A Small Victory

Yes Michelle,

There is certainly a "wearing out" factor at work.

The political season only makes it worse. There is a daily rehash of all the old arguments. The chorus and the deaf repeat endlessly the same mantras of the previous day.

Only some dramatic new disclosure can change that. Even a dramatic "event" will only be subject to the same old point and counterpoint screeds.

Michelle:
Don't lose hope. I'd read it if you wrote it simply because I know there's a lot I don't know. I recently thought we just wanted to expand into Syria as an extension of middle east control, however a link you posted here changed my mind. I've now heard good reasons why Syria is in turmoil.
I still disagree with our Haiti intervention, but I'm not completely against the conservative perspective. I'm just only now hearing compulsive evidence to look into some of it deeper. No offense to you all here, but most of you seem to include a few tidbits of info surrounded by spite or derision. The left, of course, is guilty of the same.

I read something very similar to this statement in a book today:

"A protest is a public admission of incompetence [...] It's purpose is to draw attention to a situation in the hope of altering it. But, exept in a few rare cases, the situation does not change because those who would care about the issue are either already alerted to it or, once they become aware of it, because they have seen the protest, believe that something is already being done. Demonstrations are just another form of media entertainment. They change nothing."

Cynical, yes, but in most cases it's also true.

The only thing that I still sometimes think will make people see the light is direct thanks from people in Iraq, for liberating them. There was one in that Halabja article you linked, and you stopped just before it.

"I call all those who are not believing in it, 'Please come to Halabja to see how mass destruction arms (were) used,"' [Jalal Talabani, leader of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan] said. "We are now free ... thanks to the coalition forces."

But even that never works. That's why I just don't bother talking about it anymore. It's too depressing.

It is very frustrating... and it seems to be getting worse: Check out the comments of "Graham" in this Michael Totten post .

This guy was a making rude remark about Scott Elliott's parents in a comment DIRECTLY AFTER Scott responded. And still continued to comment with no apologies(just in case he didn't realize his mistake)!

Scott's response to this troll was touching, however

One thing I noticed reading middle eastern newspapers is that there is no such thing as honest debate in those cultures.

In our culture, if a charge turns out to be proven false, people drop it. Arguements change as the public's understanding changes.

Not in the middle east. When something is proven a lie, the people saying that lie, if anything, repeat it more often. The only response to arguements and proof is to slander the messenger, loudly and often and to add your slander to your false charges...

In such an environment lies last forever and outnumber and overwhelm the truth to the point where truth is invisible. There's an infinite number of lies floating around middle eastern discourse because they never go away.

I bring this up because I see that sort of discourse creeping into our culture. Whether it's because some people like to identify with our opponants and unconciously pick up the habits of those they identify with or because some of the rhetoric we see is actually invented by and paid for by our enemies, I don't know. Both, no doubt.

The truth is that our culture had this problem before hand, worse than Canada where I grew up anyway. But it's definitely getting worse.

From now on the response to any arguement in favor of the war on terror will be slander. You'll be called a racist, and some past statement will be fabricated to prove it... That's how the new discourse goes. Distraction not arguement and certainly never reasoning. The lies will multiply.

Josh, there is an email for you.

I didn't recieve any. Did you remember drop "REMOVETHIS" from my address? Or maybe "Silicone nude bra builds cleavage" is from you:)

Josh,

I resent.

Meanwhile...

"High Value Target," perhaps either OBL or Zawahiri, "surrouded" in Pakistan

Amen, Sistah! Amen.

Ace, I guess getting caught spreading nukes has the Pakistani government desperate to appear serious in the war on terror.

How does that go?

"Dance like it hurts. Love like you need money. Work when people are watching."
- dogbert

But I want to read your 70 paragraphs. I like your paragraphs.

What about preaching to a tone-deaf choir?

Yeah, I'm with Dave. If you don't want an unfinished essay on your blog, dump it in a link.

One L dammit.

"In our culture, if a charge turns out to be proven false, people drop it"