On Being at Peace with All Men in an Era of Hypocrisy and Bullshit
A commenter recently left me this comment:
You used to have content that I enjoyed: actual political commentary from a principled Constitutional position. And while you still do that from time to time, the constant sniping at the people who disagree with you has gone past the point where I want to visit your site. You’re turning into exactly the thing you say you hate: the person who just wants to rub the other guy’s nose in being wrong, instead of arguing the issues.
Bye. I may check back in a year or so to see if you’ve gotten over this phase of unproductive arguing, but for now I’m taking your site off my daily rotation of blogs I read. Shame; you used to be good before you started getting bitter.
Usually, when someone flounces, I am (if anything) pleased. Flounces usually express displeasure at my attitude towards Donald Trump — and generally, I find very little persuasive about most of the bitching about me and the things I write about Trump. But that’s not this commenter’s argument. And I think this commenter has a point. Historically, the commenter is not a hypocrite or crackpot, like so many other flouncers are. And much of what he says rings true to me.
I am disgusted by the bullshit arguments, hypocrisy, total lack of logic, and blatant double standards I see on a daily basis from some people who defend Trump. But dwelling on it — at least in the way I have for a while now — angers me, which is counterproductive. And I’m trying to remove anger from my life.
After reading this comment, and realizing that there was some justice in it, I was not quite sure what to do about it. Exposing hypocrisy and double standards is a habit by now. But it raises my blood pressure. Is there a way to channel that feeling into something constructive?
I asked a couple of good friends that question, and one of them, a very wise soul (who can choose to identify himself or herself, or not), replied in a way that I will paraphrase here. My friend said that there is nothing wrong with exposing double standards, especially if our goal is honest dialogue. But recognize that some people simply won’t engage in honest dialogue. Given that, I should see my efforts at pointing out the hypocrisy and bullshit, not as an effort to change minds, but rather as a public stance that I am going to be consistent in the application of my principles. If the occasional person, whose is not so invested in Trump that their pride is somehow at stake, sees something of value in my commentary, so much the better. But I need to stop letting hypocrites influence how I feel and how I react. My friend closes with the quote: “As much as you can, live in peace with all men.”
I think this is fantastic advice. I don’t want to give up calling out the B.S., but I do want to give up the negative emotions that come with yelling at people over it.
I thank this commenter for his comment, and I thank my friend deeply for the advice. I plan to email the commenter a link to this post — but this isn’t really about regaining one lost reader (although regaining this particular lost reader would be nice). It’s about improving my own life and my own outlook. I’ve successfully done that in many other areas of my life, but this one is a glaring exception. It’s time for me to at least try to do something about it.
[Cross-posted at The Jury Talks Back.]
Ding.
Patterico (115b1f) — 6/2/2018 @ 10:01 amThe thing is what you consider calling out hypocrisy isn’t doing anything at all, but wasting your valuable time and tilting at windmills.
You just spent 5 days arguing over a tweet and in effect where a comma was placed within it rather than discussing the potential of an upcoming North Korea summit, EPA deregulation, wage growth, court decisions, and on and on.
The tweet had no effect on life, on public influence, on free speech, on anything. But it really got to you.
And it’s been that way for the past 18 months.
NJRob (b00189) — 6/2/2018 @ 10:17 amYou definitely seem touchier than I remember ten years ago. (Was going to use the word brittle, but didn’t want to be cruel.)
Anonymous (d41cee) — 6/2/2018 @ 10:19 amMay I suggest rehab at Haupuna Beach?
mg (9e54f8) — 6/2/2018 @ 10:21 amwell there are real reasons, say if a psychopathic cult leader sends his minions to torment your family, and apparently neither the bureau nor local law enforcement cared to bring him to justice,
narciso (d1f714) — 6/2/2018 @ 10:26 ambut that has nothing to do with us,
It’s true that people’s persistent refusal to read a passage of English the way it was written really got under my skin for some reason. That episode is one of the things that prompted this post.
There is no question in my mind that I was correct in my logical arguments, and that the people who refused to see this were acting out of some combination of partisan hackery and inability to comprehend certain logical arguments. But spending so much of my energy and emotion in trying to get people to see this — that was a misguided effort. Ironically, it reflected a certain respect for the people I was talking to; my thought process was “surely if they just read this argument they will see the logic!” And my new attitude, unfortunately, is rooted in some degree in a lack of respect for people, since (as my friend said) I have to recognize that some people simply won’t engage in honest dialogue.
