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Charles, we may not agree on darwinism/creationism/fundamentalism as I really don't care. I think where we do agree is the basic underpinnings of financial conservatism. Our tent is big enough for both of us.
There's very little to add to Rose's statement, except to express my personal gratitude to my friend Rose in saying what absolutely needed to be said, and expressed with eloquence I wish I had. It's about damn time it was said, and I couldn't be prouder to consider myself amongst her friends.
The human race has clawed its way up from the dust of east Africa to the threshold of the stars during the last 100,000 years. The principles, the very processes themselves, that allowed this miracle are the same ones Charles has advocated here. That is why we will prevail in our efforts, history is on our side.
Prepare yourselves folks- you will now see Irish Rose get dragged through the mud on various stalker sites simply for daring to defend LGF and Charles.
Huh, is WildIrishRose OUR Irish Rose?!
And btw, I have BOTH a Google account and a Blooger account and can't get either of them to recognize my password!
Nice post from Irish Rose. I'll stop in again to see what's up.
Don't like the center justified type, though. It's like reading a long wedding announcement.
Moronic cesspit dweller 'savage' just made the vilest comment I've seen there for a while. I wouldn't normally quote from that shit hole, but check this out
"One thing I hope for is when the shit hits the fan, every one of these CJ style punks are rounded up and tossed out of my country.
And shoot them if they resist, citizenship or not."
Just here for a quick moment. I'm testing a new "aircard"--wireless USB plugin--from AT&T. So far it completely sucks; it's slower than surfing the neighbors' WiFi.
Anybody who knows anything about this, I'll check back in the AM, and thank you kindly. If there is no way to improve this, it gets canceled tomorrow.
1984: After a record-setting run of 37 weeks atop the best-selling album charts, Thriller is finally knocked out of that spot by the soundtrack of this film:
Nice how apostates to his version of conservative dogma are worse in his eyes than the far left commies. Sounds like the wackjobs of a particular religion that will remain nameless.
I don't talk much about what i think LGF is because I've watched so many other people do it over the years and get it completely wrong. In the end it is what it is. People come and people go for various reasons, I've become pretty fatalistic about that. We've had an interesting year. Conversations that were difficult (if not impossible) last year about topics like abortion, stem cells and evolution are now common thread topics. I'm glad that Charles hasn't been effected by the recent insanity and conspiracy theories that are now so common. I was surprised that he didn't support the Tea Parties when so many lizards were psyched about the idea. Conservatives are having a very tough time understanding what is going on these days and we're probably going to lose some of our more partisan friends here. I look forward to seeing what LGF is going to look like next year. Maybe LGF is finally coming of age. We'll have to wait and see.
Moronic cesspit dweller 'savage' just made the vilest comment I've seen there for a while. I wouldn't normally quote from that shit hole, but check this out
"One thing I hope for is when the shit hits the fan, every one of these CJ style punks are rounded up and tossed out of my country.
And shoot them if they resist, citizenship or not."
That's one long essay. Not sure I have the time to read the whole thing tonight. But a quick scan reveals that she's right -- for all the right reasons.
In the headlong rush to moonbat dementia in the early 2000's, Joe Lieberman was just about the only Democrat who kept his head and who proved he loved America more than any Marxist ideal.
But now after Obama's election, in the headlong rush by once-sane Americans to unquestioning acceptance of any potentially kooky right-wing ideology, LGF is just about the only place to hold the line.
And as any Revolutionary War soldier could tell you, being the only person holding the line when all your fellow soldiers have broken ranks is a very lonely place to be indeed.
It's a real chamber of horrors. Dumbest and nastiest site I am currently aware of. These creeps are like the residue left over when scum washes itself. They have also advocated "wiping Albania off the face of the earth" recently, among other things.
re: #27 Jimmah
I'd like to make a suggestion - but just a suggestion, y'all know?
Maybe if we stopped publishing their comments (almost said "thoughts") they won't get off tonight!
I have to think that savage in particular is really turned on to see himself quoted on LGF.
As I said, just a suggestion.
And as any Revolutionary War soldier could tell you, being the only person holding the line when all your fellow soldiers have broken ranks is a very lonely place to be indeed.
Moronic cesspit dweller 'savage' just made the vilest comment I've seen there for a while. I wouldn't normally quote from that shit hole, but check this out
"One thing I hope for is when the shit hits the fan, every one of these CJ style punks are rounded up and tossed out of my country.
And shoot them if they resist, citizenship or not."
And here I thought my guns were a defense against the state... Now I have to be prepared for these nuts too? Because why, I like science?
This is why I think another revolution (ANY revolution, started by any side) would fail... It would turn into a free-for-all in 48 hours. Imagine an urban riot without all the sensible behavior, propagated by fat stupid white guys instead of dirty bandana-wearing kids.
That Whois information is false -- they posted phony information for their domain registration. I have the real information, from before they realized it could be looked up.
And if anyone wants to try to get their domain registration canceled, deliberately using phony info is against ICANN policies:
3.7.7.2 A Registered Name Holder's willful provision of inaccurate or unreliable information, its willful failure promptly to update information provided to Registrar, or its failure to respond for over fifteen calendar days to inquiries by Registrar concerning the accuracy of contact details associated with the Registered Name Holder's registration shall constitute a material breach of the Registered Name Holder-registrar contract and be a basis for cancellation of the Registered Name registration.
re: #45 zombie
Hey zombie! Um "And as any Revolutionary War soldier could tell you..." is inaccurate because all the Revolutionary War soldiers are dead.
But if y'all just ramp it up to "any infantryman or veteran could tell you, you'd be spot on with that comment!
I'd like to make a suggestion - but just a suggestion, y'all know?
Maybe if we stopped publishing their comments (almost said "thoughts") they won't get off tonight!
I have to think that savage in particular is really turned on to see himself quoted on LGF.
As I said, just a suggestion.
You are right. They thrive on the attention. Best to ignore, as I normally do.
Any mention of Cloudcuckooland gets an upding. From me, anyway.
I was in the last generation of college graduates who actually read literature and not identity-politics-indoctrination masquerading as literature.
I was recently told an anecdote by a college professor who said one of his graduate students -- in a liberal arts department -- had never heard of Shakespeare.
That's why nuts of all types are so keen on the idea - a chance to come out of the woodwork and settle scores against the society that scorned them etc.
I once drank an entire bottle of Wild Irish Rose in one sitting. It's not something I would attempt again. Anyway, way to go Rose! The truth shouldn't have to take a back seat to a political party. At LGF it doesn't. That's why I keep coming back.
re: #66 irish rose Ah, hadn't thought of that, just working off of Charles model here. But you're probably right - with those cretins posting, I've no doubt that they'll not only wind up with MORE than enough rope and will even tie the noose!
Again, thank you VERY MUCH for publishing that!
That's why nuts of all types are so keen on the idea - a chance to come out of the woodwork and settle scores against the society that scorned them etc.
Yep. Like the Radical Losers who commit mass shootings, except "not right now", and they imagine other losers from the internet will be there with them.
(The irony is that my civic emergency plan involves meeting up with people I know through the internet... But none of those people are losers!)
I was in the last generation of college graduates who actually read literature and not identity-politics-indoctrination masquerading as literature.
I was recently told an anecdote by a college professor who said one of his graduate students -- in a liberal arts department -- had never heard of Shakespeare.
Shakespeare? I'm afraid I don't know the gentleman... and I'm not an alien!
I was in the last generation of college graduates who actually read literature and not identity-politics-indoctrination masquerading as literature.
I was recently told an anecdote by a college professor who said one of his graduate students -- in a liberal arts department -- had never heard of Shakespeare.
Barry Rubin has a few nice posts about that on his brand new blog:
When I was a visiting professor at a U.S. university a couple of years back, a colleague told me that he had been ridiculed in a meeting for saying that teaching should be balanced. "Your idea is very old-fashioned and boring," another professor told him. "Here's how I teach my course on international environmental issues. In the first class I tell the students that the United States is the main cause of international environmental problems. In the rest of the classes I prove it."
Now, if you are asking yourself what people are being taught nowadays at American colleges, take a look at this:
Professor of Politics Shampa Biswas explains that Edward Said's Orientalism is her intellectual foundation; that you can't criticize female genital mutilation since, after all, the Western world has anorexia, and that you can't say the September 11 attacks were immoral.
