[lbo-talk] against civility

[Wojtek S]

[WS:] You are making a semantic argument.  You seem to equate civility with
politeness, which it is not.  One can be civil and still call a spade a
spade and make a spirited defense or a call to action.  Rudeness, otoh,
means lack of respect and personal attacks - in which the right will always
outgun the left.

Wojtek

On Sat, Jan 15, 2011 at 4:49 PM, Doug Henwood <dhenwood at panix.com> wrote:


> http://lbo-news.com/2011/01/15/radio-commentary-january-15-2011/
>
> Against civility
>
> The horrendous shootings in Tuscon have certainly inspired a lot of drivel
> from the commentariat. They were heartbreaking, but please let’s not draw
> stupid conclusions from them.
>
> Perhaps most annoying has been the call for a return to civility. Well, no,
> I don’t feel like being civil. I like being rude. The problem with the
> rudeness in American political discourse is that it’s often so stupid, not
> that it’s so rude. The idea that politics can be civil is a fantasy for
> elite technocrats and the well-heeled. I’m reminded of something that Adolph
> Reed once said to me, characterizing a mutual acquaintance as the kind of
> person who thinks that if you could just all the smart people together on
> Martha’s Vineyard, they could solve all our social problems. Obviously they
> couldn’t.
>
> Margaret Atwood once wrote...
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