Wow Gonzo. Thanks for the link. Glad to see your naming calling skills are still sharp.

Tax holiday’s are not a bad idea, but they are indeed fairly useless on a macro-economic level. Anytime I get to spend my own money rather than the government, it is good. Same story with the economic stimulus checks. It’s not a gift from the gov’t. It’s getting your money BACK. I’d be cheering this empty gesture for that reason alone if I didn’t believe that it’s merely an advance on 2008’s tax refund.

A long term tax cut for the middle class is also a good idea depending on how you define “middle” and as long as it isn’t accompanyied by a tax increase for everyone above “middle”, which it most assuredly will.

Here’s a thought experiment for you. What if your employer didn’t withhold your taxes each week. What if, in April of every year you had to pay your entire tax bill? Do you think we’d have a tolerance for our outrageous taxes and our absurd federal budget?

in blog parlance, what’s a “troll”?

Thanks for the in-depth explanation. Responses follow.

“…causing maximum disruption and argument.” - How about adding perspective and a contrary outlook? I’ll admit that I came on too strong at points, like when I guessed that spaceneedl majored in missing the point. But someone I respect very much said “Hey! Be nice.” So now I try not to be personal, even when joking.

“you makes (sic, I make(s) enough typos on my own. No need to claim yours.) exhaustive effort to counter these arguments in a way that you believe is intelligent and well-supported, and that you are not the one making ad hominem attacks.” - All true.

“All that may be true, Steve…” - So we’re agreed there. And we got a refresher on my name. My arguments are exhaustive, intelligent, and well-supported. But you forgot well-supported by non-partisan sources.

“…but the truth of the matter is that I have no interest in engaging you in argument… I don’t believe that you deserve my time.” - So quit typing.

“You can claim all you want that you’re not a mindless Bush cheerleader” - I think if you re-read my ”exhaustive, intelligent, and well-supported” comments, you’ll agree that I’m neither mindless nor a Bush cheerleader.

“(Though I can’t fathom who the hell you actually did vote for)” - Gore: I was a true believer at the time. And Kerry: Lesser of two bad choices and rationalized that Kerry would be an off-year conservative bump.

“I’m sorry, consider this another ad hominem attack if you want to, but I find no other way to interpret that statement than to conclude that you approve of war crimes. I don’t accept the lengthy arguments you’ve made claiming that Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Rice, etc. are not war criminals” - Apology accepted for previous attacks, but this one is not ad hominem. It is however simplistic and closed-minded. You should find another way to interpret it. “War criminal” is a bumper sticker. The absence of a definition of “war criminal” to support the claims that our government is officially engaged in war crimes from the highest office is absurd. Rather than restate my exhaustive, intelligent, and well-supported argument that our government is not engaged in war-crimes, I’ll let you look it up.

“I truly believe that you and anyone else who continues to believe that Bush Co. has done a good job ‘prosecuting the wars abroad’ are very, very dangerous sociopathic people.” - Two “verys”? Really? A single conservative voter gets two? How many does a nuclear Iran or North Korea get? How many for Hamas? Al Quada? The Taliban? I’ve never even posted a decapitation video. How many for an anti-Semetic “progressive” rally at Berkeley? How many for an influential preacher who teaches his flock that the US is trying to kill them with AIDS and crack? Am I a greater sociopath than say Billy Ayers?

Sociopath: a person whose behavior is antisocial (Name-calling = antisocial. “My blog! My blog! You go away!” = antisocial) and who lacks a sense of moral responsibility or social conscience.

“Lacking moral responsibility” fits perfectly my definition of abandoning the Iraqi people to the murderous thugs we are fighting today. Whether we should’ve invaded in the first place is a different subject. What to do now is more relevant. Leaving the fragile spark of democracy and freedom that exists for Iraqis today to extinguish under the weight of sharia law would be to exhibit a lack of moral responsibility. America has a history of cleaning up its messes. Japan and Germany are two of our largest trading partners. We’re trying for the same with Colombia (the mess being the US market for cocaine and the policy of dropping poison on the coca crops and the helpless peasants farming it) but Pelosi had to make a pro-union issue of it, so a cleanup that will have to wait. For examples of what happens when we give up on a fight against tyranny, see Saddam’s massacres after gulf war I, soviet expansion, the communist hell that is Viet Nam today, and North Korea vs. South Korea. I’ll tag that last bit as “simplistic”. But compared to your “sociopathic” remark, it’s a master’s thesis.

