# Whack-a-Mole did something really stupid **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [August 29, 2010, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whack-a-mole-did-something-really-stupid/551862 "2010-08-29T03:38:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2010, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whack-a-mole-did-something-really-stupid/551862/61 "2010-08-30T16:17:11Z")
Non-partisan fence sitters. Won’t lead, won’t follow, won’t get out of the way. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2010, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whack-a-mole-did-something-really-stupid/551862/62 "2010-08-30T17:08:20Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > Think really really hard and you’ll realize why he carved out an exception for gambling away tons of money in his pantheon of moral virtues. Because he didn’t consider gambling immoral, or indicative of a lack of virtue. You may disagree. And more in tune with your distress, many others who agree with Bennett on other things ALSO disagree, which I suspect is at the root of your distaste. You think his scolding resonated with other people, people who ALSO dislike gambling, and it was somehow dishonest for him to never mention gambling. Whatever it was, it wasn’t hypocrisy. Hypocrisy has a meaning. Bennett’s conduct doesn’t fit that meaning. Call him any one of a dozen other words, call him holier-than-thou, call him judgmental, call me smug, call him overweening, call him prideful. I won’t dispute that. But stop insisting on the one charge that is manifestly untrue. ---
**Author:** ![Rand\_Rover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/db5fbb/32.png) [@Rand\_Rover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rand_Rover)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2010, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whack-a-mole-did-something-really-stupid/551862/63 "2010-08-30T17:25:54Z")
Unlike you, Luci, who doesn’t have the ability to lead and only follows idiots, thereby firmly placing your ass right in the way. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2010, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whack-a-mole-did-something-really-stupid/551862/64 "2010-08-30T17:38:23Z")
> [@Rand\_Rover](#): > > Unlike you, Luci, who doesn’t have the ability to lead and only follows idiots, thereby firmly placing your ass right in the way. Do you do vanity searches for the word “stupid”? ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2010, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whack-a-mole-did-something-really-stupid/551862/65 "2010-08-30T18:20:53Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > > [@Jackmannii](#): > > > > Think really really hard and you’ll realize why he carved out an exception for gambling away tons of money in his pantheon of moral virtues. > > Because he didn’t consider gambling immoral, or indicative of a lack of virtue. > > You may disagree. And more in tune with your distress No distress involved, unless from laughing too hard. Your dodge 'em attempts were comical too, only less so with repetition. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2010, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whack-a-mole-did-something-really-stupid/551862/66 "2010-08-30T18:47:45Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > > [@John\_Mace](#): > > > > I like it! > > I considered “Centrist of the Lunatic Fringe”, but I didn’t want to force you into a box. > \ I’ve heard rumous that’s what **Bricker** does to kids in the woods, after he drugs them. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2010, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whack-a-mole-did-something-really-stupid/551862/67 "2010-08-30T20:03:22Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > > [@Jackmannii](#): > > > > Think really really hard and you’ll realize why he carved out an exception for gambling away tons of money in his pantheon of moral virtues. > > Because he didn’t consider gambling immoral, or indicative of a lack of virtue. Amazingly idiosyncratic definition there, innit? > [@](#): > > Whatever it was, it wasn’t hypocrisy. Hypocrisy has a meaning. Bennett’s conduct doesn’t fit that meaning. Can you or can you not understand how it may not look that way to most people? People who, unlike you and Bennett, do not have gambling habits that they desperately need to excuse away? :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Contrapuntal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e274bd/32.png) [@Contrapuntal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrapuntal)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2010, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whack-a-mole-did-something-really-stupid/551862/68 "2010-08-30T20:18:26Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > Now comes **The Second Stone** who says that DeLay must be gulty because I’m defending him, and as I admitted in another thread, I never had a client I thought was completely innocent. > > I point out that the two situations are completely different: I was talking about my time as a public defender. **The Second Stone** ’s response? The message board is a public forum, and you are defending DeLay, so that’s being a public defender. Please tell me he didn’t say that. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Ashtar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ea924/32.png) [@Lord\_Ashtar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Ashtar)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2010, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whack-a-mole-did-something-really-stupid/551862/69 "2010-08-30T20:58:00Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > > [@Bricker](#): > > > > Whatever it was, it wasn’t hypocrisy. Hypocrisy has a meaning. Bennett’s conduct doesn’t fit that meaning. > > Can you or can you not understand how it may not look that way to most people? People who, unlike you and Bennett, do not have gambling habits that they desperately need to excuse away? :dubious: Can you or can you not understand how this is just an argument from popularity? ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2010, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whack-a-mole-did-something-really-stupid/551862/70 "2010-08-30T20:59:13Z")
