Comments on: Showing you can fight like a normal person

By: ymarsakar

ymarsakar — Sun, 07 Oct 2007 00:19:54 +0000

Btw, the book was Hardball by CHris Matthews. Chris understands hardball. Republicans play softball though. The JIhadists are on the other end of the curve, however, and so are the Democrats.

You do not win wars by being weak and providing your enemies with every luxury and safe haven around.

By: ymarsakar

ymarsakar — Sun, 07 Oct 2007 00:17:56 +0000

I read Matthews’ book the year before 9/11 for AP US History.

Matthews had a choice given to all liberals, classical or fake. He had a choice to be true to the values of human dignity, rights, and progress outlined by the Enlightenment and before the Enlightenment, by the Ancient Greeks of Athens, Sparta, etc. Athens reprenseted the failures and glories of democracy while Sparta represented the shortness of military power and the strict disciplines of Lycurgos as a method for social control and improvement.

Two guesses which path Matthews took, Book. He waved, oh yes. But in the end, he fell, as many heroes fall in Greek tragedies and for the same reason. He could not admit, he could not submit, to the requirements of classical liberalism. Thus he chose the other path.

By: ymarsakar

ymarsakar — Sun, 07 Oct 2007 00:09:53 +0000

Chris Matthews’ problem is that he wants to blame someone else for believing, even if it was short and temporary, in the Iraq War. Remind him of the apology he gave publicly and ask him whether he is out to get people for that, since he can’t take it back except by making other people regret their own actions, that way Chris will be able to regret his own without shame by making others miserable.

It is only one of the weaknesses of Matthews. You cannot debate or raise issues without an idea of the opposition’s leader. It’s one thing to go army vs army, it’s another thing to out maneuver the other side’s strategies by understanding them better than they understand you.

By: Livening up the Presidential elections « Bookworm Room

Livening up the Presidential elections « Bookworm Room — Sat, 06 Oct 2007 16:57:56 +0000

[...] up the Presidential elections Posted on October 6, 2007 by Bookworm I complained yesterday about tightly constrained, programmed Presidential candidates. I can stop complaining now. [...]

By: sherlock

sherlock — Sat, 06 Oct 2007 14:40:38 +0000

The thing is, I think average Americans would also like to see their candidates behave like real human beings, with real emotions, and real dignity and normal reactions, rather than these rigid automatons.

You have hit it exactly. I do not want the media to run this country, and they are perilously close to doing so. Under a Democrat President they will. I will vote for the candidate who will stand up to these hypocrites. Cris Matthews was never elected to anything, and I am not interested in him or his kind being able to control politicians through intimidation and lies.

By: Al

Al — Sat, 06 Oct 2007 12:40:45 +0000

There is no question that I would like the Republican candidates to start popping these teatherless windbags of invective. You would need someone with the calm, folksy stability of Thompson, the broad historical understanding of Gingrich, and a trial lawyer’s ability to drag the discussion back to the specific topic inspite of Mathew’s, or any of the Liberal geniuses, obfuscatory tactic of switching issues.
How about DQ?
Al

By: Mike Devx

Mike Devx — Fri, 05 Oct 2007 22:41:09 +0000

“average Americans would also like to see their candidates behave like real human beings, with real emotions, and real dignity and normal reactions”

I believe that both parties are coalitions, and the Republicans have to nagivate minefields, too. Rudy Giuliani, for example, seems to believe that in major cities, gun control is necessary. He hints this, but refuses to come out and blatantly say it, since the 2nd-Amendment constituency would go absolutely bananas. (I’ve always been quite amenable to that crowd, and having seen the chilling assault that begins Jodie Foster’s “The Brave One”, I’m on the verge of becoming a 2nd-Amendment “nut” myself. A coupla handguns would have let that doomed couple end that gang’s horrific little spree quite quickly. Brilliant, awesome movie, by the way.

By: Ivan Ivanovich

Ivan Ivanovich — Fri, 05 Oct 2007 22:00:41 +0000

How about, “That’s a good question, I see you have paper in front of you. Was it typed in MicroSoft Word by Larry Birkett, Mr. Rather, I mean Matthews?”