Free Republic

Are you serious, ijcr? I ask you to engage in a dialogue. You respond with "history" rants that have nothing to do with my words, my opinions, or my politics. And your mirror, my friend, it is of your own making. Does that not resonate? Think about it. Next time you attempt to argue with another, try to be authentic. Listen to what they actually say. Use their own words against them if you can. Please do not try to put your words in their mouth. Those ugly fascist words, ijcr, you brought those words to this forum, they reflect back on you, and only you.

This topic has ground to a halt. We are not communicating ijcr. Go back, reread my posts and take issue with anything in them you desire. All I ask is that you engage my words directly, with your own words! Do you have thoughts of your own? Your posts have been sad ad hominem attempts to obfuscate: Stalinist! Marxist! Nazi! What is next, ijcr, Devil? Logic remains lonely. The search goes on.

Beauty is not defined by politics, it radiates from within, and if you cannot see Chelsea's tenderness in that kiss, I feel sorry for you. Your destain for everything Clinton has blinded your eyes and closed your heart to love. Sad indeed.

You do not need advice janette. Perfect as you are. : )

Gross and disgusting? Settle down boys and girls and take another look. Seldom has Chelsea looked more mod: in profile, hair pulled back and skin aglow, eye shadow defining simplicite, sunglasses stylishly aloft, and there, her hand gripping his shoulder with just a hint of passion. With all this, a little bit of tongue hardly matters. Simply tell your children the truth. A young, first love is beautiful and to be celebrated. Perhaps you've never known such simple joy. Chelsea, through all her parent's toil and trouble, always conducted herself with class. Show her some in return.

Well, thanks for the lecture, ijcr. To summarize your post: history of marxism 101; the left are all marxists and changing the name will not change the ideology; it's all evil! In truth, it is not all about marxism and never has been. You may like it to be because that seems to be the only level upon which you can argue. The left comprises liberals, progressives, laborites, greens, social democrats, socialists, radicals, anarchists, marxists, communists, and more. Al Gore, Tony Blair, Ralph Nader, Michael Walzer, Noam Chomsky, Saul Alinsky, Albert Camus, Malraux, Sartre, Merleau-Ponty: all leftist and therefore all marxist? No, ijcr, just one more big lie. Your dichotomy is classic. If you want to understand your fallacy look up 'false dilemma'. I refuse to be drawn into false alternatives. The original point remains and it is exactly this: the left is in fact in the process of purging marxism, regulating it, to borrow a phrase, to the dustbin of history, where it will linger for centuries, isolated and irrelevant. William F. Buckley, no doubt one of your heroes, purged Birchism and the KKK from your table many decades ago. They still linger about, but they are no longer relevant to any serious discussion on the right and its future. Please, allow us to purge our own demons.

I don't internalize any ideas as fundamental, Mr. Bungle, dogma turns out the lights, cuts off debate and denies free discussion. But as the former leftist I guess you must have been there: those wonderful glory days when the conspiracy was put in motion, and us newbies, why we're just pawns in the global game of de-emphasizing marxism in name only. ; ) Or maybe the debate is real? Why not read Walzer's article before talking of steaming piles? Better yet, travel around your country and your planet via this glorious internet of ideas. You may find a lot goes on, even concerning the left, outside of academia. Step out of your box. FreeRepublic is great but few leftists engage here, eventually the same old names grow tiresome and the disingenuous dialogue settles in like a mind fog. I think we both lose when that happens, if we truly want to understand one another, and I hope it doesn't happen in my case because I enjoy a lively debate and take seriously the bonds of unknown friends. Anyway, thanks to all. Back tomorrow.

ijcr. We can't all grow up to be conservative. : ) Fortunately, this topic is not about marxism, it is about an article that argues the left should move toward a post-marxist ideology. Marxism is dying, has been for years, its deathbed is in academia. If you want to stand vigil ijcr go ahead, in fact, take a knife and stab it a few times for me. Stalin!? I think the last leftist on earth to defend that mass murderer died of old age. . . about twenty years ago. When did the last conservative to defend Pinochet die? Oh yeah, sorry, they're still out there defending away. Tokhtamish. Good points on globalization and the working class. I believe the only thing you got wrong in your entire post was the part about my minister being incompetent. He's doing just fine, but I will pass along your concern later this very morning. : ) You are exactly correct Tokhtamish, it does come down to those of us on the left who want to rebuild a base for mass support. That is the salient point in Walzer's argument. The debate is on but the outcome is clear; the left is in the process of finally discarding marxism! The question for the right is will you join the wake and help celebrate? After all, is this not what you've wanted all along? Or is marxism just too valuable as the ultimate straw man?

Thanks. Good points. Really have to go. Back tomorrow.

Thank you nocomad. With you there can be discussion. I am new to this forum. Most of my time in the online forums is spent arguing with the left, so I came here to see what's up with the other half. My preliminary conclusion is that logic is lonely everywhere I look. Noco, I'm not sure I know what you mean when you say the left is a cancer and a plague; those are powerful, destructive forces. It seems to me the point of the article is that the left, for many decades now, has marginalized itself and has become bitter and alienated because of its powerlessness. Anyway, the article is important to both left and right. It has already started and intense debate within the left. The question for the right is, do you really want a reinvigorated and patriotic left, unemcumbered by Marxian melodrama? In other words, powerful. Friends, I must go, I will try to return once or twice a day in my relentless search for reason.

Sir, you underestimate your opposition. I do not deny your reality, your opinions, your ideology. And I do not detest anyone of good faith. You are conservative. Good for you! Now instead of denial and mindless labeling, how about some thought? Does anyone know the topic? Has anyone read the article?

Brilliant junta. Read the article first, then come back and slander the left!