“So, it is your choice to come to this blog” - Indeed.

“…a blog that is obviously liberal/progressive” - Indeed.

“…under some delusion that you are doing some kind of public service keeping those radical leftists honest…” - It may not be a public service, but it is honest. It’s providing context for selective facts, challenging hyperbole (“pleased as punch”, “calling for”), etc. See, I say fact, fact, fact… and “have you considered this angle: Bobby Jindal is a republican cleaning up a mess left by democrats and now we are seeing democrats gain legislative seats as a response, in a electoral pattern that has existed for decades”, and ask, “could you provide the link between this stat and that specious conclusion?” and I sometimes point out the big stories your community of posters miss such as “did you notice that a Seattle democrat was ordered to pay about $400K from his campaign fund to his republican congressional rival for illegally wiretapping a phone call and so Seattle democrat donors are effectively funding the republicans?”

“…continuing to return day after day despite the fact that you’ve been encouraged by me and two other of our readers to stay away…” - congrats. You have “heroin content”. I consider spaceneedl a smart leftist propagandist worthy of my time. I consider your predilection for the childish to be comic relief. And that’s not ad hominem, because the evidence abounds.

“…and for that I consider you a troll.” - Don’t you mean “…a troll whose arguments are exhaustive, intelligent, and well-supported”?

“With a couple of mouse clicks I could block you from posting comments here…” - Yes yes. By the power of Greyskull, you get to decide who gets to play with your toys. Doesn’t that make you a troll? The kind that guards the bridge, deciding who gets to pass?

“Time will tell.” - So true. Hat tip: Asia. http://www.elyrics.net/read/a/asia-lyrics/only-time-will-tell-lyrics.html

“I need to make it perfectly clear that I do not speak for spaceneedl.” - Who do you speak for?

“He will make his own decision as to whether or not to continue responding to your comments, and he of course has the freedom to do whatever he wishes.” - That’s mighty big of you. A wish-granting, bridge-guarding troll.

Dude-

You’re raving. When you point your finger, there are three pointing back. I’ve never even addressed you or commented on one of your original postings. Only responded to your insults. I’ve even complimented the technical work behind your blog numerous times.

If I was insulting the blog, I’d make comments about Loudon Wainwright or the movie Once. So far I’ve only challenged the posts of spaceneedl.

You created a public forum. Spaceneedl uses it. I respond to it. Those are the basic rules of the blogsphere. And now you are all pissy. I think you should choose your number 3. When I comment on spaceneedl’s posts, you could just ignore it.

That’s right. I know the rules, not the finer points of the ultra-hip lingo. Get up outta my grill, aaaiiight? Usually the only reason to remove comments is for vulgarities. And usually only repeat offenders get outright blocked. Banning me for no offense other than thoughtful criticism of liberalism would put this blog in a rare hall of shame.

One of the accusations the right has against the left is that y’all embrace all forms of diversity except diversity of THOUGHT. Every “Fuck You Go Home” remark targeted at little ol’ me is adds credence to that claim. Blocking opposing viewpoints would be cowardly and demonstrate an inarguable lack of integrity. It’s a public forum. Do you really want this to be a walled-garden open only to like-minded individuals? -Comments all chanting “preach on”? Your reaction to me would indicate yes, that’s what you’re hoping for.

Rather than wishing me away or assigning epithets like “dangerous” and “sociopath”, why don’t you fact check me? Why don’t you respond to the position? I’d love to read it. I promise I will make every attempt at a prompt response. It will be easier now that this is my home page. Every time one of you asks/tells me to go away demonstrates that you are uncomfortable with well-reasoned and researched opposition to your way of thinking. And if I’m not worth your time, then just ignore my remarks.

Gonzo should be flattered and prideful that I spend time here. Spaceneedl is now my most watched blogger. The guy posts a public proclamation. I read it and might respond. Gonzo should recognize the value of my comments. Heck, he should invite me to post. Point, counter-point. It would be a blog-sphere first. It would be a differentiator. I promise never to call Spaceneedl an ignorant slut. But rather than recognizing what’s good for his online establishment, Gonzo unleashes, “Fuck you. Go home.”

Be above it.

Quit your whining.

You’re humiliating yourselves.

Kirk, I had no idea it was that easy.

Steve, while I won’t agree that I’ve been humiliating myself, I will say that I’ve been making it unnecessarily hard on myself.

So, with that, I’m with Kurt. I agree with everything Steve says.

Welcome to Transcendental Floss.

Please come again soon.