Posted on 11/15/2003 8:59:07 PM PST by MegaSilver
I love college.
The other day, a classmate stopped by our dorm room to discuss weekend plans with my roommate. Somehow, this classmate manages to turn ANY discussion into a left-wing-supremacy tirade. (I have not let him know what my political leanings are, nor do I believe that he would behave more tactfully if I did, nor do I feel comfortable revealing anything about myself to him [for other reasons]. So I just shut up.) This particular day, in the middle of his firestorm, he asked myself, my roommate, and a mutual female friend who also happened to be in the room if his "campaign to destroy Bush" was really so obvious. We all promptly responded, "yes." (Why he had to ask, I will never figure out.) And when he talked about his plans to visit Cuba over spring break and fax Bush his middle finger from there, it took everything I had to stay still. (That's one thing I don't like about bodybuilding: though not any taller, I'm noticably bigger than he is, so it's a constant temptation to kick his *ss. [Un]fortunately, I know that Jesus would definitely not do that.)
I didn't expect anything less, of course. He never shuts up about his left-wing-supremacy mission, nor his utter contempt for Bush. The other day, when he finally found something he and Bush agreed on, he insisted that the world must be coming to an end. "I agreed with Bush! He's like, my arch-nemesis!" Oh, PLEASE. The man doesn't even know you exist, nor would he care if he did.
But this kid seems to think so. Recently, while I was driving to Ft. Lauderdale with a him and few friends (I didn't know they'd invited this kid), he spent the whole car trip on one of his political avalanches. I listened as patiently as I could, growing more and more amused at his self-contradiction and lack of coherency. (Among other things, he talked about his newly pierced ear and how he was going to get his tongue pierced. Why all the body piercings? Because, he explained, when he runs for office, he wants to give his opponent at least SOMEthing to hold against him. Once again, ego check, aisle four.)
You would think that someone who devoted all his free time to political research would realize just how moronic he sounds. Not so. And it's pretty obvious why: his taste in books are generally along the lines of Stupid White Men by Michael Moore, whom he deems "the best American ever." (Shouldn't be too shocking, coming from the guy who says, "Bill Clinton was basically a Republican." Only if you're a Leninist. Last I checked, he was a registered Democrat, pro-choice, pro-gay rights, pro-gun-control-whenever-he-could-get-away-with-it, pro-Federal Health Care, and pro-tax. But I digress.)
Now, to his credit, he does read worthwhile material, as well. But he apparently doesn't pay any attention. "When I read Slander, I had a rebuttal for everything she said." (This included, incidentally, his assertion that Hillary's Health Care Plan did not, as Ann had claimed, resemble socialism. Any national health care plan which provides and requires uniform and universal coverage is based on grassroots socialistic principles. Whether or not it's a good idea is another issue entirely, but call an arm an arm and a leg a leg.) Of course, it's easy to see why. People like Michael Moore would have plenty of material with which to refute Ann Coulter... that is, if you believed a word of what they said. Michael Moore is a proven liar at the worst and deceiver at the best--on numerous grounds.
It's interesting to see the future members of the Academic Elite in the making, isn't it? Now, certainly, many professors are intelligent and hard-working. Those are not the "Academic Elite" types I growl at. My point is, some people seem to think that reading more makes them smarter. There are two problems with this line of thinking. One, some people who pursue doctorate degrees exhaust their potential LONG before finishing their coursework. A degree signifies an accomplishment, not necessarily intelligence. And two, of course, if you read crap, you'll spew crap. It's a pretty rudimentary concept.
So as far as what to hold against this guy when he runs for office... I think I'll start with a complete disregard for facts, coupled with an inability to appropriately categorize.
Unfortunately, the sister who is hosting this horde has forbidden me to engage our brother-in-law in political debates. She says he gets really, really mad and goes into tirades -- (I have to confess that I was looking forward to watching him implode - LOL)
So how do you manage to keep silent?
Libertarian-Leninism and Paleo-Leninism. We see that often enough around here.
Unfortunately, the sister who is hosting this horde has forbidden me to engage our brother-in-law in political debates. She says he gets really, really mad and goes into tirades -- (I have to confess that I was looking forward to watching him implode - LOL)
So how do you manage to keep silent?
Currently, the only medication I'm taking is minocycline (a powerful antibiotic of the tetracycline family), and that's not exactly something that'll do the trick. Mostly it's because arguing with this guy in any way would require me to abandon any notion of tact or courtesty, and I'm not a person who takes easily to perpetually insulting people on-the-fly. (You might even say I'm a little "oversocialized" in some areas, and nasty rhetoric is one of them.)
Tell him that he doesn't have to come back from Cuba, that he can stay there in paradise if he wants to.
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