In the post: "Things always look better from the wilds of Delisle," Canadian Cynic riffs about how KKKate (from the comfort of her computer in Delisle, Saskatchewan) imagines things are looking up in Iraq, while the reality is that the endless redeployments, short-staffing, insufficient rest periods, etc., etc., etc., are taking their toll on the US army:
'The army is worn out. We are just keeping people in theatre who are exhausted,' says a soldier working for the US army public affairs office who is supposed to be telling me how well things have been going since the 'surge' in Baghdad began.
...They are not supposed to talk like this. We are driving and another of the public affairs team adds bitterly: 'We should just be allowed to tell the media what is happening here. Let them know that people are worn out.'
Pretty clear right? Only the first commentator to show up is this "nonny" person, who blathers that "leftists" don't understand that combat is tiring and that the US army has been busy defeating "AQ" and so obviously they're tired.
Among various insults, I told "nonny" that "leftists" must include the US soldiers who were telling the reporter that people were exhausted, worn-out and falling apart. I could not resist adding that "nonny" should shut-up, because so many people were suffering due to the stupidity, gullibility, and dishonesty of people like him/her/it.
You know, if someone discovered a hole in one of my arguments and called me on it, I'd like to think that I'd be embarrassed. I also think that I'd be grateful for a chance to correct myself. I'm opinionated, but I try not to blurt out stuff that can't be defended. The point of that is that it was possible that "nonny" just let its deluded enthusiasm for the US invasion and occupation of Iraq to cloud its senses and didn't really see that this report of troop exhaustion is inarguable.
But when it's pointed out that "nonny's" trashing of "leftists" and denials of troop exhaustion was all rubbish, "nonny" showed all the class of a cockroach. In reply to my comment about the people suffering because of the stupidity of the "nonnys" of the world, it replied with the following:
You say that as if you give a damn. Faker.
"nonny" then went on to repeat the same stupid arguments, followed by lame attempts at comedy.
Why am I spending so much time on this unremarkable shithead? Because in the capitalist political culture of the United States, shitheads of varying right-wing affiliations (religious, militarist, capitalist) have coalesced into a powerful voting/media bloc that has an influence out of all proportion to its abilities.
Their brethern here in Canada have managed to eke out a minority government and have their Sun, National Post, Global Television, and Maclean's Magazine to deform our political discussion here in Canada. They don't have the mental skills for genuine debate, but that doesn't affect them as they lack the sense of shame to stop pontificating after they've been exposed as lying, ignorant (or both).
What do we do with such people? You can't really count on ignoring them and providing the majority of undecideds with superior analysis that will supposedly vindicate our position. I've noticed that there are thousands of awesome, incredible leftist news, analysis, perspective coming from the United States: Znet, Counterpunch, CommonDreams, and on and on, easy to find, no need to provide links. The point is, they haven't redeemed the overall US political culture. Look at France, look what the mindless, vapid Sarkozy has accomplished. The man is an unreconstructed fascist, spouting the same neo-liberal bullshit as Margaret Thatcher, and getting elected president for it.
People like "nonny" have an impact. And we have to find some better way of nullifying it. I've got work to do today, so that's my post for the day.
10 comments:
You can always high-tail it down to Cuba before its too late, take a mouth scraping of el lider Fidel, and clone the murdering commie. I'm afraid Che is too long dead for you to get any usable DNA, though.
Short of that, Red, there's not much you CAN do; you see, we oligarchs make too damn much money and we control everything. What's a puny man like you from some worthless backwater going to do in the big wide world, all holed up in front of his computer screen, pining for Marxists of yore?
nonny,
I'll leave that up as a testimony to your lack of originality and overall commonsense.
"we oligarchs make too damn much money and we control everything. What's a puny man like you from some worthless backwater going to do in the big wide world, all holed up in front of his computer screen, "
An "oligarch" are you? Pathetic. First of all, if you were truly a self-made "oligarch" you wouldn't be wasting your time with non-entities such as myself, secondly, you would easily be able to construct non-embarrassing arguments, as opposed to the garbage you work so hard at.
"worthless backwater," ... I'm to take it you're an American? Well, there are Americans I like, there is much about America that I admire, but if you're truly part of the human vermin that is responsible for America's present sorry-state, I wish that you'd come out to your countrymen (the vast majority of whom loathe you) and tell them that you're the sort of shit-head that raises the hackles of the majority of humanity.
While you're at it, my friend, you could repeat for them how you don't give a shit about "the troops"' exhaustion, or about their rising suicide rates.
Or perhaps you could save that bravery for "the troops" themeselves, who would be delighted to tell you what they think of you.
Ah, but I forget, you shithead, besides being an "oligarch," you make vague references to some sort of military experience. You will claim that you are a part of "the troops."
Which leads me to: "holed up in front of [my] computer screen," ... Oh! You words wound me sirrah!
Tell me, shithead, what did you type those words to me on? A fifth of bourbon and a buxom "floozy"? Are you an oligarchic life-taker and heart-breaker?
Or are you, yourself, a sad, pathetic little moron of a man who forgot that he was behind a computer screen while he was tossing around cheap insults?
So your part in life is to be a miserable failure of a human being is it?
How truly, truly sad.
I read that post, and its comments, over at Canadian Cynic and it really seemed to spiral out of control in a hurry. I read it before I had to go to work, so I didn't have a chance to make a comment of my own. Lucky for me, I must say, because I was going to make two points that the swarming crowd there would apparently have taken great exception to: that soldiers are always tired, nay exhausted; and that the suicide thing is being blown out of proportion.
