Drilling Down and Finding Idiocy
By
Michael The Libertarian
Recently,
at a forum site that I frequent, one of the denizens of that site
(We'll call him “Roger”) posted a piece by Ilya
Somin from Reason.com.
In
“Roger”'s own editorializing, he said “Making America 'White'
again” was going to be costly. I only bothered to add this tidbit
because I addressed it in my initial response to “Roger”:
“I
have long been talking about how "eminent domain" does
little more than "steal" peoples' property at the point of
a gun because the REcompensation is almost never "fair".
So, as far as a general discussion about "eminent domain":
I'm on board.
To
try to narrow it down to this one single issue is intellectually
dishonest. Throw in the "making America white again" crap
and it's childish.”
I
was being generous to “Roger” because as I've told you, my loyal
readers, the “make America 'white' again” stuff can't honestly be
chalked up to immaturity, it is more accurately a mind-numbed drone
spitting out an Alinskyesque “talking point”.
Anyway,
just to show the lock-step precision with which the “Alinskyites”
march, another poster (whose name I couldn't put here, if I wanted to
so, I'll just call him: “IdiotboyUK”), immediately after my post,
typed:
“So
the fact that he wants to use eminent domain in order to seize
private property to build a wall on it is perfectly acceptable and
above board, then?”
IdiotboyUK's
response attempted to do something we in the debate world call “Straw
man”. He was trying to set up a silly position for
me
so that he could easily assault that position and “knock it down”.
I'm not sure how far back the tactic dates so I can't say whether
Alinskyites have co-opted it or they invented it. Either way, it's a
common tactic for the Left.
I
had to go back and re-read my post to make sure I hadn't made some
kind of syntax error which ran counter to the point I was trying to
make. Sure enough: I hadn't.
So,
my only choice was to respond by re-posting my initial response,
making every word up to “fair” in 32pt. font, re-posting his
query and adding:
“Can
you even read? That is NOT what I said (but nice try).”
I figured that would be the end of it. I'm frequently wrong, when I
try to assign intellectual honesty and common decency to the PPLs on
the Left. IdiotboyUK's response:
“What
did you say, then? If it bears no resemblance to what you typed,
that's a problem that you should probably look into.”
At
this point, I'm starting to question my own sanity/memory of what I
typed. Honestly, either this person is over-the-top stupid or they're
determined to erect that Straw man/paint me as the stupid one.
I
re-posted all the interaction we'd had (starting with his “So the
fact ...” and including my large-fonted re-post and including
everything thereafter) and added:
“I
re-posted what I typed and I stand by it; eminent domain, in
practice, is almost always "unfair".
Reading
Comprehension Level: AMATEUR
Strawman
Building Level: EXPERT”
In
my mind's eye IdiotboyUK slunk off, licking his wounds after having
tried to have a battle of wits with someone who was much better
armed. Certainly, I didn't notice any further responses directed at
me. I guess I was wrong again, in trying to assign some level of
intellectual honesty and common decency to a large portion of the
“foot soldiers” on the Left.
You
can't make stuff like this up. It arrives, prêt-à-porter for commentary. I
see things like this and it's why I shake my head, when some of you
ask me: “How do you think up things to write about?”
Since
this will be my last post of this calendar year, allow me to wish all
of you: Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. For those of you that
don't celebrate any holidays, this time of year, please accept my
wish that all the joys and glorious promises of the holidays I
celebrate also find their way to you and your family.
- Michael
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