--- Doug Pensinger <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
But I would say almost the same thing about you when
someone is critical of Bush or the U.S.
Doug
But, Doug, if you read my posts with any degree of attention, you'd be wrong. I have variously criticized Bush Administration policies on a fair variety of fronts. I haven't on Iraq because not only do I think I couldn't do better, I can barely imagine _anyone_ doing better. As for the US - my record of criticisms of domestic and foreign policy (fair ones) stands with anyone. I just look that way sometimes on this list because, to be blunt, anything short of hysterical anti-Americanism often looks like being a far right-winger on this list. Even more so because - unlike a lot of people here - I don't get all turned on and enthusiastic by self-flagellation. It's not my thing, so I don't post as much on those issues. It doesn't make me feel superior to go on and on about the bad things my country did (or might not have done).
I'm not going to argue with you on this because it would require research that I don't have the time to do, but IMO you have gone off the deep end on several occasions with your patriotic zeal.
I take comfort in the fact that politics on this list are, to a large extent, politics inside the liberal echo chamber. Most of the politically vocal Americans on this list are off the liberal deep end compared to the American population as a whole. That's not in the least an exaggeration. President Bush's unfavorables in some polls run around 20%. What do you think the ratio is on this list?
Wow, we must either be on different lists, or one of us isn't very perceptive. Of the politically vocal Americans on the list*, I count yourself, Georgis, Tarr, Cofey, Agretto and Cooper as well right of center. Several others such as Blankenship, Horn, and Minete, are middle right, IMO. Erik is tough to gage (and in my judgment the most objective person on the list, BTW), but I'd put him close to the middle along with Thompson, Sharkey, Gabriel, Seeburger, Nunn and Bautista. All of the above people were (I believe) in favor of the invasion, BTW. Hardly a liberal echo chamber. On the left, to varying degrees I count myself, Lipscomb, Fool, Miller, Daly, Tacoma, Harrel, Grimaldi, Arnett Zim and ,Bell.
Additionally, the non US members on the list are, I think, actually very moderate, the exception being Illana (sp?), who is probably among the most conservative on the list.
Again, IMO, that seems a relatively balanced group. I think you must be hanging around your own echo chamber too much.
Oh and by the way, check your numbers please. Gallup has Bush's disapproval rating up to 34%, down 10 points in the last two months, and it hasn't been as low as 20% in a year:
http://www.pollingreport.com/BushJob.htm
I look for it to be pushing 50% this time next year, voodoo economics and all. 8^)
Doug
* Disclaimer: the above judgments are my general perception of the people discussed. I apologize in advance if I've misrepresented you, or if I've left you off the list.
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