My column yesterday asked liberals where they get their information. The whole point of the article was to show them that it is ok to question beliefs, rather than take everything at face valuable. Whether republican or democrat, liberal or conservative, one should be a thinker. I received a response from a liberal that only reinforced the negative stereotypes that many Americans have about liberals to begin with. The response read:
“From the Daily Kos of course! (hate speech link to the Daily Kos Deleted)
Try it, you just might learn something.
Oh yes: here is what your post reminds me of (insulting Anti-Bush supporters link deleted). Cheers and Godspeed!”
He called himself “Berkeley Guy.” Now I normally would not blog about a person like this, because it just gives them more attention, but if you look at the arrogant, condescending, smug nature of the response, it seems to fit in well. I was challenging liberals to question their beliefs, and the fellow responded with an insulting cartoon. Here is my response to him, in a civilized manner that I wish liberals could emulate.
“Thank you for commenting on my blog www.blacktygrrrr.wordpress.com
Given that your name is Berkeley Guy, and you believe the Daily Kos has educational
value, I will avoid trying to engage in constructive dialogue with you, because
I doubt it would change your mind. I suspect you are not in the persuadable category.
Also, as a Holocaust survivor’s son, seeing the Daily Kos compare Bush to Hitler
is pure hate speech. My goal is to raise public discourse, not lower it.
The slash and burn approach of the Daily Kos group obscures the fact that Kos Candidates
are 0 for 26 in elections. You have every right to believe you are mainstream America,
but one thing the far left does not understand is that many people may disagree
with George W. Bush, but they do not hate his guts. They do not want to destroy
him, grind him into dust, and humiliate him. The Daily Kos/Deaniacs tactics backfire,
and only help republicans.
Disagreeing with the Clintons is fine. Hating their guts serves no purpose. Despite
your believing the Daily Kos offers positive constructive dialogue, I hope you are
not motivated by hatred.
Good luck, and I will defend to the death your right to speak, regardless of how
you may feel.”
The difference is crystal clear. Liberals are interested in winning argument and elections, but conservatives are actually trying to do things. This is not a game or a blood sport. People resort to insults when they have no ideas, which is today’s demagogic party.
Nobody would ask a black man to read the KKK websote or a Jew to read the Hamas website to get other “perspectives.” Asking conservatives to read the Daily Kos in the hopes that we might “learn something,” is ludicrous. Conservative websites and blogs contain actual policy ideas. Liberal websites and blogs such as this simply contain hatred for George W. Bush, and bigotry (what else is hate speech towards one group?) against Bush voters.
The point I made yesterday, and stand by, is that it is vital to challenge one’s own ideas, which could make them weaker or stronger. Either way, the questioner benefits. If liberals from Berkeley think that the Daily Kos gives them enough information, than perhaps they should just talk to each other, and convince each other that they are larger in numbers than the two million screamers that they are. Oh wait, they already do that.
Elections are won, and policies are enacted, by persuading those in the middle who are open to ideas. The left still prefers rage, hatred and anger to reasoned discussion. For those who ask “It is just a cartoon, can’t I take a joke?” These are the same people who are against the Danish cartoons about Muhammad. Cartoons are a warm fuzzy way of occasionally spreading invective.
There are plenty of intelligent publications out there that are not only informative, but thought provoking. Two excellent examples are the Wall Street Journal and Investors Business Daily. The Economist is a good read, as is Foreign Policy Magazine. It is not that they are “conservative,” it is that they are well written, and not constantly forced to retract page 1 stories with page 30 corrections, such as the Jayson Blair Times.
Where people get their information is vital, because if the premises are wrong, the conclusions are wrong, and the whole syllogism collapses under a weight of faulty deductive reasoning.
Although liberals insist they are smart and conservatives are dumb (when not saying they are good and we are evil), I will not take such an arrogant view. I will just say that we have more and better sources of information. Then again, compared to the Daily Kos and the Huffington Post, that does not say much.
I do not expect the left to have the graciousness or decency to check out alternative information. They might find out conservatives are human beings, which is more information than they are prepared to absorb and accept at this time.
eric