Someone once asked me why I was so pessimistic. I corrected her and noted that I am cynical, which is not the same. As I like to say, cynicism is a protective cloak used by optimists to keep their hopes from getting (too) dashed.
And damn if that didn't just get proven. Silly me, I went and posted something to some Tea Partier friend's Facebook page.....He was bitching about 'how will we pay for health care' -- and I gave my usual response about how we are already paying, etc. I wasn't angry -- I try to be factual when I engage the Enemy. You know, expecting that rational discussion could be had.
What was I thinking?
Why, time and again, do I think one can actually have some rational discussion with these people? They were nutjobs, every last one of them (my friend wisely refrained from further comment.....). Not one of them even responded to the points I made or questions I raised. Just straight up barf-back of Faux News talking points. I may as well have been watching Glenn Beck for all the dialogue going on.
I should've known better, you might be saying right about now. Yes, I should have. But for every 100 or so nutbags I suffer, I find one really cool person with whom I can actually discuss and debate. I guess I only encountered 99 today......
But it just goes to show: I really am an optimist. Only an optimist could continue to engage such dopeheads in such fruitless conversations that inevitably contain personal attacks. Now, where did I put that cloak of cynicism...it's around here somewhere........
Congratulations Ms Quixote, we need lefties tilting at windmills. Until this last year, I was willing to routinely engage in conversations but have come across 2 individuals, both well educated (and at least one of them logical) and the best they can do is spout Beckisms. I’ve had numerous conversations with these two over many years, and though we disagree on many things political, I had appreciated their thought process. These last few months have been very discouraging. If folks like these fall for the lack of logic delivered via radio and TV, as well as the items published by the millionaire Beck, how will we as a community make any progress? I know the answer is lies in open lines of communication, but it is frustrating when factual information is disregarded by those who would normally be considered intelligent.
ReplyDeleteis your cloak similar to the one that harry potter got as a present cuz if so, where can i get one?
ReplyDeletei've just decided to be more selective about which posts i decide to attempt to counter. perhaps if our educational system wasn't so watered down and fox news hosts so devilishly handsome???
lately, i have found myself uncharacteristically speechless from time to time. i mean, how DOES one answer stupidity and irrationality REALLY? i personally feel like we've entered another era of post-war reconstruction only instead of the spectre of newly freed nigrahs, its the new, looming boogey-man of "big gub'ment".
~tay
Thank you both for your comments. I've felt a little off the deep end the last few days -- just angry and frustrated and wanting to shout lots of bad words about the Baggers. I feel I'm returning to my normal self -- meaning, able to get back to my usual form of reasonable discourse. I actually had someone tell me this blog ruined my credibility. I thought, huh? Apparently this person didn't realize what I meant when I described myself as a 'socialist.'
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