The Other McCain

"One should either write ruthlessly what one believes to be the truth, or else shut up." — Arthur Koestler

Because I’m Feeling Kinda Bad About Giving Ace of Spades Such a Hard Time …

Posted on | December 20, 2011 | 14 Comments

. . . I guess it’s time to “pay tribute” by stealing more of his blog content. Like this psychological profile of Occupiers:

[M]any of the rank-and-file occupiers feel isolated in their lives, and appear to lack basic community ties such as are provided by participation in clubs, churches, and strong families…. They thus attach to their political causes with something like a religious fervor. For many, a commitment to “social justice” is “not the end, but rather a means to an inflated sense of self and purpose in their own lives.” Crucially, involvement with others who agree with them provides an “overwhelming feeling of being part of a family.” . . .
[T]he leadership, is less existentially lost, and derives its fulfillment from the “prestige,” “validation,” and “control” afforded by the movement’s coverage in the media. . . . Its members fill the ranks of the professional Left and boast long histories of attending and organizing protests. For them, indignation is quotidian, “community action” is a career, and they feel “validated by the fame and attention” and “rewarded for their life choices.” . . . There is nothing spontaneous or organic about the movements they lead. They are waiting for the revolution and hope to be in its vanguard. Their careers depend upon it.

It’s tragic, isn’t it? When people turn to politics as “a means to an inflated sense of self and purpose in their own lives,” they often lose perspective to such a degree that they do hateful and atrocious things.

Like, for example, endorsing Rick Perry.

The looming crisis in Iowa, with the Fate of the Free World (not to mention my future diplomatic career as ambassador to Vanuatu) depending entirely on the success of underdog Rick Santorum, has strained my nerves to the breaking point.

So when I lashed out at Ace for his endorsement of Rick Perry, you’ve got to view this as an emotional reaction to campaign-induced stress. And also because anybody who endorses Perry is either dishonest or naive, or quite possibly retarded by the Gardasil vaccine.

Nothing personal, you understand. I mean, just because Ace hates “innocent little 12-year-old girls” . . . But I hate to talk about “the incestuous state of conservative opinion online,” when the easy way out is to blame Ladd Ehlinger Jr. for stirring up trouble again.

Because I’m magnanimous like that.

Category: #Occupy, Ace of Spades

Comments

14 Responses to “Because I’m Feeling Kinda Bad About Giving Ace of Spades Such a Hard Time …”

  1. Ladd Ehlinger Jr.
    December 20th, 2011 @ 5:40 pm

    Madness! Madness! – Bridge Over River Kwai

  2. Anonymous
    December 20th, 2011 @ 6:51 pm

    The Gardisil issue is a non-issue. Anything that has an opt out is not mandatory and for that reason I do not have a problem with this. He says he made an error and would not do something like that again. Give me a break. I support Perry. Ace is right on this one and I frequently do not agree with Ace.

  3. Joe
    December 20th, 2011 @ 7:09 pm

    Thanks for that Stacy.  

    Oh and Ladd:  Someone needs to also say “What have I done?”  

  4. Joe
    December 20th, 2011 @ 7:11 pm

    Off Topic Pallet Cleanser:  
    http://www.themachoresponse.com/crackMC/wordpress/?p=7348

  5. Pathfinder's wife
    December 20th, 2011 @ 7:41 pm

    LOL! 

    Ok…honestly I think the people who support Rick Perry probably have their good reasons.
    And those of us who don’t have pretty good reasons as well….ours are just better reasons! 

    Are we not entertained?  Are we not entertained?

  6. Occutard Movement: Running on Empty | BitsBlog
    December 20th, 2011 @ 8:06 pm

    […] Hat tip: McCain, the Other Smitty […]

  7. richard mcenroe
    December 20th, 2011 @ 8:28 pm

    As usual, Ladd is too refined and understated… 
    http://tinyurl.com/buq7avl

  8. Pathfinder's wife
    December 20th, 2011 @ 8:35 pm

    Why break a streak now?

    From what I’ve read about the Gardasil issue the opt out wasn’t exactly the easiest thing to get accomplished  (and shouldn’t have even happened in the first place — HPV is not polio and a more considered person wouldn’t have tried to bull it through, which brings up the question: why did he try to bull it through?  yes, yes other states have done so, apparently, but just because everybody else is doing it doesn’t make it right — especially since HPV is not polio).  It certainly wasn’t as easy as what some rabid Perry supporters are making it out to be, and it raises some issues as to just what sort of leadership Perry is likely to use.

  9. The best endorsemen for Rick Perry I have yet seen or read « The Daley Gator
    December 20th, 2011 @ 9:48 pm

    […] an aside, some other blogger, whom I respect immensely is endorsing Santorum, who would be my second choice. Santorum is a good […]

  10. David R. Graham
    December 20th, 2011 @ 10:35 pm

    “#OWS/””Progressives”/”Socialists” in two words:  envy  and covetousness.

  11. From the “some people stopped talking about the ‘Blogosphere’ in 2005″ files: “Politicos for Romney, Bloggers for Perry”
    December 21st, 2011 @ 12:34 pm

    […] And while there is nothing about such gatherings that necessarily or intentionally creates a kind of hierarchical hive mind in the conservative new media, there is also no disputing that the conditions for such an inadvertent hive mind to develop […]

  12. Deon L
    December 21st, 2011 @ 1:57 pm

    ^^ This. I have two major issues with the HPV thing. First, the specific decision itself was onerous, reckless, and unnecessary. HPV is not easily communicable and it is entirely a behavioral disease. If they had an HIV vaccine, I would think it was great for gay men, IV drug users, the promiscuous, and hookers (and I mean that sincerely). If they tried to force me to give it to my 9-year old to allow her to attend school, opt-out or no, someone is getting yelled at.

    Second, it shows a metaphysical knee-jerk tendency to hazy, ill-thought-out, and invasive nanny-statism that I find repellant in a politician of any stripe. Why did Perry force that through when it was wildly unpopular — and then repeal it after it sunk in that it was unpopular? If it was for conscience, why change — and if not for conscience, why do it at all? Invasive nanny-statism is enough in itself {cough}Romney{cough}. The hazy poor-thinking part of Perry’s actions I just find insulting.

  13. Behold, I Bring You Peace, Goodwill, and Also This Gratuitous Vintage Pinup Girl : The Other McCain
    December 21st, 2011 @ 11:26 pm

    […] through a hierarchy of sorts.”You should read the whole thing, which involves what I was feeling bad about yesterday: The discord caused by the (evidently advance-coordinated) endorsements of Rick Perry by Ace of […]

  14. Retire05
    December 22nd, 2011 @ 12:23 pm

    Perhaps you should stop relying on what you “read” and instead research issues for yourself.  The EO signed by Perry on the Gardasil issue is online, and had you bothered to read it, you would have learned that the opt-out was as easy as going on line, printing out the form, filling it out (with no religious litmus test required) and sending it, along with your kid, to their school.  Lazy parents didn’t even need to get out of their recliner; just hook up their laptop to their printer and they were done.

    You are correct:  HPV is NOT polio.  It is a disease that is transmitted generally by s*exual contact.  But then, Hepititus B is NOT polio, is also a disease generally transmitted s*xually and the Hepititus B vaccination is required (with no opt-out for parents) in most public school districts in the U.S.  Where is your outrage on that?

    You could have also invested the time to learn about HPV which also causes genital warts, a painful disease that can threaten the well being of an unborn child of a pregnant mother.  The CDC estimates that 50% of all college students suffer from genital warts which Gardasil, when given to pre-sexual children, prevents.

    And by perusing the CDC website, you would have learned that the risks of unwanted side affects are LESS with the Gardasil vaccination than it was with the Salk vaccine or even the current Hep B preventative vaccine.

    Because of Salk, polio has been virtually wiped out in the U.S., yet many died from the Salk vaccine, and its followers.  Deaths have been attributed to the Hep B vaccine, yet, according to the CDC, there have been NO deaths from Gardasil.