Personal attacks as a debating strategy? NOT OT

Triathlon Forum
1

This is an interesting community of athletes, all with some very common goals and aspirations. Some of you are awesome (at our sports) some of you are pretty good, and others are on their way to becoming good, great or awesome.

Somehow (and I’m beginning to realize that it’s silliness) we have begun generating these OT threads, usually about politics, although occasionally light-hearted topics, which are well worth the bandwidth. While freedom of speech is an American tradition, maybe going for political and/or religious topics isn’t such a good idea on a non-political, non-religious web forum.

In any event, I’d really like to see the OT threads at least maintain a level of civility. That can only be accomplished if people discuss the thread topic, instead of attempting to marginalize their opposition.

So let it be known, if you’re debating:

1- Affiliation - I am an independent libertarian. Don’t waste your time dissing the Republican party, because I’m not a member. However, if the person you’re debating IS a Republican, just pointing that out doesn’t make him or her wrong. In fact, if you assume that it does, you’re an idiot and you’ve just lost the debate.

2- Disrespecting an individual (e.g., McCain, Kerry, Bush, etc.) is not disrespecting or disparaging the military or the Guard as a whole. If someone says Kerry is a phony, or McCain isn’t a hero, or Bush took the cowards way out, that doesn’t reflect an opinion of any particular branch of the service, or other members thereof. If you respond as if it does, you’re an idiot and you’ve just lost the debate.

3- Viewpoint - Identifying a certain idea as common to a specific individual (Rush, Hannity, Curic, Lauer, etc.) doesn’t mean that the idea is invalid, nor that the person citing the idea is a devotee of that particular celebrity. To dismiss an idea because it came from Rush or Katy Curic simply demonstrates that you’re an idiot…

3a- Attempting to marginalize your opposition by calling them a dittohead, or a left wing socialist, or other cheap insult, is also idiotic. If you can’t debate on point, you’re an idiot…

I hope I’m being clear here. I’ve gotten into several silly pissing contests, and the others involved know who they are. Their arguments break down, and suddenly I’m a fascist, a dittohead (I rarely listen to Rush, probably less than the guy who called me that) a heathen and a disrespecter of the flag and the military. These characterizations are cowardly and false, and I daresay they wouldn’t be made if we were all hanging out after a race somewhere.

I regret having allowed idiots to draw me down to their level. I’ll be doing my best to ignore idiots in the future.

2

“Never argue with idiots. They’ll only bring you down to their level, and then beat you with experience.”

Don’t know who said it, but it seems applicable here.

3

Wow that Paul Johnson thread must be getting intense, never bothered reading that one yet.

I think I’d rather listen to “Tibbs on Taint” than the usual political vitriol.

4

If you respond as if it does, you’re an idiot and you’ve just lost the debate

   Shit, I did not know the OT threads were a compitition.
5

So basically you’re asking us to do as you say, and not as you do.

You say: “In any event, I’d really like to see the OT threads at least maintain a level of civility. That can only be accomplished if people discuss the thread topic, instead of attempting to marginalize their opposition.” and then you proceed to call others idiots in points 1, 2, 3 and 3a of your diatribe. Could you please clarify what you would like to see in the OT threads?

You say: “Their arguments break down, and suddenly I’m a fascist, a dittohead (I rarely listen to Rush, probably less than the guy who called me that) a heathen and a disrespecter of the flag and the military.” I think you forgot to mention that you are also a draft dodger.

6

“a heathen and a disrespecter of the flag”

if i call you a dittohead am i a disrespecter of the fag, er, of the flag?

oooh, dammit, i KNOW i shouldn’t post this.

9

do fish have a taint?

10

Wow this thread is getting way, way off taint.

Let’s take a deep breath and try and keep it germane.

11 
        Let's take a deep breath and try and keep it germane.

http://forum.slowtwitch.com/images/clear_shim.gifWhy is it important to take a deep breath while talking about germans

12

“You say: ‘Their arguments break down, and suddenly I’m a fascist, a dittohead (I rarely listen to Rush, probably less than the guy who called me that) a heathen and a disrespecter of the flag and the military.’ I think you forgot to mention that you are also a draft dodger.”

    • So I guess that’s a “no” from you on acting your age?
13

What’s this have to do with Jermaine? I thought it was more about Tito.

15

“You are a big fat booger head and smell like my dead fish’s taint.”

    • I’m guilty on the first point, but what were you doing sniffing your fish’s taint, and when did you get the chance to compare mine?

I guess that was you I saw on Saturday, sniffing the bicycle seats at Tri For Fun…

16

“So I guess that’s a “no” from you on acting your age?”
– So I guess that’s “no” from you when called upon to serve your country during time of war?

Mega-dittos Elwood

17

Tito? Now why would you bring that up? Everyone knows Janet just had a wardrobe malfunction and her tito slipped out.

Now get it right you commie half a sissy bastard!

18

“So I guess that’s ‘no’ from you when called upon to serve your country during time of war?”

    • You’ve made a lot of ass-umptions about me. If you want to lay bets on them all, you’ll be broke by sundown. So far you’ve missed on every one.

You’ve also batted .000 on relavence, having thus far failed to make a response on point.

So I’m an ass hole, if that floats your boat. Which means you got your clock cleaned in a debate by an ass hole. Wouldn’t it make you seem more lifelike if you told everyone that the guy who made you look stupid was actually a genius?

Just trying to be helpful…

20

Draft dodger: “Just trying to be helpful…”

– Your country asked for your help in 1968, but you turned tail and ran. So now why don’t you try being helpful by stuffing some cake in your cakehole and wrapping your head in duct tape.

21

Let me make sure I got this straight…Janet showed her Tito to a heathen German named Jermaine who was a fag that disrespected the flag and called Rerun a big booger head for saying your wife’s taint smelled like dead fish…

24

“Your country asked for your help in 1968, but you turned tail and ran.”

    • No, I didn’t. I just said my record wasn’t germane to a discussion of media bias. Explain to me how it is, and I’ll give you the details.

“So now why don’t you try being helpful by stuffing some cake in your cakehole and wrapping your head in duct tape.”

    • After you…
25

“if i call you a dittohead am i a disrespecter of the fag, er, of the flag?”

    • Actually, some of my best friends are flags…

“oooh, dammit, i KNOW i shouldn’t post this.”

    • To the contrary, this topic needed some levity. I was counting on Tibbs and hoping others would help.

The talk has turned to ass-whoopin’ - - a sure sign that someone is taking himself far too seriously.

26

“Shit, I did not know the OT threads were a compitition.”

    • We’re type A people around here, EVERYTHING is a competition…