Picking At A Scab.

It's been so much fun the last couple of days. The crazies came out of the woodwork, turning a post on the nature of the "yeah man!" crowd into a free-for-all about police states and how much of a "contrarian bitch" I am. Okay, I'll take that. But only if my interlocutors (if they want to look that up) will admit that the reason they're so outraged isn't because I pissed on their patron saint, but because I called them as I saw them: fools waiting for anyone to throw paint on the principal's car.

The interesting thing is how the left is so willing to eat its own, and not recognize that those who would normally agree with much of what they have to say (if they could say it intelligently) find them to be too mired in paranoia and childish hate to want to take a breath anywhere near them. And they don't seem to notice that their rhetoric is in degrees much like the prattle that comes from the rabid right, or that they take positions that are just as immobile. For instance, this commenter:

...but anyone who actually believes that the right time to complain about dictatorial tendencies in one's government is AFTER they start rounding up dissidents and silencing critics is naive and stupid at best and at worst, dangerous.

Must believe in preemption, right?

Or this one:

This Daniel fellow is just a tasteless, contrarian bitch.

Sounds a little conservative, since it is an essence of liberal thought to be contrary, not for the sake of it, but to invite new thinking. This person is rock-set in his/her own view, and anything that questions it is attacked.

I am also amused that those who cheer criticism of the president find rather mild criticism (if you want to call it that--I actually did not criticize Colbert, just pointed out that he was smartly playing to his audience) their own anointed to be beyond the pale.

But it's America and we must put up with our crazy relatives. I just wonder when it will be that many of those who chose to visit these past days will ever have the self-awareness to realize that their brand of groupthink is every bit as dangerous as the forces they rail against. I doubt it, but there's always hope.

-Daniel

Comments

[T.]

It's left-wing nutjobs like the ones who posted in your comments field that explain why I stopped being liberal. It's scary that they are the most clueless people on earth, yet somehow have convinced themselves that they're the smartest. I try to be understanding because back when I was liberal I was the same way to a point, but man the police-state paranoia gets tired after a while.

Johnny Triangles

[kreiz]

Some bright fellow just wrote this:

"Rational people, liberal people, welcome the opporunity to learn something, and accept that learning may contradict what once was thought to be true."

Precisely, Daniel. Sometimes it's uncomfortable- hey, most of us hate being wrong. But it's a much superior way of navigating through life's seas.

[Daniel]

Yes, kreiz. I have seen the fear of being wrong turn into something like pathology.

And by the way, guys: thanks for hanging in there with me. It's been real.

[kreiz]

There's a frenzy- a pathology as you put it- that runs throughout the Colbert thread. What saddens me is that so many are quick to label you based upon a single post. These folks are obviously unfamiliar with your blog and body of work. You would think they would want a context before jumping to the Mini Rush card. But everything's cool- I brushed off a dusty copy of Hoffer's "The True Believer" last night.

[Daniel]

I love that book. I also liked "The Ordeal of Change." Maybe I should get it down from the shelf.

I just started writing a new book, myself. Working title: "The Contrarian Bitch."

[kreiz]

I just posted this comment in the wrong place-

On some level, isn't Colbert just channelling Pat Paulsen? Just a thought. Comedically, he strikes me as a one-trick pony.

Never read "Ordeal of Change"- sounds great. "The Contrarian Bitch"- coming to prison libraries everywhere.

[Daniel]

That's okay, I answered you in the wrong place.

[kreiz]

I glanced at some of the long thread. You even had a "Bushhitler" reference. How wild is that? I'm assuming that someone else besides Joe Gandleman linked to your post. Surely these folks didn't come over from TMV. Do you know?

[Daniel]

kreiz,

I was linked from Hot Air, Protein Wisdom, Captain's Quarters and a slew of smaller sites. Almost all of the smaller sites think that I'm an ass, but there wasn't much traffic, so I guess that they came from all of the big sites. I could do some detective work, but I'm too busy with work and I don't care that much.

[kreiz]

Understand... just curious.

[Daniel]

Actually, I'm curious, too. I'm assuming that all those sites have their trolls.

[kreiz]

Which reminds me, yesterday you commented that you didn't think I was a conservative. You were right. I finally ran across a phrase that described my views: liberal rightist. Sound familiar?

[Daniel]

Hmmm. I'm going to have to try that on.

[kreiz]

I swiped it from you.