But I have no regrets, because my attempts to persuade are doomed to failure with most people. The only thing they accomplish is upsetting me. And it’s not worth that.
It doesn’t mean I will stop pointing out hypocrisy and bullshit when I see it. But I am going to make a strong effort not to be upset when people inevitably mount hypocritical and bullshit defenses of what I call out in my posts. My attitude will be: either you see it or you don’t.
I’ll probably be involved in the comments less as a result. If there is a point to clarify, my hope is to clarify it once. And then people will either see it or they won’t.
Thanks for your thoughts.
Patterico (115b1f) — 6/2/2018 @ 10:28 amSounds fantastic. Perhaps some day.
Patterico (115b1f) — 6/2/2018 @ 10:30 amMan I tuned out of politics for ten years. Nothing wrong with tuning out. Doesn’t get you anywhere.
Anonymous (d41cee) — 6/2/2018 @ 10:33 amThank you.
NJRob (b00189) — 6/2/2018 @ 10:38 amyes, well they won’t leave you alone:
https://althouse.blogspot.com/2018/06/in-podcast-interview-posted-last-spring.html
narciso (d1f714) — 6/2/2018 @ 10:40 amI’m a consistent reader, but rarely to I comment. But I vaguely remember (although at 80 years old my memory may be playing tricks on me) that you tried to draw a line (for reasons that I don’t recall) between Patterico’s Pontifications and The Jury Talks Back. It seems to me that one potential solution to the current problem (for readers, if not for you) would be to permit comments at “Talks Back” but not for “Pontifications.” That way, your “Pontifications” readers could avoid dealing with the types of commenters that so agitate you, while leaving them an outlet to spew their views and where you could (or not) respond however you felt appropriate.
hmonrdick (d712ae) — 6/2/2018 @ 11:02 amIt is fantasticr. It has been a healing source for my physical well being.
mg (9e54f8) — 6/2/2018 @ 11:02 amIron man has the beach today. God Bless those people swimming, biking and running.
In my defense, ten years ago I didn’t have the majority of readers at my throat, and traffic going down because I was expressing my honestly held views of Obama.
But again: I can’t control how people react to what I write, and the only alternative would be to write things I don’t believe, to prevent the loss of readers and to gain backslaps for my viewpoints. I believe a lot of people have gone down that road to one degree or another, but that would be very unsatisfying to me.
So my goal is to stop worrying about things I can’t control (and indeed stop worrying about things I can control as well — since it’s better to do something about it than it is to worry).
Patterico (115b1f) — 6/2/2018 @ 11:02 amInteresting thought. Of course, the reason I created the Jury was because I both perceived a need for a venue for respectful commentary, while realizing that most commentary is not respectful. Thus, I feared that demanding here the tone I demand at the Jury would lead to these comments being a ghost town — which, frankly, the Jury sort of is (I bear some responsibility for that because I don’t promote it well enough).
An awful lot of Internet commentary is nasty, aggressive, and hostile. I just have little confidence in my ability to train others to adhere to the principles to which I aspire — especially when I have so often failed to adhere to them myself.
It’s fantastic that you’re reading this at 80. Your memory is quite good as far as I can tell.
Patterico (115b1f) — 6/2/2018 @ 11:08 amI think you miss characterized robin munn, if as nietzche says don’t stare into the abyss, I guess now that the summit will come off, there will be another cri de couer,
narciso (d1f714) — 6/2/2018 @ 11:09 amit becomes increasingly clear despite what gowdy said,
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/may/29/john-brennan-obama-loyalist-and-cia-director-drove/
narciso (d1f714) — 6/2/2018 @ 11:16 amI had to shut down my first site, because the comment section, though certainly smaller than yours, became a fetid and festering sewer of rancor and hate. When I opened my current site, I had to do something I hated, and that was ban the famous Perry — y’all remember him; he commented here as well? — from it.
You have at least defended President Trump the (too few) times you thought he was right, though that seems to get lost in the more negative things.
I just posted about Never Trumper Bill Kristol — shameless blog plug alert! — and the idiocy that an intelligent, educated neoconservative like Dr Kristol, who is so very interested in foreign policy, would wish that President Trump fails with his North Korea policy, just so he can be unseated in the next election, is just plain stupid. It’s difficult for the people who despise the President as a person to accept that he’s done some good things, things of which they’d approve had they been accomplished by anyone else, but that’s the trap into which Max Boot and Dr Kristol have managed to fall.
