Nevertheless, it's more than a little surprising when those on the far Left, who make pretensions to commitment to free speech (especially when it's there's) so nakedly avoid uncomfortable little facts which reveal their irrationality.
Now, I don't often comment on Ranting Kids, ... er, Raising Dough, ...er, "Raising Kaine." Don't do so much at all. After all, it's little more than an echo-chamber for the far Left.
However, when I noticed a post on the Great Annandale Earthquake of Ought-Eight, I realized what had happened, and given that I felt it at my office (a mile from the epicenter), I offered that fact. First one in more than a year.
Then yesterday, I noticed that Lowell Feld, the Kid-in-Chief, offered a few "thoughts" on Governor Timmy's! tax increase plan... er, "transportation plan." I prefaced my comments with the attempted witticism that "thought" would be a nice idea, but implied that it wasn't reflected in the post.
Didn't record the comment elsewhere myself, but it was something to the effect that the typical far-Left pap about "the exorbitant profits of oil companies like ExxonMobil" --- you know, the 8-9 cents they make (on average) per gallon --- was more than a little nonsensical, since their increased profits are a function of increased volume of sales, and since both the Federal and Virginia governments tax gasoline at a rate about double that amount, thus "profiting" much more than those eeeeevil oil companies from the sale of gasoline. I also pointed out the basis for my authority on the issue, since my father was, for more than four decades, an owner of a single, small service station, and laughed at the uninformed premises underlying Lowell's "thoughts."
I also pointed out that, if you wanted to talk about altering the tax structure, "A reasonable, sensible case can be made for altering the calculation of the gas tax, changing it from a flat rate (17.5 cents per gallon) to a percentage of price, to adjust for inflation concerns. You don't make it, and Tim Kaine didn't have the guts to. What leaders!"
My comment generated a number of thoughtful responses, even an endorsement from someone with the handle "Bubby." Since I don't pay too much attention to Ranting Kids, ... er, Raising Dough, ...er, "Raising Kaine," I don't know much about "Bubby," or where he's generally coming from.
Lowell's response? He deleted my comment. Not the responses, mind you. Just the comment. When "Bubby" complained, Lowell declared:
"Skeptical Observor" is more than deserving of being "troll rated." And no, we're not going to have an "honest discussion" with someone who believes every Democrat is a left-wing "extremist," a "socialist," a "nihilist," a "communist," or any of the other things he's called us over the years.Now, I can't look at my comment, since Lowell deleted it, and I have to work from memory. But I remember having said virtually none of those things in my comment. And certainly said nothing more insulting that one regularly sees on the pages of Lowell's blog about Conservatives.
But then Lowell said this:
This blog isn't the government (0.00 / 0) so the "free speech" issue is not applicable. People who come on this blog choose to play by our rules, just as people who go into any other blog -- right, left, center, whatever -- choose to play by their rules.Anyway, if you read our posting guidelines, they are very clear:
* Users who unnecessarily bash or attack, including ad hominem attacks, any users on the site are subject to immediate banning. Our actions will be dictated by the specific circumstances.* Users that post comments that do nothing but name-call, denigrate other users, or make inflammatory remarks will be warned first and banned if warnings are not heeded. Extreme violations will be banned outright.
Now, if asserting that someone has made an uninformed comment without thought is "ad hominem," and offering actual facts (about oil companies, for example) as opposed to anti-corporate propaganda is "nothing but name-call, denigrate other users, or make inflammatory remarks," then....
Well, the simple fact of the matter, it's not. And while I can't remember chapter and verse about what I said, it certainly wasn't fairly categorized as any of that. And I said so, giving Lowell a chance to restore my comment. He didn't.
And certainly, I was never "warned first." No e-mail from Lowell. Nothing. Just deletion of my comment. Which, of course, denies any other reader the opportunity actually to read the comment and see if it is fairly categorized as such.
Which is, of course, the point. The far Left --- and yes, that's precisely where Lowell resides --- can't take honest debate. It especially can't stand facts which disprove it's rhetoric. So Lowell deleted my comment.
Perhaps the most revealing fact is that, in responses which complain about ad hominem attack and imply name-calling, Lowell calls me a "troll."
That just about says it all about the merits of his position. And while I have no illusions about whose position on this will be more widely read --- not nearly as many people read this blog as read Ranting Kids, ... er, Raising Dough, ...er, "Raising Kaine" --- the hypocrisy and dishonesty of the leading "light" of that blog must be recorded somewhere.
Even if little, childish Lowell can't face the criticism himself.
No comments:
Post a Comment