Comments on The Pensive Quill: Mitt's The Man

Mitt's The Man Belfast Bookworm, Root canal...

2012-11-18T16:48:28.790Z

Mitt's The Man

Belfast Bookworm,

Root canal is not good. So, have the bulk of it done. Waiting on a post prior to a crowning!!

I think that to go into politics a person has to have a desire to yield power and control.

Most pronounced in the case of Adams. It projects a megalomania and the total absence of any democratic culture.

They are talking about Hillary next time round.

Ryan, Romney was not the man for the job but is ...

2012-11-18T11:05:53.813Z

Ryan,

Romney was not the man for the job but is Obama much of an improvement/ I am reminded of Kissinger’s comment on the Iran-Iraq war, pity they both can’t lose. While we are very critical of Romney the case for censoring a view that would back him has thus far been lamentably poor. There are many people who would object to your pro Israel discourse on the blog but they don’t call for you to be censored.

Tain Bo,

Magic talking hats and zombie worship. Would they ever ...

Larry; Why the ?? Isn't that a given?

2012-11-09T17:44:25.181Z

Larry;

Why the ?? Isn't that a given?

Seems the first thing O'Bama did after being e...

2012-11-09T13:53:27.048Z

Seems the first thing O'Bama did after being elected again was to approve a drone strike in E. Africa. Murderer?

'His sheer hypocrisy quite staggering' Al...

2012-11-08T22:27:44.515Z

'His sheer hypocrisy quite staggering'

All the more reason to give him airtime in my opinion. Enough rope and all that.

Alfie, I still firmly believe that the likes o...

2012-11-08T22:26:25.604Z
Alfie,

I still firmly believe that the likes of John Coulter must be challenged.

Indeed. I think most here have done it through the mechanism of ridicule. I find his views on these matters hopelessly reactionary but we are open to all manner of ideas in the same belief as you that they stand or fall on their own merits. If John lcaked the courage to stand over his views he would not be featuring here with articles.

Anthony, Perhaps my reaction to this piece was a ...

2012-11-08T22:11:31.499Z
Anthony,

Perhaps my reaction to this piece was a little over-the-top. I believe in the principle that ideas should rise or fall by their own merit, not by censorship.

Nevertheless, I still firmly believe that the likes of John Coulter must be challenged. He is a man who condemns Irish republicans as murderers, yet he endorses with simpering insouciance the murder of countless innocent civilians. His sheer hypocrisy is quite staggering.

im getting nervous after reading that!

2012-11-08T18:17:26.397Z
im getting nervous after reading that!

Alfie, It is not simply a question of friendship ...

2012-11-08T17:51:53.290Z
Alfie,

It is not simply a question of friendship although we do shade things for friends. I know you were not arguing for him to be censored. Your suggestion that he go to the sewer was not a call for him to be censored but to be shifted to a place where you think his views should be. By going to the sewer people aren’t censored.

It is not that articles denying the Holocaust are inadmissible. I published before in some magazine in opposition to David Irving being jailed and argued the case that people should be allowed to deny the Holocaust just as they can be allowed to deny the Rwandan genocide. Truthrevisionist is a troll who was called out on being from North Belfast by Belfast Bookworm. But we had worked that out before then. We permitted rants from TR and a wide range of comments. When it comes down to simple Jewphobia, well that gets flushed to the censor.

But I do feel that invisible people have invisible rights. If people want to make these sort of hate fuelled arguments (based on the most atrocious of sources – Fred Leuchter, seriously?), it is so easy to get the drift. And of course the hiding behind the shield of anonymity, as you pointed out in another post, is cowardice which the laughable comparison with George Orwell does nothing to make right.

Indeed, would you give a member of the CIRA the opportunity to argue for attacks on prison officers and the PSNI?

I would but 1/ they need to stand over it and 2/ we need to be sure we don’t get prosecuted over what they write 3/ it does not lead directly to the death of another person. Sinn Fein argued the pro war position for years yet faced Section 31 censorship in the South. We opposed them being censored.

The article being published in the Daily Star (which I was unaware of) works both ways – your way, for sure, but also the other way: as it is already out there in a widely read outlet, by reproducing it on the blog we are hardly increasing the dissemination of the ideas.

My point is that an uncensored space for Coulter and any other advocates of mass murder of civilians is already available on your blog. In my view, that is where they belong.

You might have a point but I don’t think there is any one prevailing view on the matter. And until such times as I am persuaded to the contrary, he stays out of the sewer. It is a last resort.

I hope I have made the correct judgement call here but I can't be absolutely certain of it.

Alfie; I disagree with you. This post should defin...

2012-11-08T17:07:55.758Z
Alfie; I disagree with you. This post should definitely stay up as it lets everyone see what a fruitcake this guy is.

If somebody was to advocate as a military strategy...

2012-11-08T16:11:25.621Z
If somebody was to advocate as a military strategy a nuclear strike against Israel by say Iran or Pakistan I would allow it to be carried despite finding it abhorrent.

some might even consider it over due!

Anthony, "I tend to give greater latitude...

2012-11-08T15:07:07.730Z
Anthony,

"I tend to give greater latitude to those who have the courage to stand over their opinions."

Fair enough. I appreciate that John Coulter is your friend and I am not suggesting censoring him. It is just that I find this particular article - with its aspiration that the next US president bully allied nations and exterminate weak enemy nations - to be fascist and genocidal. I mean, if truthrevisionist were willing to use his real name, would you give him the space for an article denying the Holocaust? Indeed, would you give a member of the CIRA the opportunity to argue for attacks on prison officers and the PSNI?

It must also be said that this article was published in the Irish Daily Star on Tuesday. Thus, John has had the opportunity to express his odious views in the mainstream media. My point is that an uncensored space for Coulter and any other advocates of mass murder of civilians is already available on your blog. In my view, that is where they belong.

Alfie, I don't think it qualifies. And I may ...

2012-11-08T13:44:59.577Z
Alfie,

I don't think it qualifies. And I may be wrong. It is a judgement call and one I will only make with the greatest of hesitation in relation to anything being flushed down the sewer. It is certainly an odious line of reasoning pursued by John but it stirkes me as being more of a polemic. Again I stand to be contradicted on this.

I tend to give greater latitude to those who have the courage to stand over their opinions.

If somebody was to advocate as a military strategy a nuclear strike against Israel by say Iran or Pakistan I would allow it to be carried despite finding it abhorrent.

Anthony, Given that John Coulter has advocated ex...

2012-11-08T10:56:46.291Z
Anthony,

Given that John Coulter has advocated exterminating the people of Afghanistan if they "start pissing about", I respectfully suggest that this article be moved to the sewer.

Anthony; I don't know how bad your bug was but...

2012-11-07T17:46:42.408Z
Anthony; I don't know how bad your bug was but I'd take any bug over root canal treatment any day! Glad youre on the mend.

I agree with you that Obama won't do a lot but I'm cautious about saying he's the best out of a bad bunch.

I think that to go into politics a person has to have a desire to yield power and control. There is something inherently wrong with that and I'm immediately dubious about any politician as there has to be a defect kn their personality to aspire to be a politician.

I think Obama getting the presidency last time around was a massive PR stunt; stick a black person up there, show the world that we're changing, that we're not the right wing fascists you think we are.

Next it'll be a woman - god forbid!

Belfast Bookworm, the kids are over it but I am s...

2012-11-07T15:40:45.150Z
Belfast Bookworm,

the kids are over it but I am still plagued by something. Think Carrie is going down with it also. I think they call it the Winter Vomiting Bug. Had to cancel root canal treatment yesterday over it.

What will Obama do now? As little as he did last time around I suppose. There was a great piece I read from a former supporter on why he wouldn't support him this time - mostly to do with Foreign Policy. There is just more cause to hope that he won't screw the poor as much as Romney would have. But not a lot. I think we will see things manifest themselves even more viciously in the Cultural Wars. It is where the Republicans probably feel they can mobilise opposition. If Romney felt he could win by telling the Ohio workforce their industries should have gone under, they don't seem to be in tune with the economic mood music on the streets.

Loved this article – very witty – reminds me of th...