The old blogger Dana (ad65b0) — 6/2/2018 @ 11:29 amIt seems like you’re obsessed with pointing out hypocrisy and double standards. Just my perspective. Sometimes you’re right, like with the Samantha Bee take, but you also claim to be uninterested, which doesn’t really seem to be true. Other times, it seems like you’re fabricating motives and stances of people to push a hypocrisy and double standards narrative.
In the end, it doesn’t seem like you’re standing up for any principle. It seems like you’re just angry all the time.
Dejectedhead (4bae86) — 6/2/2018 @ 11:46 amLiving “in peace with all men” includes looking inward, which I’m sure you do. Anyone who sees their mission as
random viking (6a54c2) — 6/2/2018 @ 11:49 am“Exposing hypocrisy and double standards” in others is destined to have blood pressure issues, because (surprise) other people will push back. And, in some cases, they might just be right.
isn’t it striking how Europe finds greater common cause with both china and russia
https://hotair.com/archives/2018/06/02/hungary-not-joining-america-bashing-chorus-europe/
narciso (d1f714) — 6/2/2018 @ 12:04 pmledeen was a subject of lawfare directed by sid blumenthal
https://www.frontpagemag.com/fpm/270325/secret-courts-guarantee-abuse-michael-ledeen
narciso (d1f714) — 6/2/2018 @ 12:07 pmBilly Joel had a song, You May Be Right
Yes, Donald Trump is a blowhard and an (insert slang term for the rectum here), but after years of oh-so-polite Republican presidents promising things on which they never delivered, maybe the conservative voters decided that it just might be an (insert slang term for the rectum here) they were looking for.
Maybe he isn’t a conservative, deep down, but he’s managed to:
These are good things, and if it took an (insert slang term for the rectum here) to get them done, well that’s a better thing than not getting them done.
More needs to get done, and perhaps President Trump won’t accomplish them, but I can’t see how having a much nicer milquetoast not getting things done would be better than what we have now.
The realistic Dana (ad65b0) — 6/2/2018 @ 12:10 pmI commend you for your goal to live at peace with all men. I’m not at the same place on your method but I wish you well.
DRJ (15874d) — 6/2/2018 @ 12:10 pmTell me more about your method. I’m happy to hear alternatives.
Patterico (115b1f) — 6/2/2018 @ 12:11 pmObviously at the heart of it is the Lord’s command to love others. That doesn’t mean I have to agree with people or tolerate silly arguments, but I think it means recognizing when discussion won’t lead to anything productive and will simply make my heart hateful.
Patterico (115b1f) — 6/2/2018 @ 12:13 pmI am not an expert on how Christ wants us to live our lives. I wish I were. I can only share how I try to live my life. I think God wants us to emulate Christ so I look at the Bible for guidance. The first step is to treat everyone the way we want to be treated – with kindness , understanding and respect. It’s easier said than done and I often fail, but I try.
In some situations, we cannot be helpful and then it is time to shake the dust off our feet and move on. It appears that is your approach to the comments here. If you can’t be understanding, patient, and willing to get involved with what you see, you will refrain and move on. I understand that feeling.
I may be wrong about what God wants. but I hope you will pray on it. I am uncomfortable with this approach if this is how you feel. You are providing this arena and I think you should participate in more than just pontifications. If you don’t have the patience, time or desire to participate in the comments now and then, then please close them.
DRJ (15874d) — 6/2/2018 @ 12:31 pmI think you will find that you benefit the most from undertaking arduous jobs for God, but that doesn’t mean this is the job He wants you to do. That is what I hope you will pray about.
DRJ (15874d) — 6/2/2018 @ 12:42 pmThe commenter said it all far better than I would have. Pontifications went from 2nd on my list of 16 blogs to read daily to dead last because I was sick of constant your anti-this, that and the other guy harping. While the anonymous commenter vowed to revisit you in a year, I relegated you to the only blog that was down-rated to once a week or less. Your still there, but I’m willing to reconsider.
clwseattle (63970b) — 6/2/2018 @ 12:49 pmHey, Patterico. Thanks for this post. I’ve kept coming back because I’ve long respected you. Long time lurker, rarely have I commented. What I would really love is an honest, thoughtful debate between you and someone like Andrew McCarthy. I read you and I read him, but I don’t (and this could be my fault for not finding it) see anyone addressing these opposing positions. You had that post about McCarthy’s misrepresentation of Comey’s testimony, but that felt and still feels to me like picking at the margins. Is there some way for you to have a forum for honest debate with people truly searching for the truth on the Russia stuff? — BTW, my favorite posts are your Sunday music stuff, because I see the kind and thoughtful you that’s in this post as well. God Bless you.