In a commencement address, she explains that the Bush adminstration seeks to relaunch nineteenth century imperialism and the main job of higher education is to fight against it.
If you think I'm exaggerating, go and see for yourself--it's even worse.
Ron Kuby, a New York-based civil rights lawyer, said he has been in discussions about forming a legal team to represent the Somalian.
"I think in this particular case, there's a grave question as to whether America was in violation of principles of truce in warfare on the high seas," said Kuby. "This man seemed to come onto the Bainbridge under a flag of truce to negotiate. He was then captured. There is a question whether he is lawfully in American custody and serious questions as to whether he can be prosecuted because of his age."
I was thinking about this subject just the other day... I'm not exactly worried about "the lib'urls" who voted for Zero. I'm worried about the lib'urls who teach the people who voted for Zero.
Anybody can have any opinion, that's healthy. It's the opinion projectors in teaching positions that are a concern. That, and our education system's failure to teach THINKING, so a student doesn't necessarily have the mental tools to recognize that their teacher might be a tool.
Scientists warned that the increase in big-eaters means more food production — a major cause of CO2 gas emissions warming the planet.
Overweight people are also more likely to drive, adding to environmental damage.
It means an extra BILLION TONNES of CO2 a year is created, according to World Health Organisation estimates of overweight people.
The scientists say providing extra grub for them to guzzle adds to carbon emissions that heat up the world, melting polar ice caps, raising sea levels and killing rain forests.
The environmental impact of fat humans is made even worse because they are more likely to travel by car — another major cause of carbon emissions.
Ah, sorry for the re-post from the prior thread but i was late putting it up there, so forgive me:
I also wanted you all to know that I received an e-mail from Dublin(CA)Dude's cousin, who was close to him and his last caregiver, thanking you all for the kind comments you made about him after I posted about his passing. And if any of you want to make some donation, small or not so small, to the American Cancer Society in his name, please e-mail me (my nic is in blue), and give me your LGF nicname and I'll provide his full name for you.
Thanks a lot y'all.
Sadly, I am more than familiar with the completely insane sickness that has totally consumed all of American academia. I have come to the extremely depressing realization that it is too late -- there is no hope left. The Marxists have Total Control over American higher education. Professor Shampa Biswass is just the tip of the iceberg. 90% of professors in 90% of colleges are like her or worse.
Moronic cesspit dweller 'savage' just made the vilest comment I've seen there for a while. I wouldn't normally quote from that shit hole, but check this out
"One thing I hope for is when the shit hits the fan, every one of these CJ style punks are rounded up and tossed out of my country.
And shoot them if they resist, citizenship or not."
Well, it isn't the first time I've been put on the list for "The First Ones Against The Wall When The Revolution Comes." And it won't be the last.
Intelligent, honest and principled people are always the biggest threat to tyrants. At least I'll be in the good company of my fellow Lizards when the poop collides with the ventilation system.
Irish Rose: Good post--but also quite the line to draw in the sand as a fledgling blogger. Given the quality of some of the responses such a post is sure to elicit, that took some nerve. Kudos.
Not a fledgling blogger, by any means... just new to Blogger.
And no, I'm not going to mention my other pen names here. ;).
Well y'all it's been grand as usual, but I gotta get some sleep!
I hope you all have a great evening/early morning and that I get the chance to see you all down the road.
Wait Wait Zombie. I'm not like that. There are quite a number of us in Academia who DON'T speak up because if we DID--well--curtains for our career. Call me a coward, but I'm supporting my 10 year old autistic grandson--and have to hold on to my job by holding my tongue. (hangs head in shame)
I was in the last generation of college graduates who actually read literature and not identity-politics-indoctrination masquerading as literature.
I was recently told an anecdote by a college professor who said one of his graduate students -- in a liberal arts department -- had never heard of Shakespeare.
When I went to college the first time, the humanities and liberal arts classes were bearable. I knew all the professors were aging ex-hippies but it wasn't a reeducation camp.
When I went back a decade later to finally finish my degree. It was a totally different story. I was able to avoid being forced to read Nickeled and Dimed (just barely) but was subjected several things almost as bad in a "critical thinking" class. I think the only thing that got me through those upper division GE requirements was that I was smart enough to know how to bullshit my way around their liberal dogma biases and still be true to my convictions.
