Liberals and Tolerance

[Obi-Wan Nihilo]

The irony piles up so fast around here you need wings to stay above it.

[Prebe]

Does it? I thought my use of emoticon and Ananda's and my ripostes were all delightfully humorous and sarcastic. A slightly exagerated paraphrase of the feelings that scandinavians are often up against when discussing politics with Americans.

But that is of course a matter of taste. You could also choose to see it as whining & poo-pooing. It would certainly prove your point.

[Obi-Wan Nihilo]

Does irony within irony cancel itself out?

[Prebe]

I don't know. How did you percieve the posts? As examples that you were right all along? Your somewhat dubious (or at least heavily Americanized) use of the word "irony" seems to indicate that.

My last post presented my own completely honest interpretation of my own posts. Nothing ironic about that.

If this post even further supports your perception that I - like most other liberals - have absolutely no sense of humour, that's good for you, but it's not strictly ironic.

[Hashi Lebwohl]

I think Ron was referring to my post where I claim that the Internet not only allows us all to be the arses we really are but allows us to maximize the number of people who see us being an arse.

[Obi-Wan Nihilo]

So, my use of the term "irony" is itself ironic?

[Hashi Lebwohl]

Ladies and gentlemen, please allow me to present Ron Burgunihilo, the hipster Hipster.

[Prebe]

[Obi-Wan Nihilo]

I don't know, Hashi, I'd have to wear a mullet / cop 'stache combo to pull that off. That may be a bridge too far.

[Avatar]

I think a lot of the worlds problems are down to a failure of sense of humour myself.

--A

[Obi-Wan Nihilo]

Let's throw another log on the fire.

twitchy.com/2012/06/06/kill-scott-walker-angry-libs-flood-twitter-with-death-threats-after-wisconsin-recall-defeat/

Somebody gone kill Scott Walker man.—
Brooksie Yvonne'(: (@xPureeSCRUB_) June 06, 2012
5 Jun 12
@DONTTouchTheFRO
They gone JFK Scott Walker. Shoot his mfn head off BANG BANG!!! *chief keef voice* —
ERIN M. (@DONTTouchTheFRO) June 06, 2012
5 Jun 12
@__SupaMcNASTY__
Ima fuck Scott walker up. I been wanting to for the longest anyways lowkey.—
`Marques.Scoot. (@__SupaMcNASTY__) June 06, 2012
5 Jun 12
@__SupaMcNASTY__
Ima be right back! I'm finna go kill #ScottWalker bitch ass dawg. Nbs!—
`Marques.Scoot. (@__SupaMcNASTY__) June 06, 2012
5 Jun 12
@SeXXX_Symbol_
Somebody need to Abe Lincoln Scott Walker cave frog lookin ass.—
Ocean Gang Goon (@SeXXX_Symbol_) June 06, 2012
5 Jun 12
EEE@EEElverhoy
??? RT @xDIMPLES_: Somebody go kill scott walker or shoot his punk ass I wish I could watch when it happen lol he got me being evil x shit
5 Jun 12 ReplyRetweetFavorite
@DomoSoloDolo
I wanna kill scott walker so fucking baddd!!!!! & the racist dumb assholes that voted for him #nbs—
FatBitchess&GoodWeed (@DomoSoloDolo) June 06, 2012
5 Jun 12
@Prototypeisgame
Please somebody kill Scott Walker.—
(@Prototypeisgame) June 06, 2012
5 Jun 12
@All_Onaa_Hoeee
Umm imma Start A Damn Kill Scott Walker Committee ! Who w. Me ?—
Nakeshaa BITCH $$$ (@All_Onaa_Hoeee) June 06, 2012
5 Jun 12
@realwesleywess
Someone from the NRA should shoot Scott Walker in the head, GTA-style.—
Wesley Lam (@realwesleywess) June 06, 2012
5 Jun 12
YEAH IM BASED!@caleb_white
I might just have to kill scott walker n take that charge
5 Jun 12 ReplyRetweetFavorite
YEAH IM BASED!@caleb_white
Scott walker will die within the next week ive already payed for the hit
5 Jun 12 ReplyRetweetFavorite
@xDIMPLES_
Somebody go kill scott walker or shoot his punk ass I wish I could watch when it happen lol he got me being evil x shit but FUCKKKKK HIM NBS—
CAUTION im CUFFED ♡ (@xDIMPLES_) June 06, 2012
5 Jun 12
@BrothMan_BEEF
If you kill Scott Walker I will give you a big kissu—
Denver Hoxha (@BrothMan_BEEF) June 06, 2012
5 Jun 12
@ILoveLexiss
I'm not saying somebody should kill Scott Walker but uhhh Maybe somebody should Lincoln his ass jus saying—
LexXxie♥ (@ILoveLexiss) June 06, 2012
5 Jun 12
morgan y evans@morganyevans
Scott Walker needs to die
5 Jun 12 ReplyRetweetFavorite
Chelsea@chelseagirl
Before I die, I'd like to kick Scott Walker in the balls @theburiedlife
5 Jun 12 ReplyRetweetFavorite
@_SpikesxSpandex
Oh Yeah, Somebody Gone Shoot Scott Walker White Ass.—
6|Fourtheen|12( : (@_SpikesxSpandex) June 06, 2012
5 Jun 12
@JoshhyCashh
Scott Walker Must Die—
Josh James 凸(¬_¬)凸 (@JoshhyCashh) June 06, 2012
5 Jun 12
Karlä ♥@MexicanLust69
Scott walker needs fall down the capital stairs & die..
5 Jun 12 ReplyRetweetFavorite
♡ Team SiNGLEE ♥@Deshay_Nicolee
“@xOForever_Valid Somebody Should Shoot Scott Walker #NOLie! ^.^”
5 Jun 12 ReplyRetweetFavorite
@ColeyColeee_
Soo, who gone shoot Scott Walker!?—
June 28th (: (@ColeyColeee_) June 06, 2012
5 Jun 12
@__HoopAHOLIC
I wanna shoot scott walker in the leg or something.—
Breeeeeeeezzzzyyy (@__HoopAHOLIC) June 06, 2012
5 Jun 12
@SKSunnyy
YOU BITCH ! Im Finna Assassinate Scott Walker Punk Ass ! Why The Fuck He Win Somebody SHOOT HIS ASS ! -___-—
July 4th 2014 . (@SKSunnyy) June 06, 2012
5 Jun 12
They are also threatening Gov. Walker’s wife and son:

@iWusGetnSumHead
NBS I Know What School Scott Walker Son Go To—
Tj Fucked Yo Bitch (@iWusGetnSumHead) June 06, 2012
5 Jun 12
@iWusGetnSumHead
AND If Scott Walker Got A Wife Imma Fuck Her Face—
Tj Fucked Yo Bitch (@iWusGetnSumHead) June 06, 2012
5 Jun 12
@TaeesWorld
If I ever see anybody of the Walker family on the street, ima pop they ass.—
Ya Girl Tae (@TaeesWorld) June 06, 2012
5 Jun 12
This is not the first time Gov. Scott Walker and other Wisconsin Republicans have had to deal with death threats and other threats of violence.

[[Syl]]

Terry Jones, Quran-Burning Pastor, Hangs Barack Obama Effigy Outside Florida Church (PHOTO)

After Suggesting People "Throw Acid" On Female Democrats, NY Republican's Adviser Steps Down

[Obi-Wan Nihilo]

That's awful of course, if not exactly topical.

[[Syl]]

Should I create a 'Conservatives and Intolerance' thread then, or do you not get my point?

[Obi-Wan Nihilo]

What is your point, exactly? That a kooky pastor is roundly condemned by virtually everyone for simulating the lynching of the President, while legions of liberal supporters relishing imaginary violence and issuing possibly genuine death threats are either ignored or excused by implication? What would the reaction be if the parties were reversed? That's a question worth asking.

[[Syl]]

Ah, so it's not that you don't get my point but you choose not to acknowledge it. Very well then.

Quite sincerely, I hereby acknowledge the validity of your umbrage. Approximately 30 ignorant twitterers are ignorant and should probably at least have a talk with State law enforcement.

So, since the topic of your thread is 'Liberals and Tolerance,' are you saying that this selection of tweets is somehow representative of liberals as a whole? Because my point, since I seem to have state the obvious, is that there are dumbasses on both sides.

If you want to take this as proof of the correctness of your position, though, I'm sure I can't stop you.

[Obi-Wan Nihilo]

It's not umbrage, Syl, it's genuine curiosity combined with a bit of chagrinned amusement. The hard right had better damn sure toe the line or be annihilated, while the hard left is given lots of latitude to vent its spleen. That is a phenomenon whose reality I both assert and am intrigued by. I continue to suggest that the degree of latitude given correlates with a slightly increased rate of unseemliness at the margins of the left. For the umpteenth time I'm not ascribing culpability for this behavior to the majority of liberals, though I do think liberals are frequently guilty of excusing this behavior on more or less patronizing grounds.

[[Syl]]

Who's giving them latitude, Ron? Is it the DNC's responsibility to police the internet now. Hey, I'm a liberal, and I just said that they're idiots. What more do you want?

And 'toe the line' or 'annihilation,' huh? That's quite the dichotomy you have there.

[Obi-Wan Nihilo]

Syl, you are a commendable person in a number of ways (and yes I say that regardless of whether you return the sentiment - I suspect that you do not, not that I blame you or anything), so an example of your fairness does not exactly prove the general case. Hard right idiocy results in instant condemnation from all quarters, as it should. Hard left idiocy results in, at the very most, a rather muted response. Do you disagree with this characterization, and if not, do you find it intellectually interesting? I do find it interesting.

[[Syl]]

Thanks, Ron (and I've said before you're a stand-up guy), but I don't think I'm all that special in that regard. True, I think most people are idiots (regardless of political leanings), but I also think most people are decent. So yes, I think my view on this is pretty much in line with most liberals' (who know about it. I certainly didn't before I saw it here).

However, I also think this is pretty small potatoes. You might as well start setting your sights on youtube and HuffPo commenters (who are as rabidly conservative these days as they are rabidly liberal—equally 99% of them are idiots).