From: mem@mv.mv.com (Mark E. Mallett)
Subject: Re: The Last Word on "Potatoe".
Organization: MV Communications, Inc.
Date: Thu, 15 Oct 1992 06:56:46 GMT

In article <1992Oct10.193512.25332@klaava.Helsinki.FI> leisti@klaava.Helsinki.FI (Teemu Leisti) writes:
>Well, what is there left when you strip away the aggressive adjectives,
>belittling phrases, rampant phobias and delusions and brazen lies from,
>say, the speech given by Mr. Buchanan in the Republican National
>Convention?  (Posted in this newsgroup recently.)

What's left reveals a very nasty person.  I did not make a statement
supporting Mr. Buchanan, now did I?  What I said, since you quoted it:

>> If the entire force of an argument is carried in its
>> invectives and its adjectives, the argument is meaningless.  All too
>> often, unfortunately, it holds sway.

You seem to have read into that statement support for Mr. Buchanan,
and in responding have twice provided examples for my small point.  But
indeed, the opinion applies to words from Mr. Buchanan, Mr. Limbaugh,
Ms.  Richards, Mr. Sununu, most any politician you can name, many
postings I see here on both sides of the fence, and incidentally from
post that I first commented on -- and to my own words if the shoe fits
(as it often does).

>Oh dear.  There's only a "hell" and a misspelling of "Republicans" to
>strip away.  In my opinion, they're more like spice on top of the argument,
>not the argument itself.  However, if they prevent you from seeing the
>point, I'll say "pardon me", and try again:
>
>'What in the world are you talking about?  Next you'll be telling us
>that Republicans never use "aggressive adjectives" nor "belittling
>phrases", right?'
>
>Care to answer the question now?

What questions do you want answered in the above (and I quoted all of
it to make sure I didn't miss any questions)?  (By the way, was
"RepubloFascists" really just a misspelling?)  "What in the world are
you talking about?" is not a question, but an invective, roughly
equivalent to "What nonsense!"; "Next you'll be telling us that
Republicans never use "aggressive adjectives" nor "belittling
phrases", right?" is not a question, but another jab, or perhaps a
prediction -- without foundation or relevance, as I have outlined
above (if it's really a question, the answer is "no," but it wouldn't
make any difference it was "yes"); and "Care to answer the question
now?" may be a question, but if it relates to the other two, it
serves no purpose.

I found it interesting that you not only posted a version of that
paragraph originally, but that you reposted it not only with a demand
that I answer it, but as an example of a solid argument.  On the
contrary, I found then, and I still find, that it is a good example of
what I objected to originally.  You changed a couple of words that
made it slighly less offensive, but as I said, no content was
revealed.  Please explain if I have missed something.

Perhaps you can also explain why my expression of dislike of loaded
arguments causes you to post attacks on me personally (which is really
the only reason I responded this time; I said what I wanted to say in
the first place).


-mm-
-- 
Mark E. Mallett  MV Communications, Inc./ PO Box 4963/ Manchester NH/ 03108
Bus. Phone: 603 429 2223    Home: 603 424 8129     BIX: mmallett
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