The difference between the left and the right.

Post #41,001 by Silverlock 6/3/02 5:05:18 PM Reply	The difference between the left and the right. "A" difference, and not the largest. Certainly not true of all adherents of the two sides. Just the most vocal ones. Extract- The left has its share of fierce partisans. But it's impossible to doubt that there is some fundamental difference between the left and right that gives conservatives the ability to act with the hypocrisy and ferocity they do in Blinded by the Right. Take a look at the message boards of Free Republic and compare them to those on Democratic Underground. It doesn't take a lot of time to realize that there is a distinct difference. While neither board is exactly a consistently mature exchange of ideas, there's a particular nastiness to Free Republic that is missing from Democratic Underground. From the [link\|http://www.wage-slave.org/20020531.blinded.html\|WSJ] (No, not that WSJ. Another one) "Do you have blacks too?" The stupidest pResident in history to Brazilian President Fernando Henrique Cardoso
Post #41,005 by Simon_Jester 6/3/02 5:18:18 PM Reply	Cute, but I think that the author suffers from some blindness of his own biases. I sincerely doubt that the left is nicer than the right or vice verse. Furthermore, I think it ignores the real issue - which is why these groups (who refuse to listen to the other side) have grown so much recently. This is what concerns me the most. The absolute refusal to compromise, the refusal to give the other side any credit. The absolute belief that only they are "RIGHT". (And that's on BOTH sides.)
Post #41,069 by Silverlock 6/4/02 8:56:45 AM Reply	Well yes, he probably is biased. But as far as I can see, his characterization is accurate. Have you ever read the boards at Free Republic or Democratic Underground? The difference is apparent- Right wing=mean, nasty and vicious. Left wing=mean, nasty and funny. A difference of degree rather than of kind. "Do you have blacks too?" The stupidest pResident in history to Brazilian President Fernando Henrique Cardoso
Post #41,079 by boxley 6/4/02 9:29:50 AM Reply	heh, that is the difference Right wing=mean, nasty and vicious. Left wing=mean, nasty and funny. It all depends on where you sit. When an opponant decries left meanspiritedness it is described as humor. When the right does the same thing it is decried by the left as vicious. thanx, bill TAM ARIS QUAM ARMIPOTENS
Post #41,098 by Silverlock 6/4/02 11:54:04 AM Reply	Wasn't directed at you Or anyone else here (with one possible exception). I was talking about the denizens of the two discussion boards. I've been to both. The freepers are an amazingly vicious lot almost accross the board. The DU crowd have some who are are just as bad but not nearly as many or as high a percentage of the knuckledragger crowd. "As people do better, they start voting like Republicans... ...unless they have too much education and vote Democratic, which proves there can be too much of a good thing." KARL ROVE
Post #41,104 by Simon_Jester 6/4/02 12:17:29 PM Reply	Well...I tend to agree with Boxley that it depends on where you sit. But...to give you a point, DU (to me at least) seems not to have the edge that FreeRepublic has. However, it's also dangerous to use DU and/or Free Republic as the end-all/be-all of Left and Right. There are some...well...extremist Left out there that make DU look conservative. I suspect that there are extreme right-wingers that make Free Republic look leftist as well. I really think it depends on where you sit.
Post #41,106 by boxley 6/4/02 12:27:04 PM Reply	making a general observation is all for an example, Rush makes a statement about chelsea clinton being butt ugly, huge uproar from the left but made in jest Folks in here make a statement about eurotrash and the bush girls, same difference, same humor. But the left only finds its humor funny, any humor from the right is not PC and attacked as vicious. thanx, bill TAM ARIS QUAM ARMIPOTENS
Post #41,110 by Silverlock 6/4/02 12:55:21 PM Reply	If it's a general observation... Why then do you make all inclusive statements. "any humor from the right" I was very careful to say 'not all'. "As people do better, they start voting like Republicans... ...unless they have too much education and vote Democratic, which proves there can be too much of a good thing." KARL ROVE
Post #41,119 by boxley 6/4/02 1:26:59 PM Reply	sweeping generalizations are painted with a broad brush just ask Marlowe :-) reminds me of Congresscritter Waters, living proof that dementia and bad wigs are not a deterent to being re-elected. Just like ol Strom. thanx, bill TAM ARIS QUAM ARMIPOTENS
Post #41,224 by mmoffitt 6/5/02 12:08:06 AM Reply	The fundamental difference. The leftist is motivated by a conviction that everyone will be better off if his views/policies are adopted. The rightest is motivated by a conviction that he [alone] will be better off if his views/policies are adopted. The leftist is, therefore, morally superior to the rightest. qed.
Post #41,228 by Ashton 6/5/02 12:31:33 AM Reply	So what do we call someone who believes that while the so-called L and R are standing-in-place, hurling BS epithets at each other for decades at a time: no one will be 'better off' ?