I know people with Political Science and History degrees who seem to not know shit about either. Some of them are now teachers.
Sadly, I am more than familiar with the completely insane sickness that has totally consumed all of American academia. I have come to the extremely depressing realization that it is too late -- there is no hope left. The Marxists have Total Control over American higher education. Professor Shampa Biswass is just the tip of the iceberg. 90% of professors in 90% of colleges are like her or worse.
That's a bit pessimistic, don't you think?
The age of the internet gives me hope. There is enough unbridled information out there for anyone who cares to truly make up their own minds. The inherent catch is of course that only those who care will search out information, but it's a small catch in many ways. Those who don't care don't care enough to exert their influence anyway.
I think the key is making sure that those who follow conservative principles understand why they follow conservative principles... they should be able to out-debate any mindless drone when the time is right.
Well y'all it's been grand as usual, but I gotta get some sleep!
I hope you all have a great evening/early morning and that I get the chance to see you all down the road.
Wait Wait Zombie. I'm not like that. There are quite a number of us in Academia who DON'T speak up because if we DID--well--curtains for our career. Call me a coward, but I'm supporting my 10 year old autistic grandson--and have to hold on to my job by holding my tongue. (hangs head in shame)
At the very least taking the place of one of theirs. :p
Wait Wait Zombie. I'm not like that. There are quite a number of us in Academia who DON'T speak up because if we DID--well--curtains for our career. Call me a coward, but I'm supporting my 10 year old autistic grandson--and have to hold on to my job by holding my tongue. (hangs head in shame)
Nothing to be ashamed about. I can only hope that there are thousands of crypto-non-moonbats like you hiding out secretly in universities across the country.
Sadly, I am more than familiar with the completely insane sickness that has totally consumed all of American academia. I have come to the extremely depressing realization that it is too late -- there is no hope left. The Marxists have Total Control over American higher education. Professor Shampa Biswass is just the tip of the iceberg. 90% of professors in 90% of colleges are like her or worse.
I've got trust funds for my kids to pay for their college educations, and I'm seriously considering sending them to community college and using the money to buy them their first house. I have started to compile a (very short) list of schools that would be acceptable...some of the Ag schools in "red" states may make the list as long as they aren't infested with Disco Institute morons.
Sure does, it was filmed at Matt Molloys' pub in Westport. I paid them a visit while travelling through West Ireland a few years ago, and had the great pleasure of meeting the man in person.
AVJ is still setting the personalities and the stage for the 1800 election. But the discussion on Madison reminded me of something Ellis said--that he was the first "party boss" owing to his basically being married to his job and making a point of getting to know everyone. Essentially, he "networked" people. Would you agree with that assessment?
Thanks! Weird here today with NY Grampa working. And of course the kids kept checking up on me. I promised to go to sleep by 2 AM...guess what? Seriously, I can't see straight.
How is hubby?
/I could use the toddler grandson to be my baby sitter!
There's actually quite a few in the hard sciences and engineering fields at lots of universities. I'm just not interested in having my kids sit through idiotic indoctrination in their liberal arts distribution classes.
Sadly, I am more than familiar with the completely insane sickness that has totally consumed all of American academia. I have come to the extremely depressing realization that it is too late -- there is no hope left. The Marxists have Total Control over American higher education. Professor Shampa Biswass is just the tip of the iceberg. 90% of professors in 90% of colleges are like her or worse.
Z -
I have been wondering as of late - what is the necessary carbon footprint of higher education in the United States?
Think about it - education is an information based endeavour. We have the telecommunications infrastructure to convey information to anyone anywhere for pennies.
Why do we need campuses? Why do we need the parking lots? And the dorms? And the cafeterias? And the faculty office buildings?
Adult learners should have the discipline and curiosity to be able to learn at a distance.
I think the group think that is academia needs to be challenged with this - they need to evaluate their collective choices against the same moral criteria that they evaluate others on. Were they to conclude that universities could be disaggregated, they'd also lose the face time needed to reinforce the group think that has eliminated so much thought diversity on campus. We could all benefit from that.
I know people with Political Science and History degrees who seem to not know shit about either. Some of them are now teachers.
I have stories that could curl your hair.