I read a great deal of history, and am privy to the memories of my now-deceased WWII veteran uncle, and the tales of exhaustion are legion: it appears to be commonplace for armies to run their men ragged in wartime. Is the current situation more extreme, or is it simply better known? I don't know. Censorship, as it occurred during WWII, is not a factor these days, and its use back then obviously hinders the use of newspaper archives for historical perspective.
As for my opinion that the suicide rate is being overblown, I base that upon the information I gleaned from the papers: there are 180,000 American troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, and 99 have killed themselves, 28 while actually deployed, according to the link provided by the "Cynic". I hesitate to call these figures "insignificant" because of the subject matter, but it is undeniable that they wouldn't raise an eyebrow if the topic were different. The headlines, while not inaccurate, are misleading: relative percentage changes are often meaningless without knowledge of the base figures. A couple of years ago my speeding ticket total went up 100% with the second ticket I received, as an example.
I wonder if "nonny", who it seems trailed you back here, was treated the way he was because of his caustic style, and not so much for his content.
hooligan,
While I tend to disagree with you, you at least frame your statements in a coherent argument, in such a way that a respectful comment seems required.
A big part of "nonny's" reception came from his caustic tone. His unwarranted (and at bottom, asinine) comments about "leftists" and our ignorance.
And family duties call ...
Thwap,
Not only am I an oligarch; I am a plutocrat also.
Hooligan is right, of course. Soldiers in combat are always sleep deprived. This is expected. They are trained to fight without sleep. It is expected that they may goes DAYS without rest. Any soldier that cannot, is simply not much of a soldier. Sure, some complain. That also is what soldiers do. You think that makes me uncaring. Well ... guess what? I don't care what you think. You know nothing.
You and Hooligan mention my "caustic" style. Consider you own much more caustic ravings of (clearly) a very angry man, Thwap.
Sure I'm clearly angry you dipshit.
Who wouldn't be angry at the damage caused by frustrated, stupid, bovine failures such as yourself?
You seem to spend a lot of time at the computer nonny, .. that is for a "plutocrat" who attempts to insult others for being at their computers.
What on earth is a "bovine failure," Thwapy? Are you making up asinine insults now? Jeez, that was a pathetic attempt. You just called me disappointment as a cow, a broken bull, a cracked cattle. *Snort!*
So, you don't like "plutocrat, either, I see. How do you feel about "capitalist magnate"? "Corporate tycoon"? "Robber baron"?
Or shall we just compare paychecks, boy? "Filthy rich son-of-a-bitch" perhaps?
By the way, I wasn't insulting you for being at your computer, dimwit. I was disparaging your puerile and hackneyed thoughts about “providing the majority of undecideds with superior analysis” (too funny) and “find[ing] some better way of nullifying it [“US/UK/French (!) fascism, presumably]” (which is pretty damn funny too coming from an unabashed commie, a follower of a political creed responsible for untold misery and a hundred million deaths). Whaddya know? You want to be the next Stalin, a new Mao, a Canadian Che, or a boring Canuck version of Fidel. *Double snort!*
Grrr! Get over your anger, Thwap; it’s a deadly twap for a silly young sap.
nonny,
I didn't call you a "failed bovine," I called you a "frustrated, stupid, bovine failure," ... meaning that you (far from being any of the things you're presenting yourself as ["oligarch," "plutocrat," "tycoon"]) are more likely an utter failure, and angry about it, while at the same time you have the independence of mind of a cow, and a stupid one at that.
As I said, if you really were the self-made person you claim to be, you wouldn't be wasting your time on trolling on blogs for companionship, and you'd certainly be able to come up with better insults and arguments than the dreck you've been writing up to now.
For the record, I'm not a Marxist, and I'm certainly not a Leninist or a Maoist. I'd explain, but given your dishonesty and callousness, an explanation would be wasted on you.
Thwap,
Regarding "bovine failure," I'd suggest you learn to write more clearly.
Regarding your reaction to my terming myself an "oligarch," etc., I'd suggest you learn reading COMPREHENSION better. You have a problem with reading between the lines. Would you prefer to term me "Mr. Monopoly" with a lifetime supply of "get of of jail free" passes? Thwapy, dear, I am making FUN of you and baiting you by calling myself what I know you detest the most. Yeesh, you are dense! In any event, regarding my success or failure, you just go on believing what you want to be believe. I sense that's just what regularly do in life anyway. I am confident that by any measure, you would come out looking pretty pathetic in comparison. You probably know it too, deep down, and, therefore, would never rise to a challenge by me.
Regarding your inability to explain concisely your politics and differentiate your views from Marxism, I've read through your blog, and I bet the hair-splitting involved in such an explanation would put even the most accomplished sophist to shame. In the end, it would simply boil down to "I don't want to call myself a Marxist." You are a communist, Thwap. I can smell your kind a mile a way.
1. No, shithead, YOU hve to learn to read. Don't ask for charity to cover your own shortcomings.
2. Not an "oligarch" after all? No surprise. Just a buffoon? Same again.
3. My politics aren't all that obscure to anyone with average intelligence. If it's all beyond you, I couldn't care less.
You are a most tiresome imbecile and all further comments from you, regardless of content or quality, will be deleted.
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