Post #41,250 by jb4 6/5/02 9:02:21 AM 6/11/02 9:42:35 AM Reply	A citizen. Or, perhaps, a centrist (which is an anachronsitic phrase for something that likely doesn't exist anymore...). [Edit history: fixed another of my ubiquitous typos!] jb4 "I remember Harry S. Truman's sign on his desk. 'The buck stops here.' Strange how those words, while still true, mean something completely different today." -- Brandioch Edited by jb4 June 11, 2002, 09:42:35 AM EDT Expand All History
Post #41,894 by mmoffitt 6/10/02 11:49:09 PM Reply	Lost.
Post #41,909 by Ashton 6/11/02 3:22:23 AM Reply	Re: Lost. - prolly true. Phrased as you said it - there's not much room for compromise. Which is the trouble with parties whose planks consist of lots of nice slogans - but who vote-after-election as if these were merely 'suggestions'. There may be no Honest Party, in a land of congenital liars - who call lying, 'election strategy'. And are allowed to get away with that, next time too. Ashton Your homily is surely biased, but there are enough folks who fit it - and who made it to office: I deem it no Huge exaggeration, when deciding whom to vote against. :-\ufffd
Post #41,246 by Simon_Jester 6/5/02 7:54:37 AM Reply	Chuckle...but wrong. The leftist is motivated by a conviction that everyone will be better off if his views/policies are adopted. The rightist is motivated by a conviction that everyone will suffer if a single person imposes his views/policies. (Thus their dislike for "big government".) Furthermore, they believe by not controlling things, in particular economic markets, will have the biggest impact for society as a whole. Neither side is morally superior....and thank god our forefathers had the foresight to prevent (for the most part) idealists from either side from "taking over".
Post #41,251 by jb4 6/5/02 9:05:02 AM Reply	Re: Chuckle...but wrong. Neither side is morally superior....and thank god our forefathers had the foresight to prevent (for the most part) idealists from either side from "taking over". Then how do you explain the Rehnquist/Scalia/"Lapdog" Thomas axis of Evil? jb4 "I remember Harry S. Truman's sign on his desk. 'The buck stops here.' Strange how those words, while still true, mean something completely different today." -- Brandioch
Post #41,268 by Simon_Jester 6/5/02 11:54:28 AM Reply	Grin...I did say 'for the most part'.
Post #41,895 by mmoffitt 6/10/02 11:50:40 PM Reply	OMG! That is "Classic" the Rehnquist/Scalia/"Lapdog" Thomas axis of Evil? That is just precious. Thanks ;-)
Post #41,923 by jb4 6/11/02 9:45:00 AM Reply	I'd say "My pleasure", but... ..I'll just say, "You're welcome." jb4 "I remember Harry S. Truman's sign on his desk. 'The buck stops here.' Strange how those words, while still true, mean something completely different today." -- Brandioch
Post #41,267 by boxley 6/5/02 11:43:43 AM Reply	with a slight modification The leftist is motivated by a conviction that everyone "ELSE" will be better off if his views/policies are adopted with the understanding that it doesnt apply to him/her personally. The rightest is motivated by a conviction that he [alone] will be better off if his views/policies are adopted by everyone else except him/her The leftist is, therefore, morally suspect and the rightest morally lacking .qed thanx, bill TAM ARIS QUAM ARMIPOTENS
Post #41,293 by screamer 6/5/02 4:17:43 PM Reply	Nail... Head... Succinctly put. Definitely the best definitions yet... Can't forget that some animals are more equal than others... Just a few thoughts, Screamer "As people assemble, civilization Is trying to find a new way to die, But killing is really, merely scene changer,all men are bored, with other men's lives" ... "We all know success, when we all find our own dreams And our love is enough to knock down any walls And the future's been seen, as men try to realize The simple secret of the note in us all in us all" P. Townshend - Pure and Easy
Post #41,360 by Ashton 6/6/02 1:56:06 AM Reply	OK then - Does a dose of 50 mg. of hypocrisy neutralize a Kilo of [the referenced pseudo-grade of] 'idealism' ?
Post #41,326 by tablizer 6/5/02 8:08:11 PM Reply	It is already available (* The leftist is motivated by a conviction that everyone will be better off if his views/policies are adopted. *) More like: The leftist is motivated by a conviction that everyone will be equally poor, just like him, if his views/policies are adopted. Equality: "Joint Suffering" In my view, the leftists want to make the US more like Europe. The thing is, there are already plenty of Europe-like nations, but only one US-like nation. Thus, in the spirit of variety, I don't want to see the US become like Europe (just yet). If you are a gungho leftist, then go live in Europe. ________________ oop.ismad.com
Post #41,896 by mmoffitt 6/10/02 11:54:31 PM Reply	Oh, oh, Help. No, I can't stop myself. If you are a gungho leftist, then go live in Europe. "Love it or leave it" right? Bullshit. Love it or CHANGE it. I'm not so old that I'll cave to the goose-steppers. Sorry to disappoint.
Post #42,473 by tablizer 6/16/02 1:22:37 PM Reply	My solution is more logical. Don't ruin our uniqueness ________________ oop.ismad.com

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