Gautam Mukunda wrote:
In this case, of course, I was pointing out whose side
I am on. I'm not on President Bush's side. I'm not
on Senator Kerry's side. I'm just on America's side.
This is a wonderful sentiment when it is a reminder that even when we disagree, we have a great deal in common. It's not so wonderful when it seems to imply that those who disagree with me are anti-American. Perhaps it will be helpful for each of us to work a bit harder to clarify what we mean when we invoke patriotism -- is it a reminder of a unity that exists, like the fact that a brother and sister are still family in the midst of the most passionate of arguments? Or is it a tearing of clothes and pronouncement that the other is no longer part of the family.
Brin has very loudly proclaimed that we're on opposite sides. Well, okay. I know whose side I'm on, though.
If he said this, and your response was "I'm on America's side," it's easy for me to hear that as implying that David is not on America's side. Is that what you meant?
He uses abusive language and arm-waving to cover the
fact that every time someone challenges him, they
demonstrate that he traffics in inaccuracies,
conspiracy theories, and paranoia.
In my experience, generalizations, especially about misbehavior -- from any partisan -- do a lot of damage communities and friendship. I used to always generalize. I'm getting better. (Yes, there was a deliberate bit of humor in that -- I'm always doing that, too, but I'm never serious.)
I'm beginning to think that we are entering a period of cultural chaos in which we will struggle mightily with how to deal with the sudden availability of millions of points of view, from which likely will emerge greatness... quite likely accompanied by a dramatic erosion of power from longstanding institutions. Our community's list dramas may reflect this a bit, I suspect.
Nick
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