, relatively speaking, and did not include Tony Snow - but there’s nothing to rejoice about it.
Perhaps I’ve just become tired of people hating one another and rejoicing in death and destruction, but I really do not understand how a worthwhile human being could find joy in a man - who by all accounts was a decent and personable man, even if he happened to work for a bad President for a little while - dying of colon cancer. It’s sadistic and horrible, and I sincerely think a person would have to have significant emotional or mental problems to have to think that way.
I sure hope nobody feels that was about me just because they disagree with me, but I guess I can’t stop them, and moreover, it’s more their loss than mine.
It’s funny; if I started a thread on it I suspect virtually every member of this message board would claim they felt they were very tolerant. But to be honest, the level of intolerance on this board (and in most people anywhere) is frighteningly miniscule. Right or left.
This is a glib little comment, Sam, but it’s just totally, hopelessly (half) false. The second line is true; but the first line’s a lie of omission. If you don’t believe me, tell you what; drive through any randomly selected 200 miles of U.S. highway and listen to a conservative talk radio show, and you’ll soon be disabused of the nation there isn’t as much hatred thrown from right to left.
It’s all sickening.
Okey-dokey. Do you understand why I was disappointed that Ken Lay died just before he was to undergo some of the most awful, harrowing experiences of his life? Do you understand why I would have preferred that he do some serious time in the joint and then, just before he was to be released, having served every day of his time, just before taking his first step in a long time on free soil and breathing his first atoms of free air, he would have died at that moment?
The answer may help you to understand my position better.
Just out of curiosity - Since Bill Clinton was responsible for the deaths of thousands of people due to military action in Kosovo, the Sudan, Iraq, and elsewhere… Should I hope that one day he winds up against the wall? How about George Stephanopoulis, Mike McCurry, and Dee Dee Myers? They all collaborated with Clinton as press spokespeople as much as Tony Snow collaborated with Bush. Maybe we should cheer the death of them when they pass on?
Of course it’s ridiculous.
Here’s the chain of extremism that Dio seems to be following:
Bush starts a war you don’t like.
Therefore, Bush is evil.
Therefore, Bush’s evil can be compared to Hitler.
Therefore, Bush’s press secretary is equivalent to propaganda minister Goebbels.
Therefore, the press secretary deserves to die a horrible, slow death.
Therefore, so do any other ‘collaborators’ - those being defined as people who have in any way supported Bush, helped his administration, or said good things about him. I guess that includes me.
Just pure hatred.
Nah, Diogenes specifically mentioned the war crimes a few posts back. Being associated with an administration that institutionalized torture, as Bush did, makes it a little harder to have sympathy for Snow, even if he wasn’t directly involved in waterboarding people.
Yeah. Your position is that you are a sadist.
It is, and I can’t speak for local radio personalities I’ve not heard, but by and large the arguments from the right among people I know and the pundits I read are more along the lines that Democrats have good intentions, but they are foolish, misguided, naive, don’t understand human nature, live in ivory towers, don’t understand the flyover countries, yada yada. Of course there are extremists who hate - you’ll find that anywhere. But in my experience, typical Republicans, when they bitch about Democrats, tend to talk about that kind of stuff.
Democrats, on the other hand, tend to talk about how Republicans are greedy, don’t care about people, are warmongers, racist, and selfish. I’ve been on the receiving end of too many of those little diatribes from people who are not what I’d consider extremists to just dismiss it.
Forget it.
I assure you, this does not reflect reality in the US. The (sometimes literal) demonization of liberals is a huge industry here.
We all draw the line of unacceptable evil in different places, Sam. I prefer to draw it as tightly as I can. I hate Bush, but I was also in favor of impeaching Clinton because I want principled and intelligent leadership out of my elected officials, and I think the punishment we mete out for unprincipled and unintelligent ledership is laughably light. I want every leader to be shitting a brick every morning at the thought that his incompetence or ill-thought-out policies will end him up behind bars, and I want that thought to guide every move he makes for the four years he serves. That’s not too much to ask, I think, and if that means that only principled, intelligent people will be willing to serve, well, that’s another virtue. In my ideal world, Hitler and Goebbels wouild have been trembling like terrified rabbits at the thought that the German people could so easily rise up and punish them for even thinking of the evils they planned to commit. But like Bush, they just laughed off any possibility that their misdeeds would ever be punished.
Fair enough. Did you feel that Ken Lay died too soon to suit you?
You obviously feel that such demonization is valid for one’s political opponents. I assume that because you obviously feel that wishing a difficult death on any human being is a perfectly valid option.
And you never have. Not once. Ever.
Fair question. I would have been pleased that he was in prison. I would not have been pleased that he probably would have suffered physically in prison. (That’s a different subject, I think. Along the lines of torture, if you ask me.) To wish that he would drop dead upon the moment of his release, after paying his debt to society, is - in my opinion - sadism.
Actually, fuck that. Isn’t Sam a Canadian who painfully wishes he wasn’t? Or have I got him mixed up with some other Bush apologist?
Have I ever wished death? No, of course I can’t say that. I’m human, after all. But for Pete’s sake, throw them up against the wall and shoot 'em. Have I ever wished an ugly, painful, torturous death? I sure as hell hope not. I don’t think so.
elucidator, I’ve got to say, I’m pretty astonished to see you supporting this train of thought. It is not what I have expected from you.
No I don’t.
This is a profoundly ignorant statement. Goebbels was deeply involved in Nazi party politics at the highest levels for decades and actually helped to formulate public policy. As opposed to Tony Snow, who really was only a mouthpiece.
BTW, my “in for a penny, in for a pound” quote was directed at your initially tepid Godwinization, when you used the Hussein brothers as proxies for the Master Race. Nice to see you’re taking hyperbole to its Final Solution.
You keep telling us that the rights in the constitution must apply to everyone, regardless of who they are. The basic fundamental rights like those in the Bill of Rights. Have you changed that position? Cruel and unusual punishment? OK for certain people?