Saturday 12 April 2008

Spewing Vitriol

I enjoy blogging. I think the banter on the blogosphere - often times partisan - is great. I think bloggers cover a lot of ground, a wide variety of political topics. I think the level of intellect is generally pretty high. I think that the nature of most blog topics is mostly well-informed.

And then you get some vitriolic partisan attacks. And I agree with Jeff at SNP Tactical Voting. Despite Calum being a candidate for the party I am in, I think his latest blog post leaves a nasty taste in the mouth.

I have a healthy interest in politics - if I didn't, I wouldn't be bothering with this. I disagree with about 9/10ths of what is said on Kezia Dugdales' blog. But I don't have any problem with her or her right to say it.

Calum has taken issue with Kez organising the Scotland for Obama campaign. He thinks Obama is a "shallow politician" and is "all presentation and no substance." Fine. I disagree with him - I think the guy is pretty genuine, but, for reasons which I have to keep explaining to people (and reasons which I guess at some point I'll explain on here) I support John McCain for US President. I note that Calum hasn't had a pop at me, Jeff or anyone else on the blogosphere for registering our support.

For me, saying I support John McCain is like saying I support Celtic, Athletic Bilbao or the New York Jets. It's picking something that you think is good and actively looking out for that thing. I'm not telling Americans who to vote for - I'm showing who I support. And I think that is what Kez has done with the Scotland for Obama campaign.

And I don't think the level of criticism directed at her for that is merited.

On other things however, she is most definitely wrong.

[EDIT] - on reflection from the comment from the [rather smarter than I am] Jeff at SNP Tactical Voting, I think that last line should probably read, as he put it, "On other things however, I choose to respectfully disagree." The absolute tone of what I said was probably not right - just really trying to emphasise that I differ with Kezia on most things but I'm fine with her having the opportunity to express that opinion, unlike some others.

3 comments:

Jeff 13 April 2008 at 23:50  

All good Malc, except perhaps for the last line where I suspect you have slightly shot yourself in the foot.

Not only does it stand out as a needless, baseless, lashing out at an opposition blogger for no particular reason but there is a worrying certainty in your text which surely cannot be healthy?

Perhaps, "On other things however, I choose to respectfully disagree" might have been a better way of putting it.

Deciding unequivocally that others are wrong just because they disagree with you is a dangerously fascist road to be going down is it not?

Malc 14 April 2008 at 09:32  

Ha! Jeff, I love it.

I think your sentiment is probably correct. Do you want to take over my blog since my grasp of the English language is seriously failing me?!

I probably should have justified the statement "on other things she is most definately wrong." However, I think you know, she knows and everyone else knows what I meant.

Think the post was meant to be a Voltaire "I detest what you say but will defend to the death your right to say it" kinda thing.

But you are right - I shouldn't have been so absolute!

The Incorrigible Plagiarist 18 April 2008 at 13:25  

Has Calum changed his original blog entry? yours is the 2nd blog I've seen describing this as vitriolic, where it's nothing of the sort.

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