A while back I was at a party and fell into a conversation with a 40-ish woman. She was pleasant enough but seemed remarkably ill-informed about most things I wanted to discuss, and almost all of my historical references went way over her head. She didn't know nothin' from nothin'.
About 9/10s of the way through the conversation, she revealed that she was not only a professor of history, but she was the the chairwoman of her school's entire history department!
I was completely flabbergasted, but I kept my composure and did not let on. Turns out she had one teeny tiny speciality -- something like The History of Mimeographed Feminist Newsletters of the Early 1970s -- and knew not one thing about any thing else in the whole world.
To her credit, she acted ashamed that she headed the entire history department. But they foisted it on her -- what could she do?
I actually couldn't believe what she had told me was true, and when i got home I Googled her -- and she had been truthful. She really did run the history department at a major university.
Oh, I'm over the cold (come to think of it, I just coughed once several hours ago!). Since I'm so well now, however, my boss has seen fit to increase my workload, so I'm going to bed early so I can deal with it as early as possible tomorrow!
Ghandi, Martin Luther King, Mother Theresa and... CJ... The wild Irish Rose has stated it more eloquently than a mother giving praise for her son who graduated top of his class. People who follow this blog religiously and post not often need no WIR defending CJ because the proof has already been in the pudding. The LGF blog speaks most eloquently for itself. Let those with eyes... see. As for the other sites that decry CJ routinely and for the hit pieces that crop up on Fox news et al, let those spew away into oblivion as they must. Truth rarely is spoken without retort in this world of imperfection, this world of opposites. The future of conservatism might be in the Republican party, and it might not. If thinking is banned from the party that purports to be most closely linked with the founding fathers then maybe there is not future for the GOP. And let me be clear that it most certainly is not in the Democratic party, as right as JFK was. It must be clear that to devolve into a three party system would be as much a blight on this good country as would be the hiking of the tax rate to 70% again, a not too distant probability to pay off the 50 year debt our fearless leader has just heaped upon our sleeping masses. Wake up and smell the defeat. Get real and get right because the future of this republic is being decided now whether you feel like fighting or not. When our president stated today that managing to cut one hundred million out of the trillion dollar budget would "set the proper tone" that should be enough for any sober person to realize that the end is nigh for this democracy should we not pay attention and let our voices be heard. Press on Charles Johnson, continue to be as bold and transparent a defender of what you feel is correct in this world. I for one am rooting for you. Vince McEveety.
re: #152 Fenway_Nation
Do not have to be read rights to be arrested.
Only, have to know rights before questioned...
not sure that Miranda applies to international pirates in any case.
That doesn't surprise me. Even outside of academia in the real-world workplace I've run into management who don't know what they are doing. They got the job by default when someone quit or retired. Still it scares me when I can talk circles around people in subject areas they are supposed to be experts in. It enrages me when they make significantly better pay than I do.
As for academia, some day I hope to have kids. They will have to go to a private school for K-12, no question about it. When they are ready to go to college, I don't know what to do about that. I'm not paying tens of thousands of dollars for liberal indoctrination by morons.
Addendum...I first heard the (for real) newspaper bailout proposal when I was looking for another job after getting laid off last month.
Ever have one of those days where you're driving in the car and you hear something so insane and idiotic (being treated serisouly by the MSM) that you suddenly find yourself repeatedly kicking the speakers as though you could kick whoever was at the other end?
I've got trust funds for my kids to pay for their college educations, and I'm seriously considering sending them to community college and using the money to buy them their first house. I have started to compile a (very short) list of schools that would be acceptable...some of the Ag schools in "red" states may make the list as long as they aren't infested with Disco Institute morons.
You really really need to "innoculate" them to Marxist brainwashing before sending them off to college. Lay it out for them very very clearly. Explain how the indoctrination is going to come at them from all directions and some of it is very sophisticated. Make sure they have read Steven Pinker's The Blank Slate and at least two books by David Horowitz as a prerequisite to you paying their way. And then "test" them on their ideology whenever they come back during school breaks.
There is enough "unbridled information" out there that someone surfing the Net is as likely to become enmeshed in neo-Nazi or creationist or any number of other crackpot sites as they are to stumble across something of value.
And the likelihood is that with the sort of grounding in reason they get in school today, they won't be able to tell the wheat from the chaff.
Which just makes the sites like LGF that much more important.
