Comments on: Thoughts on where we are in America http://www.virushead.net/vhrandom/2007/03/14/rant-of-the-day Contagious Thoughts, Mutating as Needed Sun, 18 Oct 2009 18:07:23 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: MoveOn Controversy? Gimmee a Break | VirusHead http://www.virushead.net/vhrandom/2007/03/14/rant-of-the-day/comment-page-1#comment-76000 MoveOn Controversy? Gimmee a Break | VirusHead Sun, 23 Sep 2007 16:50:52 +0000 http://www.virushead.net/vhrandom/2007/03/14/rant-of-the-day/#comment-76000 [...] I hear “betray us” whenever they say General Petraeus’ name too, but yeah, it was a bit cheap to play on the name. Making a stink about the childishness of of that would be fair, but the comments I’m hearing are really over the top. And with all of the concentration on the word play, the actual point of the ad was lost. [...] [...] I hear “betray us” whenever they say General Petraeus’ name too, but yeah, it was a bit cheap to play on the name. Making a stink about the childishness of of that would be fair, but the comments I’m hearing are really over the top. And with all of the concentration on the word play, the actual point of the ad was lost. [...]

]]> By: VirusHead http://www.virushead.net/vhrandom/2007/03/14/rant-of-the-day/comment-page-1#comment-58869 VirusHead Fri, 23 Mar 2007 13:17:53 +0000 http://www.virushead.net/vhrandom/2007/03/14/rant-of-the-day/#comment-58869 "Slippery slope" means to induce avoidance, but it can also invoke <a href="http://www.law.ucla.edu/volokh/slippery.htm" rel="nofollow">analysis</a>. I don't have a problem - per se - with negative thought patterns. A compelling critique creates ground for possible solutions. What bothers me more is the way such phrases stand in as placeholders for real analysis, and that many Americans seem to prefer it that way. In the post above, I simply allowed myself to rant on my own deepest fears about where all of this may be going. A rhetorical analysis in that context seemed almost beside the point. It was already such a looooong post (grin). However, I take your point, and will do more along those lines. “Slippery slope” means to induce avoidance, but it can also invoke analysis. I don’t have a problem – per se – with negative thought patterns. A compelling critique creates ground for possible solutions.

What bothers me more is the way such phrases stand in as placeholders for real analysis, and that many Americans seem to prefer it that way.

In the post above, I simply allowed myself to rant on my own deepest fears about where all of this may be going. A rhetorical analysis in that context seemed almost beside the point. It was already such a looooong post (grin).

However, I take your point, and will do more along those lines.

]]> By: Vance Harwood http://www.virushead.net/vhrandom/2007/03/14/rant-of-the-day/comment-page-1#comment-58777 Vance Harwood Fri, 23 Mar 2007 03:01:10 +0000 http://www.virushead.net/vhrandom/2007/03/14/rant-of-the-day/#comment-58777 Hi Heidi, I’m surprised Virushead didn't explore possible viral aspect of the political landscape in this post. What thoughts are going through those misguided right-winger minds? I believe there are some thought patterns that are common across the political spectrum that hinder us from making progress. For example the “slippery slope" pattern--we can't give an inch on anything because that begins an inexorable slide to depravity. Creationists insist that the Genesis "day" in the Bible must mean a 24-hour day because otherwise every word in the Bible is open to interpretation. Old guard unions resist any productivity improvements that eliminated jobs—even if it means riding the business down into bankruptcy. The “slippery slope” does wonders for cooperation... I think identifying and countering negative thought patterns is more likely to effect change than the usual “change the system” approaches—and I would like hear what you have to say on such things.. --Vance Hi Heidi,
I’m surprised Virushead didn’t explore possible viral aspect of the political landscape in this post. What thoughts are going through those misguided right-winger minds? I believe there are some thought patterns that are common across the political spectrum that hinder us from making progress. For example the “slippery slope” pattern–we can’t give an inch on anything because that begins an inexorable slide to depravity. Creationists insist that the Genesis “day” in the Bible must mean a 24-hour day because otherwise every word in the Bible is open to interpretation. Old guard unions resist any productivity improvements that eliminated jobs—even if it means riding the business down into bankruptcy. The “slippery slope” does wonders for cooperation… I think identifying and countering negative thought patterns is more likely to effect change than the usual “change the system” approaches—and I would like hear what you have to say on such things..
–Vance

]]> By: Don Thieme http://www.virushead.net/vhrandom/2007/03/14/rant-of-the-day/comment-page-1#comment-58401 Don Thieme Tue, 20 Mar 2007 22:17:27 +0000 http://www.virushead.net/vhrandom/2007/03/14/rant-of-the-day/#comment-58401 Wow! All I can say is wow! Wow! All I can say is wow!