I swear one of these days, we’re going to see the following sentence posted by pal **Bricker** : “But that’s not hypocrisy because \*he \*killed prostitutes with a butcher knife, not a chain saw.” ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2010, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whack-a-mole-did-something-really-stupid/551862/71 "2010-08-30T22:26:39Z")
> [@Lord\_Ashtar](#): > > > [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > > > Can you or can you not understand how it may not look that way to most people? People who, unlike you and Bennett, do not have gambling habits that they desperately need to excuse away? :dubious: > > Can you or can you not understand how this is just an argument from popularity? Nope. Morality is a group-defined virtue, or set of virtues. **Bricker** is also claiming, transparently falsely and desperately but as a self-appointed defense counsel and loyal partisan he’s forced to, that Bennett was preaching about a few individual actions and not about moral conduct in general. Come on now. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![bucketybuck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/898d66/32.png) [@bucketybuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bucketybuck)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2010, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whack-a-mole-did-something-really-stupid/551862/72 "2010-08-30T22:32:51Z")
Its like, all the “Great Debates” usual suspects got tired of the same old circle jerk of semantic petty arguing, and decided to all come down to the Pit, where they could poke each other with bad language instead of rules lawyering. You all having fun fellas? ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2010, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whack-a-mole-did-something-really-stupid/551862/73 "2010-08-30T22:41:08Z")
No, we got tired of _ **Bricker** _’s semantic petty arguing and rules lawyering. Notice what the thread has been all about, Chief? ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2010, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whack-a-mole-did-something-really-stupid/551862/74 "2010-08-30T22:48:09Z")
I told you guys, invite him to the circle jerk this time, and he won’t feel left out. And remember, no pointing and laughing. Shouldn’t even have to say that… ---
**Author:** ![Rand\_Rover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/db5fbb/32.png) [@Rand\_Rover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rand_Rover)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2010, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whack-a-mole-did-something-really-stupid/551862/75 "2010-08-30T23:57:24Z")
Well, I read pages 3 and 4 of the thread linked in the OP (god help me), and I would like to offer you (Bricker) the following unsolicited advice: you should be more mindful that arguing in Great Debates (and on the internet more generally) is an activity for your own amusement only. The likes of WaM and TSS and Luci are never ever going to read your posts (or anyone else’s posts) and realize that they are spouting complete nonsense and couldn’t argue their way out of a wet paper bag. So there’s no need to spend a lot of time trying to make them see that they aren’t making any sense. Just state your point, show why they aren’t making any sense (in one brief post), and move on. ---
**Author:** ![Rand\_Rover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/db5fbb/32.png) [@Rand\_Rover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rand_Rover)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2010, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whack-a-mole-did-something-really-stupid/551862/76 "2010-08-31T00:00:13Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > No, we got tired of _ **Bricker** _’s semantic petty arguing and rules lawyering. Notice what the thread has been all about, Chief? You got a mouse in your pocket (with the royal we)? The truth is that you don’t know the first thing about how the Constitution or our system of government in general works, and you are incapable of matching Bricker’s intellect or arguing ability, so you instead complain that he’s “rules lawyering” (thus showing yourself to also be a D&D retard). Aren’t you the one that responded “of course it can :rolleyes:” when the topic was whether the US federal government can do anything it wants (or was instead bound by what the Constitution says it can do)? I rest my case. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2010, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whack-a-mole-did-something-really-stupid/551862/77 "2010-08-31T00:29:49Z")
> [@Rand\_Rover](#): > > … I rest my case. Oh, goody! Thank you, Jesus! ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2010, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whack-a-mole-did-something-really-stupid/551862/78 "2010-08-31T00:42:28Z")
You talk like a fag and your shit’s all retarded. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2010, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whack-a-mole-did-something-really-stupid/551862/79 "2010-08-31T00:46:11Z")
Oh,\*\* Elvis\*\*, you can be such a little bitch, sometimes… ---
**Author:** ![Rand\_Rover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/db5fbb/32.png) [@Rand\_Rover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rand_Rover)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2010, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whack-a-mole-did-something-really-stupid/551862/80 "2010-08-31T01:26:00Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > You talk like a fag and your shit’s all retarded. Another value add from you. Thanks. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whack-a-mole-did-something-really-stupid/551862.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whack-a-mole-did-something-really-stupid/551862.md?page=5)