There's actually quite a few in the hard sciences and engineering fields at lots of universities. I'm just not interested in having my kids sit through idiotic indoctrination in their liberal arts distribution classes.
Yes, luckily, the hard sciences are the last refuge of sanity. But even there...it's starting to creep in.
But it's nigh-on-impossible to fake your way into pretending that you know the mathematics of topological manifolds, so for now at least there is some remnant of a meritocracy in (most of) math and science.
They have no motivation to dis-assemble the university system. It is, after all, one of the major sources of support and funding for much off the elite moonbat left. The dreadlocked kids of professors are trustafarians, but the professors themselves are trustafarians of a sort too -- given exhorbitant stipends to sit around doing little but intellectual masturbation.
This is NOT about the right to free speech (or the suppression thereof), it's about personal responsibility. It's about the need for these attention-seeking individuals to start checking their personal ambitions at the door, and stop inciting their readers and listeners to outrage. When you know that your words have the potential to trigger violent reactions and behaviors in some of your readers/listeners, but you go ahead and rant away anyway for the hit count, ratings and notoriety then you need to honestly start questioning your personal morality.
BAM!
You will not find the reflexive, defensive protectionism of the Republican party at Little Green Footballs that has become so sadly common on other conservative blogs and websites. Nor will you find a blogger who peppers his blog with sensational headlines, or relies on unsubstantiated news and information to hobble together poorly researched, shoddily written "exclusives" and increase the hit count.
BAM! POW!
Excellent polemic, Irish Rose. I also like the format/color scheme of your site. Very easy on the eyes.
I stand in support of Charles Johnson too. Thank you for creating this wonderful space where there can be an intelligent, non-ideological discussion of your viewpoints. Thank you for your stands against racism from the right and from the left, for your stands in favor of science and against stupid creationism, for your stands in favor of Israel, and against Islamic fascism. You started the movement -- may it spread and grow.
I disagree...with the characterization of Charles as a moderate. He is a classical liberal. But maybe I haven't been paying close enough attention...let's see: personal liberty, check. Personal responsibility, check. Federalism, check.
Scientists warned that the increase in big-eaters means more food production — a major cause of CO2 gas emissions warming the planet.
Overweight people are also more likely to drive, adding to environmental damage.
It means an extra BILLION TONNES of CO2 a year is created, according to World Health Organisation estimates of overweight people.
The scientists say providing extra grub for them to guzzle adds to carbon emissions that heat up the world, melting polar ice caps, raising sea levels and killing rain forests.
The environmental impact of fat humans is made even worse because they are more likely to travel by car — another major cause of carbon emissions.
I may as well just do myself in. I'm responsible for global warming, and according to Brazil's President, my blond hair and blue eyes caused all of the financial strife in the world today. I'm sorry...
Yay I think its great that they wrote this piece! You do great work Charles, keep it up! We got your back ;) I defend LGF proudly when it is attacked for being awesome and I'm glad others are stepping up to the plate (and publicly).
Help me out here, Charles. Here are my core beliefs/issues:
I am a Christian, though not a fundamentalist. I keep my beliefs to myself in many ways (though I will answer any question when asked based on what I personally have worked out to be truth), as I believe I don't/can't know everything.
I am a very strong supporter of the U.S. Constitution
I am very wary of (for example) the recent DHS "report", as are many others I respect (see Thomas Sowell article from this morning)
Am I welcome at LGF? I honestly can't figure that out.
I support Israel
I believe in evolution, still waiting for further info
I don't have a huge problem with introducing ID into education, though
NOT in the science classes; I was taught people once believed the
earth was flat and it didn't destroy my mind.
I don't believe I'm paranoid
Sure does, it was filmed at Matt Molloys' pub in Westport. I paid them a visit while travelling through West Ireland a few years ago, and had the great pleasure of meeting the man in person.
Nothing like a real Irish pube eh? Except maybe a Highland pub of course.
Since I haven't been banned, obviously I wouldn't disagree with that. There is a difference between being "welcome" and being banned. I don't want to make a tight group uncomfortable.
Am I welcome at LGF? I honestly can't figure that out.
That is entirely up to you. You are free to post contrary views. We all do. Behave, and you are welcome. Act like a jerk and you get the stick. So how easy it is?
