RE: [MLUG - DISCUSSION] Fox News vs. NPR (was "MoveOn.org")

["Spurling, Shannon" <EMAIL:PROTECTED>]

It's about on par with a common left leaning comment of "Any one with
half a brain can see that Bush is a Nazi!"
Well, yeah, I'm not going to deal with that statement it's self, but
stop and think about how it's phrased. It's kind of an insult. A
political equivalent to the old medieval practice of lobbing a dead cow
into the castle under siege to weaken its defenses. You have equated a
public figure, who is probably respected by the person you are talking,
to a person who is a despicable universally recognized evil. Then you
insinuate that any one who doesn't agree with it has less than half a
brain. The victory from that statement is when you get them so riled up
that they are foaming at the mouth and looking like an idiot. Hey, I've
been there! It's hard to cool down, and you make your self look like a
complete fool.
With Mike's argument, he's no where near as blatant or inflammatory, but
it still harkens to "Any one with any brains would know enough to
support liberal policies".  

Shannon Spurling
WAN Engineer -Specialist

MOREnet, Network Services, Core Network
3212 LeMone Industrial Blvd.
Columbia, MO 65201

Main:(573) 884-7200   Fax:(573)884-6673

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-----Original Message-----
From: EMAIL:PROTECTED
[mailto:EMAIL:PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Jonathan King
Sent: Tuesday, January 06, 2004 2:20 PM
To: MLUG Off-Topic Discussion
Subject: Re: [MLUG - DISCUSSION] Fox News vs. NPR (was "MoveOn.org")


On Tue, 6 Jan 2004, Mike Miller wrote:

> Interesting question:  Why does it seem that the intellectual
> elite of our country (and the *world*, I would say)) is Liberal
> and not Conservative? Is it because they are smart enough to know
> better?  Is it because of some kind of self-perpetuating bias in
> academe?  I think it's a little of both.

I think I would be a bit careful here, Mike.  The data I recall
seeing (please correct me!) suggest that there is some correlation
between the amount of education you have had and the likelihood that
you will endorse statements that could be construed as "liberal",
but only in the realm of social policy.  And some of those attitudes
might best be construed as "tolerant" rather than "liberal". (E.g.,
is a willingness to have your son or daughter date somebody of a
different race or religion really "liberal"?)  But about defense and
economics and other issues, there's a much weaker relationship.  Or, 
to put it another way, the titans on Wall Street have never been 
considered "left-leaning", but only a tiny percentage of them 
would favor a policy like teaching creationism in public schools.

jking


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