2012-11-07T14:43:24.157Z
Loved this article – very witty – reminds me of the auld Kenny Everett comedy sketch where he portrays an American commander, chest decorated with all sorts of colourful medals, waving a 45 while hanging out of tank turret and his message for all the worlds ills was to round them up, put ‘em in a field and bomb the bastards…

Damn it John, just heard, Obama won……let's see, who else is available,mmmmmmmmm, Netenyahu, now there’s a bloke we could work with!!!!!!!

Great idea of Obama,s to locate the polling stati...

2012-11-07T13:43:52.503Z
Great idea of Obama,s to locate the polling stations next to KFC...

No surprise. Coulter must be as sick as you were y...

2012-11-07T08:58:40.812Z
No surprise. Coulter must be as sick as you were yesterday Anthony. (hopefully you're better now).

I've no great hopes for Obama. Having a black face doesn't make you any less of a 'see you next tuesday' but I'd still rather have him than any republican.

Difference between O'Bama and Romney, now that...

2012-11-07T08:45:58.940Z
Difference between O'Bama and Romney, now that O'Bama is in again WW3 may be delayed by 6 months.

I always wonder about the logic that calls Osama B...

2012-11-07T07:59:44.528Z
I always wonder about the logic that calls Osama Bin Laden a terrorist yet advocates nuclear bombing of entire countries.

Obama made it. There are so many shortcomings with...

2012-11-07T07:53:49.105Z
Obama made it. There are so many shortcomings with him but the notion of having Romney in the White House ruling on behalf of the rabid religious and the rapacious rich would be good for nothing.

This is almost as fantastic as the origins of the ...

2012-11-06T22:51:12.021Z
This is almost as fantastic as the origins of the Latter Day Saints nothing elitist or cultist about declaring members of a religion saints Mormon sounding less religiously obnoxious.

The notion that prosperity is only a latter day saint away not just for America but for the world can as always be put to sleep for another four years until the next round of the most powerful nation on earth and its electoral promises.

I do not see Dr Coulter arguing for anything other than wanting a religious nut at the helm in America and considering it is a Mormon whose rulebook is not the bible only highlights the desperation of right wing religious logic.

Good luck with the Irish tourist scheme funding a north south Irish army to go fight the Persians.
Sad times Dr Coulter when your only hope for a speedy modern Crusade rests in the hands of a latter day saint I doubt very much if the Old or New Testament gods would approve.

If he does win hopefully, his advisors will have the foresight and hide that magic talking hat for his tenure.

Why do we still carry Coulter's garbage on thi...

2012-11-06T22:44:39.549Z
Why do we still carry Coulter's garbage on this website? If ever there was a justification for censorship it would be with him.
John I just cast my vote for Barack and I am supremely confident he will be re elected and it will not even be close. Romney would take us back to the Bush years and most right thinking Americans want no part of that.
It's like when people in the North talk about the dissidents taking them back to "the bad old days". Same here with Mitt. No thanks.

Larry; I refuse to be drawn into this conversation...

2012-11-06T20:25:48.572Z
Larry; I refuse to be drawn into this conversation - you're obviously a religious fanatic like Mr Coulter!!

Comments on The Pensive Quill: Mitt's The Man

Mitt's The Man Belfast Bookworm, Root canal...

Ryan, Romney was not the man for the job but is ...

Larry; Why the ?? Isn't that a given?

Seems the first thing O'Bama did after being e...

'His sheer hypocrisy quite staggering' Al...

Alfie, I still firmly believe that the likes o...

Anthony, Perhaps my reaction to this piece was a ...

im getting nervous after reading that!

Alfie, It is not simply a question of friendship ...

Alfie; I disagree with you. This post should defin...

If somebody was to advocate as a military strategy...

Anthony, "I tend to give greater latitude...

Alfie, I don't think it qualifies. And I may ...

Anthony, Given that John Coulter has advocated ex...

Anthony; I don't know how bad your bug was but...

Belfast Bookworm, the kids are over it but I am s...

Loved this article – very witty – reminds me of th...

Great idea of Obama,s to locate the polling stati...

No surprise. Coulter must be as sick as you were y...

Difference between O'Bama and Romney, now that...

I always wonder about the logic that calls Osama B...

Obama made it. There are so many shortcomings with...

This is almost as fantastic as the origins of the ...

Why do we still carry Coulter's garbage on thi...

Larry; I refuse to be drawn into this conversation...