My question was "am I welcome", not "will I be banned". So, no, not exactly. It doesn't matter, really. I came here and really enjoyed a lot of the comments and repartee. I began to get uncomfortable with the constant Creationist paranoia, though I do understand it, so fine. Then I became disturbed by the "paranoia" regarding the tea parties, as they were very grass-roots, non-partisan and moderate. I attended my local tea party which was inter-racial, inter-party, non-Ron-Paulian whackos, and I resented the insinuation that "right wing extremists" were involved (extensively) in this. As I said, it doesn't matter...I really enjoy a number of the posters here, so I will probably continue to drop in (assuming I'm not banned, which I don't expect to be). My real concern was that Charles seemed to be personally offended by those that were (also) personally offended by the DHS report.
I think that much of the problem that the right has with Charles Johnson is that so many people on the right AND left want to idiotize (to coin a phrase) their politics. They want it black or white, up or down, liberal or conservative. In that worldview to be a conservative or a liberal means that you must accept the prevailing political position on a whole range of unrelated issues. Using this yardstick, one is classified as either liberal or conservative based on how close one's own political positions match the dogma. This is stupid!
Charles Johnson accepts the basic conservative tenet of smaller government with minimal governmental intrusion (correct me if I am wrong). This does not mean that he or anyone else should accept the rest of the laundry list. Creationism as a science is without any basis for discussion. Their are good conservative arguments that can be made in favor of legalized abortion or sensible environmental regulation. The problem with the ideologues on both the right and the left is that both want intrusive power. One wants to be in my bedroom and the other in my wallet.
If the Republican party is to return to power it must grow up and mature. It must define the basic tenets of what it stands for and go forth from there. It must not dictate these ancillary issues to the entire party. The Democrats must do the same, but are unlikely to do so now that they are in power. Then we can return to intelligent leadership that America so desperately needs.
I understand what you're saying, and agree with much of it. I don't think a political party needs to have an ideological platform so much as a practical platform. For me, that's small government, fiscal responsibility and strong defense. Everything else is outside the political arena, IMO. Having said that, it should be obvious that I don't agree that "republicans" need to "embrace" many of the opinions on issues such as gay marriage, abortion (though I personally have strong opinions on that), etc. I can get behind candidates that agree with my political issues, regardless of their social issue opinions (in general).
I agree with the Wild Rose, but wish she would have taken the far left to task as well. Is Glenn Beck any different than MSNBC? I happen to agree with some things that Beck says. But I am a conservative so I should agree with some of them.
Here is a good analogy. Someone bakes some brownies. You love brownies. However, they put just a little bit of horse poop in the brownie. The chocolate flavor will mask the poop. Would you eat the brownie?
"It's also imperative that Republicans police their own and hold people like Glenn Beck, Michelle Malkin, Rush Limbaugh and other prominent conservatives accountable for any serious fallout that occurs as a result of their irresponsible, self-promotional hyperventilating."
I'm not sure when the last time Michelle Malkin engaged in self-promotional hyperventilating? I don't really follow her on a regular basis, but then again, I haven't seen her name on LGF nearly as frequently as Glenn Beck's. Last time I think I saw her name here was when she was condemning nirthers and I don't think that really qualifies.
My question was "am I welcome", not "will I be banned". So, no, not exactly. It doesn't matter, really. I came here and really enjoyed a lot of the comments and repartee. I began to get uncomfortable with the constant Creationist paranoia, though I do understand it, so fine. Then I became disturbed by the "paranoia" regarding the tea parties, as they were very grass-roots, non-partisan and moderate. I attended my local tea party which was inter-racial, inter-party, non-Ron-Paulian whackos, and I resented the insinuation that "right wing extremists" were involved (extensively) in this. As I said, it doesn't matter...I really enjoy a number of the posters here, so I will probably continue to drop in (assuming I'm not banned, which I don't expect to be). My real concern was that Charles seemed to be personally offended by those that were (also) personally offended by the DHS report.
No -- I'm offended by people who expressed negative opinions about the DHS report without even reading it. And you were one of those.
I also don't appreciate your comments about "paranoia."
As for feeling "welcome" here, it's not my job to make people feel welcome. There are a lot of commenters at LGF, and whether you feel "welcome" is entirely up to you.