Mike (c9b649) — 6/2/2018 @ 1:00 pm25. If you seek to be perfect in love as Jesus himself was, remember that overturning tables and whipping bankers (money changers) was a part of his ministry.
Gryph (08c844) — 6/2/2018 @ 1:01 pmDRJ (15874d) — 6/2/2018 @ 12:42 pm
Patterico (115b1f) — 6/2/2018 @ 12:13 pm
Holiness is what is being sought here. Patience is what is lacking – which is true for everyone. The way to holiness is nothing more than love. God is love. To make your way to God can be most arduous if make the attempt without love. “Love one another as I have loved you.” Love your enemy. But how?
Prayer is the way to ask for help. Trust is the vessel we employ to draw from God’s infinite mercy. Start with yourself. We know that we have a beam in our eye; that beam is pride. To remove our pride takes humility. Begin there. Patience will come only when you do this out of love for God.
felipe (023cc9) — 6/2/2018 @ 1:18 pm“Patience will come
onlywhen you do this out of love for God.”That’s better.
felipe (023cc9) — 6/2/2018 @ 1:26 pmExposing hypocrisy and double standards is a habit by now. But it raises my blood pressure. Is there a way to channel that feeling into something constructive?
It grows more apparent as you get older. But something constructive? For yourself, yes. Maybe stop waving your fist at clouds and start swinging a golf club and belting a little white pellet instead.
For me, it’s growing tomatoes.
_____
@26. DRJ, at the risk of revealing some of that ‘inner space’ you mentioned a few threads back, it all fell into place for me in 1968. Fifty years ago, when ‘hypocrisy and double standards’ were at a high boil, ceased attending organized religious services. Dragged through enough cathedrals by that time anyway. But at Christmas in London, back in ’68, when those images of our Earth and the moon from Apollo 8 shimmered into the TeeVee screens, it all clicked firmly and resolutely into place- at least for me. So spending more constructive time managing day to day issues and letting the ordered Universe take care of itself has been quite serene. You find peace when you cut out the middle men ;-).
DCSCA (797bc0) — 6/2/2018 @ 1:37 pmI think that is how we find peace, felipe. God gives us strength, patience, kindness and caring, too, but peace comes through doing His Will. That is why, to me, the first step is praying for God’s guidance.
DRJ (15874d) — 6/2/2018 @ 1:37 pmSometimes the current tone reminds me of when you and Jeff Goldstein had it out over the thoughts within a pregnant pause and wound up hating each other for a year or three (I am exaggerating and embellishing wildly as I am prone to do).
My take is you are a very competitive person and you love the feel of winning an argument. My advice would be to be careful not to “cast the first stone” and then give yourself permission to not get into the stone fight even if you feel someone has unfairly or dishonestly attacked your character. Just give character assassins a day off and move forward rather than getting bogged down wrestling with the proverbial hog in the mud. Be serene and secure in the knowledge of your character and of how inconsequential most attacks are.
I mean this as a compliment and an affirmation that you are the kind of guy that can be trusted.
This Trump Presidency has really twisted us all around and it seems every point of contention moves quickly towards a bitterness; respect for each other has nearly disappeared. Through all that I’d like to see all of us here be grateful to the host for the conversation, for the forum… maybe return to a time where we can view others with a generosity of spirit even if we think they are barking mad.
steveg (a9dcab) — 6/2/2018 @ 1:37 pmI find comfort in attending church and connecting with other Christians but I am very glad you made your own beautiful, out-of-this-world connection with God, DCSCA. Thank you for sharing that mental image.
DRJ (15874d) — 6/2/2018 @ 1:42 pmIt was not my intent to declare I will not participate in the comments, but rather to do less (no?) endless fighting in the hopes of convincing people who won’t be convinced. My activity today is an example of what I plan to strive for. I have been attacked a few times today but I am not getting upset about it.
I pray every day for the strength and wisdom to try my best to follow God’s path for me. This feels like part of it, and I will try and probably stumble some in the process.
Patterico (361788) — 6/2/2018 @ 1:49 pmI agree with the commenter and was ready to post a similar note.
The site should now be called “Patterico’s Anti-Trump and Trump Supporter Pontifications.”
You are certainly entitled to your opinions, but the constant Trump HATE, and I do mean HATE, and disdain to those of us that do support him, despite his shortcomings, is tiresome. I’ve also taken this site out of my daily and even weekly rotation. I do check it every so often and am constantly reminded why I stopped coming here.
Whatever BS Trump does will be little remembered years from now, but the good he’s done will last a long time.
And, we’re much better off with Trump than Hillary. MUCH BETTER. So stop suggesting otherwise.
Thanks for your time.
Commenter767 (532b59) — 6/2/2018 @ 2:06 pmDRJ (15874d) — 6/2/2018 @ 1:37 pm
Amen.
felipe (023cc9) — 6/2/2018 @ 2:10 pmThis feels like part of it, and I will try and probably stumble some in the process.
Patterico (361788) — 6/2/2018 @ 1:49 pm
It certainly feels that way to me, too. In fact, I have noticed the small, but wonderful, changes in you since you had announced your return to the church. Nothing wrong with stumbling, it is simply a sign of the struggle. Remember, Jesus fell three times during His Passion.
felipe (023cc9) — 6/2/2018 @ 2:16 pmThe important thing for me is that you believe this is part of God’s plan for you. I want to support you in that.
DRJ (46c88f) — 6/2/2018 @ 2:22 pmCommenter767m It is what it is. In the beginning it was neverTrump. Now they’re just the faux-conservative #resistance. If the blue wave wins they may become the gulag Kommandants as they lead us to The Glorious World of Next Tuesday.
Here is the intellect of their Pravda. Wrong state and can’t spell marijuana. Idiots.
https://i1.wp.com/www.powerlineblog.com/ed-assets/2018/06/Screen-Shot-2018-06-02-at-12.47.14-PM.png?resize=546%2C570
Rev.Hoagie (c5d6cf) — 6/2/2018 @ 2:27 pmWhile I’ve never really been on the receiving end of any strong criticism here (from you…), even at your most aggressive I’ve never perceived you to “yell at” anyone. Sometimes your humor is biting, but you never get abusive or ugly. I guess what I’m saying is that you don’t appear to lose control or be consumed by hatred or negative emotions to me.
Of course, you should not do anything that you don’t enjoy, but I think having a blogger who actively engages and mercilessly points out bogus argumentation on any side for what it is, within the bounds of decorum, is one of the things that makes this place so special. It’s a feature, not a bug, AFAIC.
Dave (445e97) — 6/2/2018 @ 2:37 pmNo once can live in peace with ‘all men’, especially if part of your mission is enforcing laws, norms, and strictures. However, Paul’s words were specifically contextualized to newly Christianized Jews living under Roman occupation. “Live at peace with all men” meant things like STOP ENCOURAGING BREAKAWAY REVOLUTIONARY ZEALOTS, STOP MAINTAINING AN OPENLY ANTAGONISTIC POSTURE AGAINST THE EMPIRE WHO’S LAWS AND NORMS YOU HAVE TO FOLLOW, and also STOP BETRAYING YOUR OWN PEOPLE WHEN YOU DO GAIN TRUST WITH THE ROMANS BY LORDING IT OVER THEM IN TAXES OR IN RELIGIOUS CEREMONY.
The new Christians were simply not to act in the same spirit of despairing, atavistic advantage seeking that they had as Jews just because they were under Roman occupation and forbidden to enforce their laws!
Context is IMPORTANT! Context brings UNDERSTANDING! Context lets you bring the past to life in the present day!
https://youtu.be/hONabIzdapo
Dysphoria Sam (f03292) — 6/2/2018 @ 2:58 pmPoint taken
http://biblehub.com/2_timothy/
narciso (f5152e) — 6/2/2018 @ 3:08 pmFrom a longtime lurker that remembers when this blog was about fighting with the LASlimes, it sure feels like you have a massive case of Trump Derangement Syndrome. You, Gowdy, and SuperMario have lots of trust in our government agencies…. Not Me… I don’t mind forays into attacking the President with appropriately defined arguments… but enough with the typical progressive stanzas..”I hate Trump. I really hate Trump. I really really hate Trump”
jason stewart (4253aa) — 6/2/2018 @ 3:28 pm@42. Hoagie!!! You cranky ol’SOB!!! Glad to see you posted– folks have been wondering how you’ve been feeling– glad to see you’re still kicking the box!
DCSCA (797bc0) — 6/2/2018 @ 3:36 pm“Exposing hypocrisy and double standards is a habit by now. But it raises my blood pressure. Is there a way to channel that feeling into something constructive?”
Sure. Stop seeking out the negatives and instead look for the positives. You can make yourself as miserable as you want, by having the mindset to seek out things that will make you miserable.
Stop paying attention to Trump the man and focus on Trump the President and the policies, goals, and achievements that the President is working toward.
Putting America first. Working on resolving the North Korea situation. Lowering taxes. Reducing regulations. Lessening the weight of the bootheel of government from the People. Yeah, and those other things Dana said in #22.
“endless fighting in the hopes of convincing people who won’t be convinced.”
and
“There is no question in my mind that I was correct in my logical arguments, and that the people who refused to see this were acting out of some combination of partisan hackery and inability to comprehend certain logical arguments.”
This is the problem right there. The presumption that *you* are right and have the True and Correct opinion, and that anyone who deigns to disagree with you is manifestly Wrong and/or being obtusely Evil. You decline to see that other people may have a different opinion than you, and reject even considering that other people may look at the same facts as you—-but come to a different opinion.
To paraphrase Vox Day “It’s not all about you.” You are not the center of the world, where other people exist only as satellites. You deny people’s agency and humanity when you insist that they simply _must_ agree with you.
The thing you are not seeing is that to somebody else, *you* are the one who just obstinately refuses to be convinced.
fred-2 (ce04f3) — 6/2/2018 @ 4:08 pm48. 2 + 2 = 4. Not 5. Not 3. 4. That is not an opinion, and for you to try to convince me otherwise is foolish to put it mildly. It is likewise foolish to persist in conducting yourself as if Donald Trump is a gentleman, an honest individual, or a lover of freedom. If I turn around and concede that we can “agree to disagree,” I might as well be conceding that we can agree to disagree on whether 2 + 2 is 4 or 5.
Gryph (5efbad) — 6/2/2018 @ 4:37 pmI agree with the commenter, but….
Patterico’s annoyance is somewhat merited, Trump has lots of failings, and the Patterico substrate is sound.
Sooner or later the rage will exhaust itself and reasoned and effective rhetoric will return.
Patterico knows that an angry advocate, and angry lawyer, is useless and this post is a sign that he is thinking about that a lot.
Fred Z (05d938) — 6/2/2018 @ 5:20 pmYou have a lot of company. However, this post is not an announcement that I will stop pointing out Donald Trump’s hypocrisy and bullshit. I just don’t intend to get into fights with folks like you who make statements like you just did.
Patterico (115b1f) — 6/2/2018 @ 5:31 pmWhat you see as a double standard could be characterized as evolution, or surrender. Conservatives are now using the Clinton rules. They are obviously superior, so why would conservatives go on using the old-fashioned h8ter standards?
Richard Aubrey (10ef71) — 6/2/2018 @ 5:51 pm52. You conflate rules with principles. In evolving, movement conservatism has rendered itself irrelevant and impotent as an agent of constitutional freedom.
Gryph (5efbad) — 6/2/2018 @ 5:55 pmHoagie,
Good to see you are well and that you had a good time away. Please remember that Patterico is still a friend and even though we don’t see eye to eye with him on some issues, he isn’t disagreeing out of malice or hate towards us (even when it feels personal).
I hope we are all able to come out of this stronger and better people as we all want what is best for the future of our nation. and our children and grandchildren.
NJRob (89b8a9) — 6/2/2018 @ 7:55 pmGryph. Missed the point. First, the issue is not about constitutional future. It’s about how we view an individual–in this case, Trump–personally. Conservatives have decided to get on the future train and say, in effect, “Whose business is somebody’s private life? What, are you Ken Starr or somebody?”
Richard Aubrey (10ef71) — 6/3/2018 @ 2:54 amSecond, since the phone and pen have been legitimized as a way of doing the government’s business–legitimized by Obama and his supporters, why not Trump?
It’s not the time for liberals to come all over moral and crap, and worry about the constitution–that restriction on what they’d like to do–without being mocked.
“You conflate rules with principles. In evolving, movement conservatism has rendered itself irrelevant and impotent as an agent of constitutional freedom.”
Considering that they rendered themselves irrelevant on issues like free speech, free association, and heterosexual normalization long before that, is there any wonder they caved on constitutional freedom?
Trump may defend these things, or may not. ‘Movement conservatism’ will never do so.
Tellurian (f03292) — 6/3/2018 @ 7:09 pm