[lit-ideas] Re: Max Boot

  • From: "Simon Ward" <sedward@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: <lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Mon, 1 Jan 2007 21:35:15 -0000

Not for the last time, Lawrence misses the joke [thought the parenthetical 
comment might give the clue, but no...]

As for my success in debates with Lawrence, memory suggests that it has been 
him either using dodgy debating tactics or else just plain leaving rather than 
me on the fire and burn. But since it's New Year, perhaps we could turn over a 
new leaf and discuss something to the bitter end. 

How about Saddam's demise?

Simon
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Lawrence Helm 
  To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx 
  Sent: Monday, January 01, 2007 9:19 PM
  Subject: [lit-ideas] Re: Max Boot


  Simon wrote, "As for Lawrence, I think we all know by now that he is the 
devil incarnate [says the athiest trying not to grin]."

   

  Since Simon has never done terribly well debating me, I can see why he might 
ascribe this fact to my possessing supernatural abilities.  Let me hasten, 
before I suffer the same fate as Nebuchadnezzar, to assure everyone that I make 
no such claim.  

   

  Lawrence

   


------------------------------------------------------------------------------

  From: lit-ideas-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:lit-ideas-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] 
On Behalf Of Simon Ward
  Sent: Monday, January 01, 2007 12:52 PM
  To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
  Subject: [lit-ideas] Re: Max Boot

   

  Brian,

   

  I doubt you'll find many on the left who have a true concept of evil in the 
sense of a profoundly flawed soul. That's far too spiritual. Instead, those on 
the left will talk about motives, sometimes in a conspiratorial manner, but 
often in terms of economic greed, not personally, but in a partisan way. It's 
motive that matters far more than the individual, because motive covers the 
broader range of decision making activities. Nobody on the left would say that 
Bush is evil, many, if not all, would say that he is a misguided idiot. 

   

  As far as Eric is concerned, I for one find his views divergent from his 
nature. In one post he will talk fondly of the bear in the orchard, in another 
he breaths fire about an arab in a cave. Given that he is a Newyorker, I think 
this is understandable, sad yes, but entirely understandable. 

   

  As for Lawrence, I think we all know by now that he is the devil incarnate 
[says the athiest trying not to grin].

   

  Simon

    ----- Original Message ----- 

    From: Brian 

    To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx 

    Sent: Monday, January 01, 2007 3:27 PM

    Subject: [lit-ideas] Re: Max Boot

     

    Simon, there was no vitriol present.  I was demonstrating Irene's absurdity 
by being absurd.  She has a bad habit of speculating about the psychology of 
people she doesn't know and imposing a template from the therapeutic/victim 
culture onto them.  And I don't see how it in any way negates her apology or my 
accepting it.  In fact, I think her admission of error would be stronger if she 
had left it at that instead of pretending I brought up Bill Clinton in a 
completely different context to deflect from Max Boot's crushing analysis of a 
position I haven't staked. 

     

    I think you're quite wrong about Rightists.  By-in-large conservatives 
believe the Left is wrong but the Left believes the Right isn't just wrong, but 
bad and often evil.  We see this time and again, both in the larger culture and 
on this list, with President Bush.  It isn't enough to say his policies are 
wrong but that he is a bad person and a force for evil in the world.  How many 
times has Eric taken a more conservative position and been personally attacked 
for it?

     

    ~Brian

     

    On Dec 30, 2006, at 4:44 AM, Simon Ward wrote:





    Seems Lawrence's surrogate didn't waste too much time descending into 
vitriol. Par for the course with these Rightists. Some advise: never waste an 
apology, you might not get another.

     

Other related posts: