[mdlug-discuss] [mdlug] Iraq stuff again was:First impressions of Vista

[allen]

Robert Adkins wrote:
>     Did you purposefully miss my point or are you simply being pedantic 
> to an extreme degree?
>
>   
I'd hardly characterize my response as extremely pedantic. But given the 
knowledge implied by the "B-movie actor" comment it seemed that some 
pedantry was in order.

If your point was that if America will elect a second-rate actor to the 
presidency then the political views of a second-rate comedian ought be 
accorded some respect then I didn't miss your point. If there was some 
other intention then feel free to expand.
>     Seriously, my point is that people do, in fact, grow and change as 
> they age and shift career focus. People are capable of learning new 
> things as well as changing their views an opinions about topics.
>
>   
The potential is there to grow and change but not the requirement.

If your point was that the presidency was awarded to someone who was 
once a second-rate actor then A) the remark indicates a studied and 
popular ignorance of the man and B) was hardly the measure of the man 
when he was elected to the presidency. So the comparison is misapplied 
since Mr. Maher's skill, such as it is, lies in telling people what they 
want to hear and not in any attempt to understand and illuminate the 
issues on which he comments.

If Mr. Maher chooses to exercise his ability to grow and change then let 
him and when he has I'll be less dismissive of his policy 
pronouncements. But that day hasn't yet arrived.
>     BTW, I wasn't knocking Reagan, as you so "shrewdly" assumed.
>
>   
Maybe you weren't but it's not easy to draw any other conclusion when 
you choose to measure a historically significant figure by a distant and 
relatively unimportant episode in his past.


allen