You can’t always walk away from a fight
No lie unexposed
No attack unpunished
You gotta fight back folks
I try to not be as “militant” at MadMike’s as I am at my own site. Mike and Holte have their hands full running things around here without stirring up a horde of trolls. So this isn’t to bait anyone as much as it is to explain. Many bloggers believe that ignoring reactionaries is the way to go. I firmly disagree. In 2000 when John Kerry picked John Edwards as his running mate, Edwards tried to set a tone of “niceness?” that in the end I firmly believe was a major reason for Bush’s victory.
Folks; you gotta fight back. People who’s only means of debate is to shout ridiculous accusations of socialism or hating America or cowardice must be answered with just as much passion and zeal. To not answer is a sign of weakness to those the reactionaries are trying to reach. No lie must go unexposed and no attack must go unpunished.
The big difference between my side and the reactionaries is that my side has truth and reason.
If it takes some brash words to convince people who are swayed by that, it’s better than losing to corporate reactionary shills and watching America sink further into an abyss of hate and economic division.
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Joe Hagstrom
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He should have nominated Elizabeth Edwards. Now there’s a person who knows how to fight back (not to mention that she’s smarter and has more integrity, too) . Just ask John.
I say fight passionatte ignorance and baseless name calling rants with a passionatte defense of truth Wizard.
I’ve been called every name in the book by reactionary right wingers. It’s a big reason I am what what I am in regards to my blogging style. I’ve had it Brother. I’m tired of deluded, hateful nuts calling my President and me a socialist or a pinko. Nuts like that don’t deserve civility. They deserve a pounding. I always remember John Edwards whenever I’m working for a campaign. Nice guy. Where did he finish in the race again? I confess I haven’t visited your site but I will as soon as I hit post comment here.
Truth… You DO have to stand up and stick with what you believe in and are committed to. Period. I agree with you. If it means taking a fighting stance… you do it.
I think your thought is an important one to be expressed, especially now. I don’t feel you need to use rhetoric or yelling or like attacks…
(the fire with fire stance) …I think it’s important that a justice is served in exposing the lies and calling out the violence …
🙂
Like the changes you’ve made, Mike! 🙂
Thanks Karen! Hope you become a regular visitor!
Fight fire with Fire?
Does that mean you have to fight Stupidity with Stupidity?
How about Mediocrity with Mediocrity?
Most of you will disagree with me on many key issues. I have a real problem with the “Progressive” appraoch to today’s political agenda. All I can say is if you visit my blog you will always be treated with the utmost respect and courtesy and your opinions and ideas will by studied carefully with an eye to learning.
If I have a troll I hardly need to fight him off. He (or she) can make a fool of themselves all by themselves. A descerning reader will hardly need my comments to determine the troll’s ignorance.
We would all be better off (as a society and as a country) if we dialed back the rhetoric a notch or two.
At least that is my opinion.
I think you may be addressing this to me, since I used the terminology fire with fire? Perhaps this was a poorly chosen phrase to explain myself. I mean we have to go back to them with facts, we have to use logic and reason but this does not work when people are being lied to by news outlets and bobbleheads. This does not help us when the other side is just determined to put their fingers in their ears and say la la la, I can’t or I won’t hear you. As far as dialing back the rhetoric, hell no, that is my right as a citizen to air my feelings in non violent ways. I consider it my duty to voice my opinion when necessary. During the last admin, I cannot tell you how many times I was called a traitorous, enemy lover, you name it, I was called it person.
I escort women once a month, back and forth at a reproductive clinic, cannot tell you how many times I have been told, you will burn in hell(a place I don’t believe in for the record) because I am helping a woman seek a legal medical procedure. I am helping kill babies,I don’t even kill spiders, let alone a baby by the way. While I don’t think I could have an abortion personally, I do not want that choice taken away from any woman, myself included, so for this I am a baby killer. That is some rhetoric right there I could do without, but it happens.
I have been invited to either love it or leave it, the country I was born and raised in. Nope, just as much my country, as it is anyone on the right side of the aisle. They do not hold the magic wand that declares who is a patriot and who is not. I will continue with my non violent rhetoric and let the others do what they will themselves. I hope this explains my fire with fire sentence properly for you to understand.
The Kerry campaign made me furious when he wouldn’t fight the horrendous lies! The right got away with killing an honorable mans chances of becoming a great president and I will NEVER forget it! The left is doing better this year then they did in ’09, They realize they have to fight for their survival.
I have come to a conclusion, the rightwing nuts are beyond furious right now, they can’t except the fact they lost an election and the HC bill. They are lashing out in a fit of hateful anger because they know the republicans are doomed and they can’t do a thing about it.
I think you need to fight back with reason, logic and facts. These are things that the right does not know. If you remember a while back, Alan Grayson(D-huge set) was on the house floor and he said the republican plan was if you get sick… Oh it was all the reps could do to have him booted on his ear. They all ran for the fainting couches clutching their pearls because he was so over the top. PUHLEAZE. He was asked right away to say I am so sorry I told the truth by Boehner, and the other miscreants. Do any of you remember what happened with that apology? I do, he said, I am supposed to apologize to the republicans for(insert whatever it was) he then went on to say sorry to the families of the 45k that would die because they had no access, sorry to the people that would lose theirs and so on. Gotta fight fire with fire with these butt nuggets, it is all they know.
Sometimes it just gets so crazy. Over at my place right now I’ve got an obnoxious troll who just won’t stop, ever. This week I decided I’m either being punked or he’s so ignorant of the issues I can’t respond any more.
Sky…Just dump him. If you do that once or twice they will go away and not come back. I don’t tolerate trolls.
I’ve noticed he’s back off just with my lack of responding. I did respond for awhile, because I wanted to fight back with logic and facts, but after awhile a troll is just a troll.
Republi-trolls don’t understand reason and logic. It’s like messing with their football team, which they will stick by right or wrong.
I agree 100% to this. In the past, a lot of people on the left just kept quiet especially during the Reagan years, afraid of being labeled with the “L” word. But after Bush stole the election and took the country down the hell path, it was got people mad enough to take a stand.
Now its “Hell no, not going to listen to that bullshit!”
People can’t spew lies at the left anymore and not have to answer to it. The past has shown an example of what can happen if you just quietly sit on the sidelines.
I think you definitely touch on something that is undeniable. The angry, low-information right sees inaction, or taking the high road–however you want to categorize it–as a sign of weakness. I thought Obama was artful the way he dealt with that during the campaign. He never let anything go unanswered but never stooped to the opposition’s level either. He was pointed, but intelligent.
Truth – Absolutely, you have got to fight back, and it’s not that hard because speaking the truth and stating the facts means you don’t have to have a super-human memory, which is what you need if you lie all the time.
I totally agree with you but I’m just not going to waste my time and energy fighting with these dumb ass trolls who have no intention of doing anything but disrupt a blog. They make fools of themselves without my help and they are not interested in what anyone else has to say. This is not to imply that I’m always cool, calm and collected. There’s been more than one occasion when some remark or accusation has pushed my button.
Politicians, hate groups and media are another matter. altogether. I will do whatever I can in my small way to fight their lies, hate and misrepresentations.