Monday, April 7, 2008

Overdose Of Irony

Owen Robinson had put up a post worthy of recommendation. In his post, he laments the decline of civility in the blogosphere:
I don’t see this happening in the Wisconsin blogosphere anymore. It has evolved, or devolved, into the crass identity politics which everyone laments. It’s rarely about debating the issues. It’s about tearing each other down. It’s sad and pathetic. And, with all due respect, it ticks me off.

I read with great interest the debate in the Wisconsin blogosphere regarding the latest Wisconsin Supreme Court election. There were lengthy posts on the race. Some of them were of depth and substance. But even of those, far too many were also laced with insults and filth. It seemed to matter less about what was said than who said it. This has become commonplace.

This may seem ironic, coming from this site, but I whole-heartedly agree with Owen. Unfortunately, sometimes things do get too personal. For the most part, I do try to stay on issues, rather than personalities. But sometimes the hypocrisy is too much to ignore.

Anyway, Sykes links to this posting, and offers his support. Apparently, his support is only in the form of words, as that he has at least three sites on his blogrolls in which the authors routinely cross that line, both in their posts and in their comments elsewhere.

Of course, Sykes' agreement to Owen's sentiments is no less ironic than Whallah's. After all, he gave us the COEXIST issue, made it worse, and didn't start this year out very well either.

Your daily overdose of irony comes from this:



17 comments:

  1. You left out the "in his underwear" part.

    I sure hope this nastiness doesn't spread from the blogs to talk radio.

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  2. Capper, okay, you have us on the edge of our seats. Which are the three nasty sites?

    I agree that Owen's post is worthy of recommendation. Perhaps, instead of using it as an opportunity to point out past wrongs, we all could pledge to stop the incivility, at least on our own sites. Bloggers can either improve the medium, or allow it to go farther in the toilet.

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  3. I'm not afraid to name them, John: THEB, RDW, Malkin, some of the BBA. Those are just the toxic ones--there are others that will cost you brain cells, but in more of a sniffing glue kind of way than in Kills Bugs Dead kind of way.

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  4. Mirror Jay?

    I can't even speak to Capper on this.

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  5. Dooley, the only way I would want you to speak to me is to offer the apology you owe me. And don't forget you owe Fair Play one or two as well. And Kay-you owe her at least one.

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  6. Geez...there goes Fred with the "mirror" comment again. Just once I wish he'd take his own advice.

    Fred...I really enjoy reading Jay's blog. I find it inviting and interesting. He has some very good contributors and commenters. Also, not a single blogger over at folkbum has called me a name for sharing my opinion, even when I was disagreeing with them. I can't say the same about when I was still "allowed" to comment on RDW, and, in fact, I recall you calling me names on RDW. So, please Fred, mirror....

    capper...I completely agree.

    iT...you rock!

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  7. Still waiting on your apology Capper...

    Your calling people racist without cause started this whole thing. You continue to sling insults at people in your hatred of anyone with a conservative opinion. It is you more than any other that is the cause of Owen's original message.

    I made it clear 8 times now I meant no ill will toward your mother. You have ignored that 8 times as you would rather have it as a wedge every time I respond to anything.

    Fair Play, is it about time I publish your accusation against me without an ounce of proof? You are not the innocent you claim to be. I've stayed above it all and you continue to slime me in public.

    As to Kay, my business with her is personal, I have never attacked her on my blog though she has certainly attacked me on more occasions than I can count. I tried to come to terms with her long ago, she refused to accept my apology unless I gave her someone elses head on a platter who was innocent of what she accused of her of. That's Kay.

