Foxfyre wrote:Perhaps you missed this paragraph in Will's piece:
"Such puzzles show why social science is not for amateurs. Still, one cannot -- yet -- be prosecuted for committing theory without a license, so consider a few explanations of the happiness gap." He wasn't claiming any authority on this subject. He was making a personal observation.
Yes, his personal observations are part of what I dubbed "(gratuitous) interpretation".
The only thing beyond speculatory and partisan interpretation we have here, in this thread, the only thing relatively solid to go on, is a research that shows that people who call themselves conservatives more frequently describe themselves, and have done so for decades, as "very happy". In general, not specifically re: the political context.
Foxfyre wrote:For all these pages now, however, the liberals have been mostly taking shots at the messenger(s) rather than considering whether the message had any merit. And so far, only eBrown has offered a theory to dispute it. It is that phenomenon that causes conservatives to think of liberals as angry, accusatory, dissatisfied people and, yes, unhappy people.
You sound awfully angry, accusatory and dissatisfied there Fox.
Foxfyre wrote:You also presume to be judge and jury of what the rest of us are all about don't you? Are not most of your own postings directly targeted at one of us conservative types and aren't they usually quite negative, judgmental, or even insulting?
Nope. Something like half of my 'political' posts centre on the International News, Europe, etc forums, where the mood tends to be a lot less sour and combative, and more information-oriented, than on the US-Politics threads - and my mood tends to adapt right along with it.
In fact, my guess is that your experience of your liberal fellow-posters sounding angry, bitter and snide - and their experience of you sounding exactly the same - has a lot to do with hanging out near exclusively on US Politics threads. American politics is simply extremely polarised and bitter at this time, and the posts in the threads about it reflect that.
In any case, only about a third of my posts are about politics, period (yes, I'm counting - you're a nerd or not). The rest tends to range from odd, lame and wistful to flippant, cheerful and uncomfortably personal.
Like I told McG when he tried to stick the same thing to me; come to my What Made You Smile Today thread sometime, you'll find lots of happy posts, from me and many others.
Thing is, nobody is
obliged to visit other forums than Politics. McG rarely does; plus, he posts almosts only on US politics. But considering that the net result is that most of his posts here tend to range from snarly to smug, there is simply a striking irony in him then posting a thread about how much happier conservatives are than liberals (with even the thread
itself being mostly a demonstration of smugness rather than cheer). As duly pointed out.
The same goes for George Will, obviously (hiya DTOM)
Foxfyre wrote:What facts? What facts are necessary to have a philosophical discussion? Is the idea of discussing a philosophy or idea that foreign to you?.
I'm admittedly not much of a philosopher, but just about familiar enough to submit that philosophical conjecturing on the basis of an erroneous assumption is unlikely to yield quality insight.
In this case therefore, before much further conjecturing is undertaken, it is worthwhile to point out that the research Will evokes doesnt actually provide any basis for the speculations on the liberal character he uses it for.
That basically reduces his column to another exercise in liberal-bashing/baiting - "philosophical discussion" it's not.
Foxfyre wrote:When we first started exchanging posts, you were able to see the big picture on many subjects. You were even capable of seeing opposing points of view and I enjoyed your thoughtful analysis of them. Who have you been hanging out with lately that causes you to now see that as a 'last resort to those who don't care to get their facts straight'?.
My posts havent changed much, Fox. I have, in the meantime, though, several times challenged you on ideas and assertions that I considered wrong quite relentlessly, and you have clearly indicated how offended you were at my relentlessness.
That might have more to do with your changed perception of me.
Foxfyre wrote:No I'm not joking at all. If you're going to gig McG on his occasional pointed one-liners, then you should at least be decent enough to gig the many liberal members who engage in that activity.
I do actually. <shrugs>
Foxfyre wrote:And frankly, sir, you do not have the moral authority to judge anybody on courtesy given your custom of regularly 'putting down' those of us you evidentally have decided are unworthy as your intellectual equals.
I did not judge, I observed; pretty much in exactly the same vein as you are now observing about me.
