Why can't arguments be more fun?

I had to unfriend a person on Facebook for the first time recently. She was fairly conservative, and tended to post things of that nature. Me being... well... me, I would sometimes dispute some premises, facts, or conclusions, resulting in an argument. From my perspective, it's all in good fun. Unfortunately, it eventually became apparent that she did not share this view (yeah, it took me a while to realize how bad it was, even with my girlfriend getting annoyed with me, between it being the internet and that I can be somewhat oblivious to these things).

Let me make it clear: I didn't unfriend her because of any animosity on my part, nor that I tired of attempts to convince her of my position. She seems like a genuinely decent person, nor is conversion to my side the point (it was apparent early on that was unlikely, anyway). No, the problem was that I was unnecessarily upsetting her, a fellow follower of Christ. I have a hard time keeping my opinions to myself when I see something I disagree with, so it was best just to take away that temptation.

I have continued to receive emails listing replies to some posts I commented on, despite no longer having the ability to see the actual page. I had to raise an eyebrow when one person felt I was a "libtard and provocateur" that should "fall off a cliff." Really? The post I had replied to in that case had some historical inaccuracies I pointed out (keep in mind I consider history important), and for that I should die? Was pointing out that some facts were wrong really that bad?

Truthfully, I don't really understand why differing opinions upset people. I know it's common, and I try to be understanding of their feelings, but it doesn't really make sense to me. Provided there's no ad hominem, bigotry, or just rudeness involved, why would it be upsetting that someone's beliefs are different, even wrong? They are ideas, not people, and I believe people should be the priority.

There's the part of me that wants to blame all this animosity between the liberal and conservative sides over the last decade or so on pundits like Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh, but honestly it's been going on a long time. If you look at the history books, politics has always produced bitter feuds. In the early days of the USA, the famous duel between Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr is a good example.

Something in human nature just creates a lot of fear, anger, and hate over opposing beliefs. My best guess is that many people consider their beliefs vital to their person, and having those challenged, even by someone who simply says they disagree, threatens their worldview, prompting an angry response, rather than thoughtful debate.

Perhaps there's a remnant of tribalism behind the animosity as well. By disputing their tribe's view of the world, I'm marking myself as a member of a rival tribe, and therefore to be hated. In that case, the ideas aren't even that important. They are only identifiers. What really matters is that I have been identified as one of "them." It would explain why, in multiple cases, statements I've made that were inconsistent with views stereotypical of the opposing tribe I was accused of belonging to were either ignored or discounted (sometimes I was accused of outright lying). From a tribal view, there are few gray areas when it comes to affiliation, people are considered either one of "us," or one of "them."

In this particular situation, it's not that big of a deal. It is a little unfortunate that I have gotten this kind of thing from both ends of the political spectrum, but I'll walk away from this with a little head-scratching and a shrug, as I've done in the past.

Glenn Beck to Jesus: Drop Dead

While my initial reaction was outrage, I've decided to focus more on the humor of being called a CommuNazi (might as well make up a word for a made-up political combination). I've been mentioning that I've had the urge to put myself in a concentration camp, and being communist and nazi at the same time would apparently explain that.



Glenn Beck's astounding ignorance of Religion, Political theory, and History make for a completely absurd set of statements. Given his claim to be a researcher, he should know better, but of course, he doesn't want to. Beck would rather be ignorant than knowledgeable. If he obtained actual knowledge, it might interfere with his ability to make wild claims and bizarre conspiracy theories without apparent cognitive dissonance. Of course, this is all assuming the best of him and that Beck isn't simply lying in order to manipulate others ignorant of these things.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Memo to Obama: Moving Forward Doesn't Mean You Can't Also Look Back

Most of these calls for a public investigation of the Bush administration are from people who have something to gain if it is productive (mostly a personal boost to their ego from being right), but nothing to lose if it is not. I think Obama recognizes that there are some very big political risks to himself that come with attempting to investigate, and possibly prosecute, the former administration. Last I checked, he has a lot of goals for his presidency, and pursuing Bush could jeopardize every one of them. It risks becoming a huge mess that would dominate his presidency, overshadowing everything and further alienating people he may need to work with.



I'm inclined to believe he's taking the right course at this point. Perhaps he may set up an investigation, but it should be as low-key as possible, and not the media circus we saw in the Clinton years. Attempting to prosecute Clinton cost the Republicans in the 1998 congressional election, and Obama knows better than to repeat history with a similarly sloppy move, IMO. I think he should continue to dodge the question, and set up a very quiet preliminary investigation to decide if something more public might be a good move.
About Dick Cheney
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Rev. Jeremiah Wright: 'I've Been Preaching The Same Thing For 40 Years'

They don't come much whiter than myself, but I believe I see where Wright is coming from. I probably would have been shocked by the comments that were all over the media if I'd heard them a decade ago, but not now. I've become friends with black men around Wright's age, and heard some of their stories. One was in the wrong place at the wrong time in LA (across the street from an incident), and was beaten by the cops so badly he lay in jail overnight struggling to breath, while another man futilely yelled for someone to get a doctor for him. He's currently a missionary.



