Monday, May 4, 2009

Deleted Comment

In the brief, futile debate on Afghanistan that I began with "Brian" of the "Canada-Afghanistan Blog," I also encountered Canada's version of Christopher Hitchens, Terry Glavin. I had great expectations of a vigorous debate with both those individuals, but, alas, as I've detailed in tiresome detail here at the schoolyard, twas not to be. Glavin deletes contrarian comments on his blog without even thinking about it, and launches into tirades alternating between self-pity about his persecutions at the hands of the anti-war crowd and insults to his opponents. "Brian" simply ignored the comments for a short while before resorting to his colleague's practice of deleting them. After some empty-headed attempts at condescension, "Brian" said that he'd delete everything we (anti-war readers) typed from now on, unless we said something intelligent (by his standards). I typed what was to be my last missive (which was later deleted) but then re-read his critique of my posts and noticed that he'd called me "anti-American." Well, that just couldn't stand, so I typed the following:

Oh, but I just noticed you called me "Anti-American." Before I leave you to the brain-destroying writings of Rosie Di-Fucking-Moron, let me say this:

"America" doesn't = "Bagram Airbase."

The United States of America does stuff you know. Because it's the most powerful country in the world. Some of that stuff is nasty. If you understood how the world really works, you'd know that. But the United States is a big country with lots of people and a rich culture. It is more than the depredations of its foreign policy elites and their killing machines. If you choose to equate "America" with Reagan's deathsquads, bush II's Guantanamo and Bagram (which is now Obama's Bagram) that's your business. But given the abhorrent nature of those abominations, I rather think that your equating them with the USA makes you the "Anti-American."

A last word Brian. I think you're deluded. I don't think you're an idiot. I actually think that if you blind yourself to the fundamentals of this project and our involvement in it, there's enough to the rationalizationis, the "cover story" to justify your devotion to it. But there's a reason we [the West] has been there since 2001 and the country remains a basketcase with a GROWING insurgency. And that's because the people in charge DON'T GIVE A SHIT about the people of Afghanistan.

Terry Glavin is obviously too far gone to be reasoned with. And, for the record, immature, what with his deleting comments and heaping insult after insult upon anyone who disagrees with him. But I thought you had a stronger core than that.

If people disagree they will go back-and-forth on a subject, obviously. They don't agree. They dispute with each other. But if you want to cocoon yourself with the ravings of Glavin, DiManno, and Canadian officials who speak mindlessly of "progress" year after year after fucking year, then you're hopeless.


This was subsequently deleted as well. But I think there's something worthwhile in that so I've re-posted it here (after considerable delay).

Finally, I can't resist mentioning that one of the things Glavin wails about in his pity-parties is how he's called all sorts of awful names by the anti-war crowd; "imperialist," "war-monger," etc. To which I can only say, "boo-hoo-hoo-hoo!" As if Glavin and Brian don't sling the insults about. Maybe they should take up their painful sufferings with "Taliban Jack."

9 comments:

Todd said...

"pity-party"

Heh! I like that term.

I guess that makes you a "pity-party pooper". (Try saying "itty-bitty pity-party pooper" three times fast!)

!{)>

As for deleting an interlocutor's words, well, I can say I've seen it used to fair (ie useful) effect over at Lenin's Tomb.

thwap said...

Lenin's tomb is a blog?

I heard "pity-party" on tv somewhere. Passing by. Since I don't own a tv.

I'll be going after another dude from Dr Dawg's comments section in a bit. Got an old entry to be polished up about some guy named "Colin" and his nonsensical worldviews re: Islam & USA.

saskboy said...

It floors me that some of my reader/commenters insist I look at Glavin's blog for reasonable analysis.

thwap said...

Oh, Glavin and Brian know some stuff. But they refuse to face the root of the problem, which is the immoral or amoral motivations of the people in charge.

They've got detailed knowledge of good things that people are trying to do, but it's all for nothing.

Ti-Guy said...

These "Euston Manifesto" liberals all seem pretty delusional to me. I think Glavin is nuts, quite frankly. An academic whose burned out completely. The white beard on dyed hair is also telling.

Dr.Dawg said...

The pair of them are intellectually dishonest to the max. Brian can't write: Glavin can, and like an angel, but only when he is writing about other things. Indeed, he wrote a good article about Tamils and then kicked the crap out of Raphael Alexander not too long ago, and for that I gave him kudos.

A clue might be that he was once a "down with US imperialism" sort of fellow--indeed, this persisted well after 9/11. He has since embraced Eustonianism with the zeal of a convert, and y'all know what converts are like. :)

wv: "scalatio" = sex on a mountainside?

Todd said...

thwap said:

"Lenin's tomb is a blog?"

http://www.leninology.blogspot.com/

Sir Francis said...

I left a (non-profane) comment over at Glavin's, on his latest thread. Let's see if it gets deleted. For the record, I said:

"Bad things happen in Iran and Venezuela. Stop the presses.

I admire the intellectual discipline at work in your fastidious refusal to acknowledge bad things happening in America's client states. It makes the ideological paperwork so much easier for your devoted audience of faux-engagés, no?

Heavens! If I relied on your blog for the news, I would not have discovered that Hamid Karzai has just invited a vicious Islamist butcher and narcotics trafficker to be one of his running mates.

Ah, but ignorance is bliss..."

thwap said...

Sir Francis,

If I wanted to take your money I'd bet $100 that it'll be gone by the end of the day.

Todd,

At first glance, that thar' "Lenin's Tomb" looks like a good read. Thanks.

Now, I gotta remember to put up Saskboy's blog on my blogroll.