came across this post over at Shakesville. It’s a 101 post about MRAs. God, it’s so great. but what is really great, is the comment section. for a good dose of cognitive dissonance you can really get a good belly laugh from, I suggest you go over and take a read of it.
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Thinking Girl 
I don’t know why you picked this particular article or comment thread to report on. It seemed pretty typical of just about every internet “debate” I’ve ever seen. A core of about three or four informed, open-minded people make a valiant effort to discuss their views in a civil, respectful manner, only to find that they’re completely surrounded by a bunch of shit-flinging baboons who have come from all dark corners of the universe to throw shit on behalf of their cause. Inevitably, the shit-flingers ignore all valid points and solid arguments posited by the opposition and choose instead to focus on the conflated, misinterpreted, irrelevant minutia in their quest to bypass any chance of actually coming to some agreement, or at the very least, some basic understanding of what the other side is trying to say.
When all of the shit hath been flung, the baboons return to their respective bases to rally the troops with exclamations of how completely ignorant and misguided the other side is, creating gigantic echo chambers of self-congratulation and strawman bashing, all while the unlucky few who actually wanted to discuss the issue at hand slowly come to the sad realization that there is no place in the web for truly honest debate, as the vast majority of people will only hear what they want to hear. At the end of the day, both sides claim they won the battle and amidst the sea of alleged victors, the only real losers are the ones who actually wanted to discuss, listen and possibly learn something. Such is life on the internet.
The only reason I felt at all compelled to comment on this is because I was so disappointed by how fast the thread turned from decent to horrible. The first forty comments or so actually had some semblance of a healthy debate, with people from both sides actually discussing a number of issues in a shockingly civil manner. Then of course it all went to hell. Oh well, maybe next time.
Kyasset, yes, couldn’t have put it better myself.
Well, I was amazed. I debate here and there on the web but I really come to it looking for solidarity, so perhaps I just haven’t seen enough shit-slinging wars to be jaded to the hatred and irrationality in that thread.
Learnt my lesson.
well, the comment thread is exactly why I chose this post to report on.
I find sometimes certain threads are like little microcosms of larger societal issues. this was a good example of that.
that was priceless…
Oh my. That was…well…it just was. So much of that thread left me speechless, but there’s one comment in particular that I think I’m gonna have to write a post about, because the sexism and racism in it has me boiling mad.
A microcosm of larger societal issues to be sure.
Oh my. That was…well…it just was.
Kevin’s reactions are the best.
My favorite line yesterday on that thread:
“Privilege” is crazy feminist, Marxist speak for “good at shit.”
donna – that made me laugh out loud. thanks for sharing!
“Oh my. That was…well…it just was.
Kevin’s reactions are the best.”
Don’t take much effort from the menz to get the applause around here does it?
the upper classes aren’t “privileged,” they’re “good at shit.”
whites aren’t “privileged,” they’re “good at shit.”
men aren’t “privileged,” they’re just good at math and science.
the last quarter was ugly with the rape apologism. i want to bring up something else that was ugly as i commented on the thread only in the first four days. domestic violence apologism.
the reason mras — especially these mras — oppose vawa (1994) is because it allows mail order brides to petition for permanent residency if they are victims of domestic violence. in 2000, vawa was expanded to allow divorced spouses to petition for permanent residency.
in essence, they want an excuse to beat their wives. until 1990, immigrant women needed their husbands’ permission to gain residency.
I decided to stop reading it as it was actually having an effect on my mood *offline*.
There is no point trying to get some of them to find a more enlightened path.
With some guys it’s worth being patient and explaining things when they really don’t get it.
The scary thing about these guys is they do get it already.
They just don’t want things to change.