It's only political if it's pro-Bush
Lately I've been getting lessons on just what is political speech and what isn't.
My wife and I recently went on a very nice caribbean cruise, we scrimped and saved for two years to pay for it but I'm sure that had nothing to do with it as (former Democratic leader of the house) Dick Gephardt would say we were "the winners of lifes lottery."
Anyway, we met a delightful couple from Ottawa, Canada. Ana and Doug work for the Canadian government in the diplomatic corps. We got along famously, sharing the things that tourists do when they're touring, until the subject of politics came up. Ana told me that she absolutely forbade Doug and I to discuss politics as she knew we would argue, then she turned to my wife and said, "Of course you know Bush really is dangerous." hummm I guess that's not political?
After we had been home for a month or so I became aware that my rather large and far flung family had set up a website so that the brothers, sisters, cousins,etc. could stay in touch. I joined with enthusiam some of these folks I hadn't seen in years. Everyone had their own photo section where they posted pictures of their children, wives, friends -- old memories from when we were kids and got together all the time.
In one of the picture albums my cousin Andy (a lawyer) from Baton Rouge, had a picture of Charles Manson with a caption which read "my hero" right next to a picture of George W. Bush with a caption that read "my arch enemy." Once again any idiot would know that's not political.
In the messages were several comments like" wow great minds think alike"... "we must be related that's my hero and arch enemy too" and, my favorite, " they're basically the same person. They both have other people doing their killing for them."
Well dumb ole me I thought all this was political speech that invited comment. So I wrote a rather spirited defense of the president, pointed out how he had kept the war over there by being aggressive against the terrorists and how I was convinced that G W. Bush would go down in history as one of our greatest presidents ever. He's the best in my lifetime at any rate.
I was stunned by the reaction. The answer I got back was "you've really turned into a dumbass " followed by howls that "we need a moratorium" on all this politics. I guess I didn't know it was only political if it defends George Bush... hmmm you live and learn.
My wife and I recently went on a very nice caribbean cruise, we scrimped and saved for two years to pay for it but I'm sure that had nothing to do with it as (former Democratic leader of the house) Dick Gephardt would say we were "the winners of lifes lottery."
Anyway, we met a delightful couple from Ottawa, Canada. Ana and Doug work for the Canadian government in the diplomatic corps. We got along famously, sharing the things that tourists do when they're touring, until the subject of politics came up. Ana told me that she absolutely forbade Doug and I to discuss politics as she knew we would argue, then she turned to my wife and said, "Of course you know Bush really is dangerous." hummm I guess that's not political?
After we had been home for a month or so I became aware that my rather large and far flung family had set up a website so that the brothers, sisters, cousins,etc. could stay in touch. I joined with enthusiam some of these folks I hadn't seen in years. Everyone had their own photo section where they posted pictures of their children, wives, friends -- old memories from when we were kids and got together all the time.
In one of the picture albums my cousin Andy (a lawyer) from Baton Rouge, had a picture of Charles Manson with a caption which read "my hero" right next to a picture of George W. Bush with a caption that read "my arch enemy." Once again any idiot would know that's not political.
In the messages were several comments like" wow great minds think alike"... "we must be related that's my hero and arch enemy too" and, my favorite, " they're basically the same person. They both have other people doing their killing for them."
Well dumb ole me I thought all this was political speech that invited comment. So I wrote a rather spirited defense of the president, pointed out how he had kept the war over there by being aggressive against the terrorists and how I was convinced that G W. Bush would go down in history as one of our greatest presidents ever. He's the best in my lifetime at any rate.
I was stunned by the reaction. The answer I got back was "you've really turned into a dumbass " followed by howls that "we need a moratorium" on all this politics. I guess I didn't know it was only political if it defends George Bush... hmmm you live and learn.
posted by Anonymous at 10:21 PM
3 Comments:
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(Above comment removed because of typos. I keep forgetting to "preview" before I "publish.")
As always, the hypocracy of the left is alive and well.
This is rather sad, though; your long lost relatives turning out to be liberals... how frustrating that must be! I wonder what happened to them anyway?
Still, it must be good to know their's two sane folks in your family... you and your wife. Keep up the good work. :)
Hey, it happens. My mom is an old school lefty. Could be worse.
As it turns out, Bush is really dangerous. To terrorists. And Democrats, because Republicans that grab onto the Bush agenda keep winning.
My mom likes to say stuff, and I respond, and she knows better than engage in the sort of uncivil discourse of the Daily Kos variety, because I'm more than happy to declare my own moratorium on any discussion or relationship.
I noticed on one list I subscribe to, conseratives went from a tiny minority to a larger minority, and most of the liberals on the list couldn't take it. The one solid lefty that's left is prone to the most outrageous hyperbole, but I have more respect for him than the guys that left the minute they faced cogent conservative arguments from several quarters.
Of course, I play thinking games, and liberal "intellectuals" hate those. "Okay, let's say George Bush is really dangerous for America. Is he worse than Abraham Lincoln when he suspended habeus corpus? Okay, let's say the Republicans are spying on my reading list. What have they learned? Why do I care?"
And I practice a time-worn strategy of rhetoric--pointedly refusing to take them seriously because of their vitriol. Sometimes I go along: "Actually, I don't have enough time to spy on my neighbor's reading habit since I took up clubbing baby seals to death while smoking." "Hey, my water and air have been clean for years. Can anybody help me pollute them?"
What are the touchiest topics for you (the royal you)? While the left just hates Bush, and discussions about him can be very vigorous, I find when it comes to issues, even abortion takes second place to global warming. Global Warming is the Goddess of the religious left. It's the hardest subject to talk sense with lefties about, even though there is plenty of both logical problems with the liberal position of global warming, and lots of contradictory historical data. But nothing penetrates.
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