[PEN-L:32537] RE: re: how things change referencing note # 32499

["Devine, James" <jdevine@xxxxxxx>]

Title: RE: [PEN-L:32507] re: how things change referencing note # 32499

I read Doyle as saying that accusing, say, Bob Barr, of having "loony" positions does not really argue against his positions and therefore is simply involves leftists talking amongst themselves (preaching to the converted) which doesn't have any obvious progressive effect. If so, I agree. However, there's nothing wrong with the left talking amongst themselves, especially if it involves trashing the Right rather than the standard leftist infighting and emotionally-laden branding of deviants who've strayed to the right as heretics or apostates. ("Loony" is a cliché, of course, but it's not that bad of one.)

As for the term "loony," I think there are two responses. We can interpret it in the politically correct way, to say that it's an insult to psychological deviants and should be avoided. Or we can embrace it, the way some young people embraced the insult "punk" and said that they were proud to be punk.

In my experience, every individual is loony in a different way. Most of the time, that's one thing that makes life interesting. We should embrace and celebrate human heterogeneity.

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Jim Devine jdevine@xxxxxxx &  http://bellarmine.lmu.edu/~jdevine