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Fascism and My Brother | 20 comments (20 topical, editorial, 0 hidden)

Re: I have had arguments like that (4.00 / 3)

I think you are right... an honest discussion necessarily requires that you don't call names. I also think that is one reason that the right does so much name calling: they don't want an honest discussion. My brother's use of the word fascism so stunned me that it took me quite a while to recover, and by then he had managed to articulate his nonsense about needing to combat the liberal media group-think and move on to something else. Even now, we are discussing what is or isn't fascism instead of focusing on the problem at hand, which was all the illegal things BushCo has done. So his use of the inflammatory was successful in derailing the conversation.

But, it is also true that any productive discussion has to have an agreed upon vocabulary. So it is necessary, in that regard, to set the record straight on what fascism is or is not. If his frame of reference is so topsy-turvy, then no honest discourse will be possible.

I also think there is a difference between him saying I am on the edge of fascism, and me saying the president is a fascist. He called me a name, I called his party leadership a name. Again, this is my brother. We love and respect each other, so name calling is extremely rare.

We have done tons of emailing/discussing on things like the appropriate role of government, or the optimal tax levels to stimulate the economy. I don't often diary about those other discussions because they don't tend to go anywhere and don't have that one seminal moment, that shock value, that brings things into sharp relief the way this one did with him calling me a near-fascist.

In the end, I am just really bad at letting go when someone strikes a personal nerve with me. So I had to respond for my own piece of mind, or I would not be able to sleep.

_________________________

Check out My Voice Acting Page.

by mrboma on Mon Jul 3rd, 2006 at 03:04:09 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: I have had arguments like that (none / 1)

I know what you mean. It is really hard when it is your family member. I have a brother a little like that, and a cousin who is very much that way. I can deal with non-family pretty reasonably much easier than family members. It is easy to upset each other, and very very hard for anyone to admit that they were wrong about anything.

by Kidspeak on Tue Jul 4th, 2006 at 08:32:17 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Fascism and My Brother | 20 comments (20 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)

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