@Foxfyre,
Foxfyre wrote:Well at least my suspicions that the Left has been collaborating via PM and perhaps otherwise behind the scenes on how to gang up on and attack those on the Right on A2K seems to be justified. I hope GeorgeOb1 is being mischaracterized here and has not been a party to that as is suggested. . . .
Are you at war with the Left? Was GeorgeOb1
collaborating with the enemy? Does that mean that your side must now hang
Benedict Arnold from the nearest tree?
FYI, Foxfyre: This is a discussion forum. Members are allowed to talk to each other via the forum's private messaging system. Some members utilize that service, some do not. So what? There is not a grand conspiracy against stupidity. People of intelligence do not join forces "behind the scenes" for the top-secret and nefarious purpose of developing battle strategies to combat right-wing stupidity.
Regarding the allegedly surprising confirmation of your
suspicion that intelligent people might actually talk to each other without including you in the conversation, I have one word for you: Duh.
Quote:Main Entry: duh
Pronunciation: \ˈdə, usually with prolonged ə\
Function: interjection
Date: 1966
1 "used to express actual or feigned ignorance or stupidity
2 "used derisively to indicate that something just stated is all too obvious or self-evident
Foxfyre wrote:I defy you to show where Okie has ever compared Obama to Hitler.
You challenged someone to do something that you considered to be impossible. Your challenge was easily met. It was shown that Okie has compared Obama to Hitler on numerous occasions in numerous ways.
Please review the definition of the word "compare."
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/compare
Foxfyre wrote:I remain of the conviction that it is up to the member to explain and describe his intent and meaning on any subject and not the prerogative of others to define that for him.
You refuse to admit that your challenge was easily met and that it was shown that Okie compared Obama to Hitler. Instead, you resort to intellectual dishonesty as illustrated above.
You did NOT challenge anyone to show that Okie INTENDED to compare Obama to Hitler, only that he did so. Okie's state of mind was not at issue.
Nevertheless, your argument that a member is the sole judge of his/her own intent is without merit. Even when a member denies the intent of one's words/statements/posts, intent may be reasonably inferred from the context and the circumstances as a whole.
Additionally, members of this discussion forum do not possess a special privilege to manipulate language and redefine the meaning of words. Using the clearly established meaning of the word "compare," Okie's allegation that he did not compare Obama to Hitler has been proven false. You lost the challenge when you defied someone to show where Okie has ever compared Obama to Hitler.
Rather than continue your journey on the path of intellectual dishonesy, you should admit that you were wrong.
Foxfyre wrote:I certainly have not agreed with Okie or anybody else here on every subject, and I profoundly disagree with many on Left on several subjects, but I do not see that to be any reason to be unkind to people or attack their character.
Rather than admit that you were wrong, you resort to portraying yourself and Okie as victims of an attack. Again, you are employing intellectual dishonesty. Consistent with your modus operandi, you are trying to divert attention away from the fact that you lost the challenge.
Foxfyre wrote: I agree with JM that Okie is being mischaracterized here. Several on the Left could take lessons from Okie and others, but alas, it seems that too many on the Left use A2K as a place to demonstrate their own character that includes being unkind to others as some kind of sport. Too many on the Left seem to just want a pat-each-other-on-the-back society here on A2K, and intend to shout down or drive away anybody who says anything with which they disagree,
It has been pointed out on numerous occasions that both you and Okie consistently make the following characterization: LEFT is BAD; RIGHT is GOOD. It was pointed out that this characterization was the purpose of Okie's "ruthless dictator" thread. Your above statement also illustrates the point.
Foxfyre wrote:Unless there is freedom and encouragement for members to express a point of view that is not shared by everybody else, then what's the point of discussing it at all?
The freedom to express a point of view does not embody a concomitant right to have that point of view remain unchallenged. There is no other way to test the merits of your arguments except in the arena of debate. When your arguments are based on unsupported facts or falsehoods and consist of logical fallacies and oxymorons, you should expect the opposition to vigorously point out the flaws in your argument. Rather than play your tiresome victim card and continue to make the false allegation that people on the left are mean to you, you should should hone your debating skills and step up your game.
