-It's called free speech, Nate. And, anyway, it is certainly within the -bounds of reason to criticize the AFL-CIO for insufficient organizing. -You might want to rethink your own particular theory of truth. If I recall, -you are the one who thinks everything's on the right path. Not quite, eh?
Michael-- the issue is not criticism of the AFL-CIO, a bizarre claim since we are talking about SEIU's criticisms of the AFL-CIO. The issue is factual inaccuracies about whether Local 1199 in NY is a separate local from other locals with 1199 in their names.
The idea that lies and falsehood is a form of free speech is just the Fox News version of truth. Hey, huge percentages of the population think Saddam Hussein was involved in planning 911. So if Fox repeats that idea as fact, they're just engaging in free speech, which is fine and dandy?
Unfortunately, there are far too many LBOers who think making up facts is a form of ideological argument, and they really don't seem to be able to tell the difference between stating an opinion and making things up.
Nathan Newman
-----Original Message----- From: lbo-talk-bounces at lbo-talk.org [mailto:lbo-talk-bounces at lbo-talk.org] On Behalf Of Nathan Newman Sent: Friday, November 12, 2004 8:36 AM To: lbo-talk at lbo-talk.org Subject: Re: [lbo-talk] Where we stand today
----- Original Message ----- From: "Doug Henwood" <dhenwood at panix.com>
John Lacny wrote:
>Christ, can you READ?
-Why do you have to be so damned nasty? We know how you feel about this.
Doug, your worry about ettiquette is reasonable, but you should be more bothered that folks like Lance are spouting completely untrue statements and then spouting opinions based on those fake facts. Do we really have to speak nicely to the leftwing equivalent of FoxNews? Is everyone entitled not just to respect for their own opinions but to their own false facts?
I think you should demand not just etiquette from folks but a reasonable basis of knowledge before people claim things are true that are just not. Everyone screws up on a fact occasionally, but when the fact asserted-- as in Lance's contention that all the SEIU locals are a single centralized local -- is the main point being made, and it's reasserted even after being corrected, there is some right to frustration.
Repeating a lie over and over again does not deserve respect or even politeness after a while.
So if you are going to rap peoples knuckles for impoliteness, how about a bit of discipline on those who spread clearly false information?
Nathan Newman
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