]]> By: JollyRoger http://www.virushead.net/vhrandom/2007/03/14/rant-of-the-day/comment-page-1#comment-57810 JollyRoger Sun, 18 Mar 2007 08:37:53 +0000 http://www.virushead.net/vhrandom/2007/03/14/rant-of-the-day/#comment-57810 I hope you're right, and the unimaginable isn't looming. But we live in an era where the Governor of California is speculating out loud that perhaps the US has grown too unwieldy to function as a democratic Republic, and towns in Vermont are openly discussing secession. All of this, of course, can be laid right at the feet of Chimpy, Shooter, and Der Rovesmarschall, who decided that demonizing American citizens was a good way to stay in power. In 1981, not a one of us could have imagined that the USSR would be gone in 10 years. And quite frankly, without Afghanistan, I wonder if they might not have been in existence today. I hope you’re right, and the unimaginable isn’t looming. But we live in an era where the Governor of California is speculating out loud that perhaps the US has grown too unwieldy to function as a democratic Republic, and towns in Vermont are openly discussing secession. All of this, of course, can be laid right at the feet of Chimpy, Shooter, and Der Rovesmarschall, who decided that demonizing American citizens was a good way to stay in power.

In 1981, not a one of us could have imagined that the USSR would be gone in 10 years. And quite frankly, without Afghanistan, I wonder if they might not have been in existence today.

]]> By: VirusHead http://www.virushead.net/vhrandom/2007/03/14/rant-of-the-day/comment-page-1#comment-57672 VirusHead Sat, 17 Mar 2007 13:09:47 +0000 http://www.virushead.net/vhrandom/2007/03/14/rant-of-the-day/#comment-57672 Thanks for your insightful comments, JR. There are some parallels, but I somehow think that the US will work things out differently than the USSR did in either case. If we had some leadership that could bring out our best, I would be more hopeful. Part of the problem, I think, is that so many people are so frightened. I can almost understand how rural areas are subject to a kind of regressive reaction - it's where there is the most divorce, teen pregnancies, poverty, lives destroyed by drugs - I can see the power of a fantasy that somehow right-wingers will bring into being a kind of Rockwell world where they would feel safe. There has to be an alternative vision that would make America and its citizens part of the larger world rather than insulating itself in fear. I think of a trivial thing - Sting's song where he says "I hope the Russians love their children too." There is a lot of hate and violence in the world. I just think we've been approaching it the wrong way... and of course, our fear is played upon for other interests. Thanks for your insightful comments, JR. There are some parallels, but I somehow think that the US will work things out differently than the USSR did in either case.

If we had some leadership that could bring out our best, I would be more hopeful. Part of the problem, I think, is that so many people are so frightened. I can almost understand how rural areas are subject to a kind of regressive reaction – it’s where there is the most divorce, teen pregnancies, poverty, lives destroyed by drugs – I can see the power of a fantasy that somehow right-wingers will bring into being a kind of Rockwell world where they would feel safe.

There has to be an alternative vision that would make America and its citizens part of the larger world rather than insulating itself in fear. I think of a trivial thing – Sting’s song where he says “I hope the Russians love their children too.”

There is a lot of hate and violence in the world. I just think we’ve been approaching it the wrong way… and of course, our fear is played upon for other interests.

]]> By: JollyRoger http://www.virushead.net/vhrandom/2007/03/14/rant-of-the-day/comment-page-1#comment-57333 JollyRoger Thu, 15 Mar 2007 06:17:31 +0000 http://www.virushead.net/vhrandom/2007/03/14/rant-of-the-day/#comment-57333 Heidi, Seldom has a post moved me so. You have hit on just about every element of what is wrong with this country right now. To see them all in one post is a bit stunning-I'm not sure what I could add to this. That, of course, has never stopped me before, so here goes. For years, I've been saying that the US approximates the USSR of the late 1980s and is almost certainly headed for the same fate. All of the elements are there-a costly, unpopular war, a huge external debt mainly held by hostile nations, a crumbling of essential Government services, rising poverty, illness, and destitution, a huge pool of people no longer participating in everyday American life (or its discourse,).... I believe that these points are still valid. But Pelosi introduces an element that I hadn't considered previously. Russia had another era of costly, unpopular war, disconnected Government, and disaffected citizens. Those citizens put their hopes into a Provisional Government that took power in January-the peasantry wanted an end to the war, and a lot more attention to the mounting problems at home. We know from our history books, of course, that the Provisional Government did not end Russia's participation in that war-a decision which by itself would have been enough to pave the way to what happened in Russia in October of the year 1917. Which America are we living in, then? The one doomed to split up as the USSR did, or one waiting for a Lenin? The parallels are amazing. Heidi,

Seldom has a post moved me so. You have hit on just about every element of what is wrong with this country right now. To see them all in one post is a bit stunning-I’m not sure what I could add to this.

That, of course, has never stopped me before, so here goes.

For years, I’ve been saying that the US approximates the USSR of the late 1980s and is almost certainly headed for the same fate. All of the elements are there-a costly, unpopular war, a huge external debt mainly held by hostile nations, a crumbling of essential Government services, rising poverty, illness, and destitution, a huge pool of people no longer participating in everyday American life (or its discourse,)…. I believe that these points are still valid.

But Pelosi introduces an element that I hadn’t considered previously. Russia had another era of costly, unpopular war, disconnected Government, and disaffected citizens. Those citizens put their hopes into a Provisional Government that took power in January-the peasantry wanted an end to the war, and a lot more attention to the mounting problems at home.

We know from our history books, of course, that the Provisional Government did not end Russia’s participation in that war-a decision which by itself would have been enough to pave the way to what happened in Russia in October of the year 1917.

Which America are we living in, then? The one doomed to split up as the USSR did, or one waiting for a Lenin? The parallels are amazing.

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