I love babble

remind wrote:

"rational" people, especially those that believe they are, are no more rational than anyone else, per se, when push comes to shove.

When "push comes to shove", rationality is long gone!

I love eating as much as babbling. I just ate a plum. It was juicy and delicious and grown in Ontario. You can't make me feel guilty about it.

Um, dude you didn't close this.

Love schmove.

Closing

Continue the love-fest here.

If only that were true!

Your lovin' might give me thrills

But your lovin' don't pay my bills...

Funny that for all the gratuitous and tiresome Nazi slurs, they aren't the ones making pronouncements about who should and should not be allowed a voice here.

You think the gross over-generalizations being propagated line after line are very good?

No, because being specific in describing the content produced by two bloggers is different than over-generalizing...what are we up to now...3.5 to 4 billion human beings.

It's the BDSM, the Paedophilia, and the horrible blogs isn't it?

lagatta wrote:

Slumberjack, do you not agree with the existence of patriarchy (patriarchal capitalism in its current incarnation) and the longstanding oppression of women? 

Well, it wouldn't make any sense to maintain an Anarchist related thread and espouse opinions against patriarchy and capitalist exploitation for many years here, going back to pretty near the beginning, while not believing that patriarchy exists and not believing that great harm has been inflicted upon all of us.  I see Murphy's diatribes as blowback aimed at anyone who isn't ideologically acceptable, or, as a general round up of all the undesirables, of which she maintains a vast list if the tone of her last blog post is any indication.

Although, I'm not in favour of erasure in this instance either.  In fact, Murphy's opinions should be housed in a museum for sociologists to enable future historians of thought to study the exhibits in order to better ascertain where activism went wrong.  Maybe she is contributing something worthwhile after all.

I think the point is being driven home - with broad strokes of a sledgehammer - what some people love about babble. That is, something against which to play the iconoclast.

Since you raise the point in an honest way Unionist (and thank you) I have to say I am kind of ambivalent about it at the moment as I see it as rather static. But I will say I support its purpose and its potential.

And I hope you don't think me too cheeky if I say I also recognize that about the National Post.

Again, it is a bit hard to take seriously, considering that  the mods seem to leave a pretty free hand these days. When they do finally need to step in it usually concerns people who are themselves trying to undermine others and their opinions (as in calling them trolls).  And far from being "afraid to stand up" many of these offenders don't seem to be able to understand when told that is not an acceptable way to treat other people.

I like that we have moderators actually.

Though I think it is kind of irrelevant to your claims, because even when they do not act and let comments pass, apparently we're still living under the boot of some oppressive censor. I'd offer the advice that there is a big free internet out there for those who want to throw off their shackles, but near as I can see, even when they don't exist, there seems to be a need to imagine them. Perhaps the mods are more important to you than they are to me.

Glossed over your comment above, Unionist.

You know, if it was just casual Nazi references (though I think any use of it as caricature cheapens recognition the real thing) it might be laughable to some. It's not as if people don't know how to take a joke. It is different though when it is in that grey area where people actually assume it is true, and that is where we are with some of these references.

If some people get off on that name-calling and "campism" as it has been called, not much I can do, as this is not my site. But it sure gets in the way of any real sort of discussion, and is and one reason to waste less time some of the things that are here.

From my perspective it is not wanting to put up with seeing people verbally abused, and attempts to shut out others' opinions and derail discussion.

I have heard enough faux freedom arguments which are in reality pushing the exact opposite; not about to fall for it here.

If it gets to the point where moderators are compelled to step in - and there have been enough cases where people have been given a hell of a lot of rope before they do that - who is the one imposing will on others?

You know, I'm glad this thread was reopened, and it is a drag to have to focus on negative stuff. But I have been frankly turned off by the level of some of the discourse lately, which makes it all the more important to speak up when there is an opportunity to change that.

While I'm a card-carrying Christmashater, I do wish "you and yours" (whatever the bejeezus that means) a lovely Solstice holiday season. I just rode my bicycle home - in the warmish rain! A jerk almost doored me, though I was in a bicycle lane, and yes, I do have my lights on (one must put one's lights on at about 3 p.m. in this grey, short-daytimed season). But no snow...

Hoping you have lots (but not TOO much) of whatever you prefer to eat and drink, and whatever raucous or quiet fun your prefer!

I ♥ babble.

Not pledging my allegiance here.  Just showing off that I know how to make a ♥ symbol.

But I do ♥♥♥ babble.

I think we need a Mother Babble statue.  Tin foil helmet, raised sword in one hand, donation cup in the other.

Now you boys are just being silly.

Evidently our former PM isn't the only one building grandiose monuments to imaginary scapegoating crap.

I know it is way more sexy to pretend to be fighting the forces of oppression than to consider that some might have values different than yours, but honest question: If babble is such an oppressive place controlled by "correct-speak clerics", why DO you stay?

And I'm not asking the question because I want you to leave; I don't want that. But the fact is there IS a big internet out there, with plenty of places where people can have flame wars to their hearts' content.

I think you like it here, even though admitting that would kind of blow the act.

It isn't a requirement to recognize other people's perspectives as being valid.  Political debate only requires that the perspective of the other is considered, not that it be considered, after which it becomes automatically declared valid.  The last sentence incorrectly attributes those thoughts to me.  Or at least, they're not as extreme as all that.

Insofar as your question contained incorrect attributions, I answered it in the best way I knew how.  In terms of political dialogue, I only advise withdrawal from party politics.  For everywhere else there's little choice but to continue political engagement, in whichever manner best suits the person engaging, which is ideally accomplished in combination with other activities.

Honestly held beliefs are not by definition valid.  If that were the case, the neo-nazis we see rearing their ugly heads around Europe these days would have a point.

It was a pretty simple question: why are you here?

And again, I don't want you to go, but if, as you say, isn't bad enough to be terrible, but you agree with the dear departed that there is "little to love" (and feel the need to post it here), I am curious what makes it worth it for you to hang around.

If you don't want to answer, just say so. But please don't try to dodge it on a technical point that had nothing to do with the question.

That's unfortunate.

I mean, I get the bit about having little choice. I get that kind showing up at my door all the time, and at lent they are always in front of City Hospital with their anti-choice signs. Kind of a martyr act, but I get it.

But given how much you seem to be on about "teh Nazis" I'd have expected to see you fighting your noble and sisyphean fight at Stormfront, or at the very least a conservative or pro-Israel site. 

But you are here, and despite your complaints you seem to want to stay.

I get that it might be too uncool for you to say anything nice.  Me, I'm not so proud, so here's your Christmas present: I love that rabble is the kind of place that doesn't just boot your ass out of here for being a thorn in people' s side.

Some people get crucified for that kind of thing.