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  8. Oh, Fred, Fred, Fred........can you ever get anything correct concerning me? I never asked for anyone's head on a platter. Never. I asked you to tell me who said an awful lie about me which was then forwarded on to at least one other person -- by you. How the hell is that asking for a head on a platter?
    In a court of law you get to face your accuser(s), in your court you don't allow that. Why? Because you don't consider it slander if it's against someone who you find guilty of being a liberal. Or perhaps you value your contact with the liar more than you value ---well, values, ethics and morals?
    Tell me Fred, just where do you stand on that "bearing false witness" bit in the big 10? On the sidelines?
    And, I didn't ask you to reveal who it was online. I asked in a personal e-mail.

    On the motherhood issue...the point is that it takes a certain type of person to even bring one's mother into a debate. That's on the same level of bringing up one's young children.

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  9. I wouldn't worry or care about what Fred has to say Kay, it's not like anyone else does. The fact that you so graciously accepted my apology (even after how rotten I was to you) speaks volumes about your good character. I know I was undeserving, but you still treated me with kindness. That is who you are! Don't let anything Fred spews bring you down.

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  10. Fred...or is it "why the lies" or is it one of the other multiple screen names you use?

    Give it your best shot...I won't be tuning in. You are so irrelevant to me.

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  11. Dooley, you poor, poor, little man.

    I owe no apologies. See if you can follow along:

    Exhibit A: McBride expediates her termination from TMJ for an offensive stunt that was racial in nature.

    Exhibit B: When two young people are killed in the west side of Milwaukee, she automatically assumes the worst about the people that were killed.

    Exhibit C: When she finally acknowledges her error in regards to B, she tries to explain it away as that all music studios in black areas is a front for gangsters.

    Exhibit D: After a long absence, she comes back and her first four posts are going after African Americans.

    If you cannot or will not see the pattern, that is your problem and no one else.

    Regarding my mother: I've already said I am inclined to believe that you did not intend to insult her, but you did. The person who hit and killed a pedestrian with their car probably did not intend to do that, but they did. You can settle this by simply saying you're sorry. What's so hard about that?

    As for FP and Kay, do what you think you must. Just be prepared for the consequences for your behaviors. You are aware that your history could be laid out in the process. Again, just say you're sorry and move on. It's not that hard of a thing to do, is it?

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  12. I guess I need to buy a smoking jacket, a brandy snifter, & romeo slippers. But then I'd have to start smoking again. I have taken a pledge of incivility & I'm proud of it. All this talk about reasoned discourse is b.s. It's a talking point for the wingnuts. The sweet irony is that in my lifetime, anyway, it's been McCarthy, Gingrich, Lott, who started it all. All were/are rightwingers. Remember: the DFHs were all right about the war in Iraq & yet, you never see or hear any of them on the teevee of the radio. Why should I be civil? There is no earthly reason, not any more.

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  13. Jay, I asked the question, not John.

    Anyhow, I can't speak for the comments people make in comments threads (most of the comment threads tend to be kind of a waste), or some of this interpersonal stuff people are arguing about in this thread.

    I am concerned about the stuff people put in their posts. I won't include jerk blogs in my list of best blogs. I have not, for example, seen the vitriol in RDW. Maybe I have not gone back far enough, or missed it when it came up. I scanned the last few weeks after reading this, and I have not seen anything that crosses any lines.

    As for Malkin, she is national. We don't have to be as nasty as national bloggers. Most tend to be pretty disgusting on both the Left and the Right.

    And who is TheB? I don't see any blog with that name, or anything close, anywhere on that site.

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  14. Croc,

    Here is something that might help explain RDW. THEB is Texas Hold'em Blogger. Peter D. is the blogger.

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  15. The fact that Fred deleted you does not make him nasty, just myopic. If he wants to have a "closed" blog does not make him uncivil. By the way, I do not believe that closing a blog is a great idea - I have never deleted your posts on my site (hell, you are one of only three people who have ever visisted my site, and I think I have lost one of them by questioning the way we select judges).

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  16. Dooley didn't ban me (yet). But his behavior makes the name of his site the most ironic and inappropriately named one that I am aware of.

    There is much more history than I care to get into at this time.

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