Stories like that opened my eyes as to where the anger comes from. It's easy to forget that it hasn't been that long since the civil rights era. I wasn't born yet, so it was difficult for me to comprehend just how recent it was.



Obama is trying to move beyond Wright's era and message, and I think Wright understands that, too. It seems to me he's willing to be marginalized if it's for the good of the black community, though I think he's understandably upset that much of what he was saying was taken out of context and mis-characterized.



I think Wright's message was better suited to a different time, but that doesn't mean he should be forgotten or made into a villain. He has my respect.
About Jeremiah Wright
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Why Palin ensures I can't vote McCain

I've already been an Obama supporter for quite a while now, but I did have a certain amount of respect for McCain. He was my candidate of choice back in 2000, but I just haven't felt he's the right guy for the job this time around.

However, while his VP selection of Sarah Palin has been news-grabbing, the things I've read about her actual decisions and governance style leave me certain I could never support a ticket that includes her.

Personally, I find her strong support for killing wolves the most offensive. I like wolves, and I've studied enough to know that killing wolves is very rarely necessary. They moderate their populations themselves, tend to stay clear of people, and prefer to hunt sick and weak animals. They are apex predators, and messing with their population tends to mess with the entire ecosystem.

Below are a few quotes and links to some articles on Palin I find particularly relevant.

"Many lawmakers contend that Ms. Palin is overly reliant on a small inner circle that leaves her isolated. Democrats and Republicans alike describe her as often missing in action. Since taking office in 2007, Ms. Palin has spent 312 nights at her Wasilla home, some 600 miles to the north of the governor's mansion in Juneau, records show.

"During the last legislative session, some lawmakers became so frustrated with her absences that they took to wearing "Where's Sarah?" pins." http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/14/us/politics/14palin.html?em

"Governor Palin is an active promoter of Alaska's aerial hunting program whereby wolves and bears are shot from the air or chased by airplanes to the point of exhaustion before the pilot lands the plane and a gunner shoots the animals point blank." http://www.defendersactionfund.org/newsroom/sarah_palin.html

"The cunning of the Palin choice as a political strategy is that a candidate who embodies fear of change can be sold as a "maverick" simply because she looks the part. Her marketers have a lot to work with. Palin is not only the first woman on a Republican presidential ticket, but she is young, vibrant and a Washington outsider with no explicit connection to Bush or the war in Iraq. That package looks like change even if what's inside is anything but." http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/14/opinion/14rich.html?em

What is Your World View? Quiz

It's an interesting quiz. Lots to think about as you answer the questions. The author does use some jargon at a few points, but it's not bad overall.

My results:

You scored as Cultural Creative, Cultural Creatives are probably the newest group to enter this realm. You are a modern thinker who tends to shy away from organized religion but still feels as if there is something greater than ourselves. You are very spiritual, even if you are not religious. Life has a meaning outside of the rational. Cultural Creative 88% Romanticist 50% Postmodernist 50% Existentialist 38% Fundamentalist 31% Idealist 31% Modernist 19% Materialist 19% What is Your World View? created with QuizFarm.com

Dont Feed the Trolls

OK, this is just crappy reporting by Newsweek. It's fearmongering with little hard evidence. All the authors probably did was a quick websearch to find what they wanted.

However, what seems completely lost on them is that comments left on blogs or social sites often do not reflect real-life viewpoints. Extreme viewpoints will often be the most visible, and it's very common for idiots to mimic that kind of thing in order to gain attention. It's much like kids who emulate Jackass by hurting themselves pulling stupid stunts, then post it on YouTube.

As with the theory by Penny Arcade (profanity warning) I previously mentioned, people act like complete morons when they feel they have a certain level of anonimity and an audience.

So, back to the blog I referenced initially. The offending comment was quoted as,

“Koreans are the most hotheaded and macho of East Asians,” wrote one unnamed commentator on the Sepia Mutiny blog. “They are also sick and tired of losing their Korean girlfriends to white men with an Asian fetish.”

Note that this guy isn't targeting Koreans in general, but Korean men, and is making the effort at an extra over-the-top jab with the comment about their girlfriends. That's the point. It's a juvenile attention-getting device: the guy is emulating racist behavior so that people will attack him. He probably thought that last part was pretty darn clever.

So, congratulations, Newsweek. You gave some stupid kid more fame than he could have hoped for just for making an ass of himself.