Yes, but I admitted to not reading it and subsequently did read it. You're obviously right about not needing to make people feel welcome, but making people feel very un-welcome is different, in my opinion. I guess that would be like "appreciating" my comments, which you certainly don't need to do.
Wait Wait Zombie. I'm not like that. There are quite a number of us in Academia who DON'T speak up because if we DID--well--curtains for our career. Call me a coward, but I'm supporting my 10 year old autistic grandson--and have to hold on to my job by holding my tongue. (hangs head in shame)
Isn't that a testament to how far down this twisted road American Education has gone. And these same bastards will caterwaul about McCarthyism...
My mind reels.
Charles, I support you and admire your integrity. Thank you Irish Rose for making a good defense.
There's one thing nobody has mentioned, however. Strident opposition to creationism in schools is extremely important in the preservation of the separation of church and state. This separation will be necessary when islamists try to establish islamic teachings in our school system. Maintaining a secular society will be extremely valuable in fighting social and legal jihad that will inevitably increase.
Charles, I support you and admire your integrity. Thank you Irish Rose for making a good defense.
There's one thing nobody has mentioned, however. Strident opposition to creationism in schools is extremely important in the preservation of the separation of church and state. This separation will be necessary when islamists try to establish islamic teachings in our school system. Maintaining a secular society will be extremely valuable in fighting social and legal jihad that will inevitably increase.
Very well stated, I agree.
And thanks for the compliment.
I don't talk much about what i think LGF is because I've watched so many other people do it over the years and get it completely wrong. In the end it is what it is. People come and people go for various reasons, I've become pretty fatalistic about that. We've had an interesting year. Conversations that were difficult (if not impossible) last year about topics like abortion, stem cells and evolution are now common thread topics.
That's why it annoys me so to see antiLGF snipers commenting on how LGF has gone downhill. It was (and elsewhere, is) ridiculously difficult to have an honest conversation when there be hordes of downdingers and obtuse posters stubbornly refusing to engage with the evidence. Ace of Spades and Allahpundit are helpless over their own comment threads as a result.
Someone like Sharmuta here can, NOW, argue for the definition of life without stamping her foot and saying "I'm a Christian, how dare you persecute me!" Disagreements can, NOW, be hashed out using the facts. I'll still be wrong on maybe a daily basis, but as long as I'm willing to do some research and either back up or correct what I've said, I'll be safe here.
It's a grand experiment, is LGF, and I feel privileged to be part of it.
I think that much of the problem that the right has with Charles Johnson is that so many people on the right AND left want to idiotize (to coin a phrase) their politics. They want it black or white, up or down, liberal or conservative. In that worldview to be a conservative or a liberal means that you must accept the prevailing political position on a whole range of unrelated issues. Using this yardstick, one is classified as either liberal or conservative based on how close one's own political positions match the dogma. This is stupid!
It's tribal. To be a Republican, for some people, is akin to being a Wahhabi Muslim. Every single thought has to be circumscribed according to the dictates of Imam Beck and Imam Limbaugh, may Allah be merciful to them.
Shit, if I wanted that even in my religion, I'd move to Yemen.
I registered here a few weeks ago, but I have been reading the articles and comments for a long time. I want to thank Charles and the Lizards for keeping me sane and not so angry at the idiots out there telling me what I believe in.
I've been a registered LGF'er since 2001. I may not always agree with Charles and his views, and when that's the case, I don't spew anger at him or LGF or it's Lizardoid masses.
Thank you Irish Rose for what you said. And thank you Charles, LGF is still my fave place to lurk and share.
I've been a long-time fan of LGF, but this is the first time I've posted. I concur with Irish Rose; and I admire your intellectual honesty and courage, Mr. Johnson. The GOP has lost its way, and unless it can reject the religious right elements and fully embrace a rational defense of capitalism, I don't see it as a viable party. It's dangerous to compromise on any principle (which is what arguably led to the GOP's downfall); and it is important to respect (and to vehemently defend) the separation between church and state. Kudos!
You see, when I was a kid I used to save up for a month, so I could get an R&B album and, the same day, the completed works of Anton Webern. Maybe that means something. Maybe that tells you something about my music. -- Excerpt from the book "Rock and Other Four Letter Words", copyright 1968.
Frank says: