Saturday, August 23, 2008

Before we Get Carried Away

Ed,

    before ... , i'd like to spend some more time on why you don't like Al Gore.

    I think we will be able to conclude you don't like him for no other reason than you don't like him.

    you won't like the conclusion i'd make as to the source of your dislike, but in the liberal spirit of all minds being open, you'll have to hear it.

    and, i'll offer this much before we open the can of worms:  you can apply my reason for "disliking so-and-so" to any republican(s) you chose, and you'll find the argument wanting.   or stated more succinctly,    you will not be able to use my argument against me, that "i don't like so-and-so because ... "  for the reason why i don't like __________ (you can fill in the blank). (*)  Lest you think i'm being unfair, you can conduct the argument in reverse.  

that was issue #1.

issue #2.   going back a month or so, you offered a vision for america and the world,   the kind of world i'd like to live in.   my current beat of the drum is,   "and what do you expect of our government to make that happen?"   and it's first corollary:  "what do i expect the government to ask of me?"   or   "what am i willing to do if the government should ask?"

you can see where this may be going.

(*) an example:  
         You claim:    A.  "I don't like Al Gore"  
         i get to fill in the blank:  e.g.   B. "Ed you don't like Al Gore because he wears green socks"
         you can claim    C. "Marty, you don't like George W Bush",
         then this will have to be true:   D. "Marty, you don't like George W Bush because he wears green socks".
   I will supply the "because he wears green socks"   reason  which will make D either patently false or absurd, where statement B won't be observed false by a simple denial.   Get it?