A New Game-Admitting You are Wrong

I love to comment on blogs, its fun. Lately on Political Animal, the mis-named Kevin Drum blog via the Washington Monthly (here) , a number of trolls have shown up making the comments section look like a mini version of a House of Commons debate.

But I've noticed something about the conservative comments both on the blogs and in general and I've been chewing on an explanation for a while.

The observation is this: Today's conservative does not and will not admit any kind of mistake. Not on Plame, not on WMD, the Iraq war, not anywhere. Politicain are one thing, but I see this trait on all the conservative commentors as well.

Instead of admitting a mistake, Plame is not a real agent, or WMD went to Syria, or yellow cake was the CIA's fault.

This conservative trait is extremely irritating and frankly alarming.

A progressive mind prides itself on taking a level approach to family, work, politics, world problems. Part of this level approach is realizing you are wrong and admitting it, if not to anyone else, then at least to yourself.

But this is not the way of the conservative mind. Why?

Fear is the one-word answer. Deep inside, a conservative realizes that their views are built on a house of cards. They fear that any second that house of cards will collapse. So to keep it from collapsing, they deflect any information that might bring down the cards.

Note, I did not say their beliefs are a house of cards, only that conservatives fear that they are. As a result, they fight to control information and POVs. Part of this continuous struggle is not ever admitting you are wrong.

I think of this as a personal mental fascism, fascism being defined as allowing a singular view of the world, while killing off other views.

Its a strategy for handling the stress of the ambiguity of life.

So my new game on these blogs is to use the comments sections to try and get conservative trolls to admit at least one mistake, however small, by this administration. After all, its been 5 years now, they have done one thing wrong...

Right Side Blogging Psychology

Been reading conservative blogs lately. They are so shrill. They use Ad Hominine attacks and have very little to say. Attack, attack, attack seems to be the modius operandi.

For instance, there was a heavy critique of Juan Cole's blog via a Redstate (here) diary. He had made a mistake in something he'd written about the London Bombings and Al Quida. Its was pointed out to him and he made some corrections.

But to the right side bloggers, the mistake was because of "bias" and it wasn't a mistake at all but clever manipulation, and the fact that he changed his blog to correct the error was proof that he was incompetent. Never mind what he said about the London bombings and whether he had any insight or not. Never mind that Juan blogs every single day, mostly about Iraq...because he made this mistake its proof that he's an biased Middle East expert.

Another post on Redstate talks about the husband of the supposed new SC nominee, Clement.

"Don't worry, he's a Loyal Conservative," the post said, meaning I guess that he is loyal to the conservative cause? Is there a secret code that makes you more conservative then others? Maybe a handshake and a wink lets fellow ideologues know you are the real McCoy.

After wadding through these and other blogs, I've concluded that the right side blog sphere has an inferiority complex. They all suffer from short man's disease. As a results, they spend their time proving themselves by trashing left side bloggers.

Its interesting that you can own two branches of the government, an opportunity to stack the SC, an incredible propaganda machine and still feel inadequate. And when the left uses the only tool left to it, blogs, to try to stem the red tide, the right goes ape shit, as if having everything is not enough.

We all know Rove did something. He's that kind of guy. But redstate has twleve theories on Joe Wilson and not one word on Karl being anything but an angle.

I guess they can't self-critique or something. Funny people.

I see the same traits in Karl Rove. It isn't enough to have power, he wants to completely and utterly dominate. Yet, he still feels inadequate, which is indicated by the continued bullying, "Liberals want to give terrorists hugs" being just the latest outburst.

This type of "will to power" fueled by deep feelings of inadequacy remind me of another conservative political movement, one that completely dominated, but could never get enough. But your not supposed to make comparisons between the current administration and the Nazi Party, not even from the psychological armchair, so I won't.

Lighten up redstaters, its all fun and games anyway., except for 3000 people on 911, but youy blew that too.

Rove/Plamegate

Forget all the intrigue about when Rove knew what he knew. Lets examine the GOP noise machine's complete inability to even summon a single thought that Rove might have anything but the noblest intentions when talking to reporters about Valeria Plame and Joe Wilson.

Try them all:

Powerline
Michelle Milkin
Glen Reynolds
Newsmax
Washington Times

None of them can express even a smidgen of doubt about Rove in any way.

Wonder why?

Terrorist Attacks in London

Well, I'm still waiting for someone to tell me how invading Iraq has helped the WOT. AQ has attacked a number of times in Spain, Istanbul, and now London.

They seem as healthy as ever. What is Bush doing to combat AQ and terrorism? Fighting a war against Iraqis in their own country?

This post could go in a number of different directions, but lets focus on terrorism and honesty.

I see now that Cheney/Rove/Bush cynically used the horrors of 911 to push for the invading of Iraq when it was not necessary. Now, AQ is still active, having just bombed London, and we are stuck with a major insurgency battle in Iraq and a simmering conflict in Afghanistan.

What's next, Mr. President? More tough talk, more "resolve" and "determination"?

What we need is "smart" approach.

More later in what that is...

Mike Wilder