At 10:24 20-4-02 -0400, John Giorgis wrote:
> >I think you've got your sensitivity set a wee bit too high. We're
> >writing words here, and we can't read the faces and body language of
> >the others on the list to more fully understand their intent and mood.
> >What comes across to you as "bashing" could in fact be considerably
> >closer to "constructive criticism" in the mind of the original poster.
>
>No...... maybe I don't hold "bashing" to be as negative a term as some
>people are taking it,
I would say that defining bashing as "gratuitous attacks on US foreign
policy, no matter what they do" makes it a very negative term.
>but "bashing" *is* what occurs on most dicussion lists. "Constructive
>Criticism" is critcism designed to construct changes. Since that is
>impossible on a List of this nature
That is not impossible. OK, criticism of the US on this list will not cause
any US government to change her policies, but it can lead to individuals
changing their mind about a topic. Therefore, constructive criticism on
this list can construct changes.
>the comments are clearly criticism with the intent of taking the moral
>stature of the United States down a notch among the Brin-L readers.
>Thus, the comments are "bashing."
Those comments are not made to "take down the moral stature of the US", but
to show that not everyone agrees with the US -- and often for a very good
reason.
But hey, at least I will find joy in the fact that by your second
definition ("criticism with the intent of taking down moral stature"), you
confess to being an Euro-basher... <grin>
Jeroen
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