Apr

12

Tone and Style Matter

Filed Under Politics 

As I noted before there has been some interesting inter-libertarian blog fire on foreign policy in general and the isolationists tendencies in particular. When I have some energy I will post a description of why I think a truly minimalist foreign policy is a no go but right now I have other fish to fry.
I was reading Justin Raimondo’s rather long piece on, among other things, Virgina Postrel when I realized what bothers me about sites like antiwar.com, lewrockwell.com, and a host of others - it is their derogatory and personal tone. Now, I know that from time to time I am snotty and sarcastic and even insulting (and for that I am sorry) but I really don’t expect people to take me to seriously. When I want to be serious I try to use serious and intelligent language to reflect that tone. The more I read online about the strange grouping of paleo-conservatives and liberatarians, the less I am attracted to their way of thinking. Not because it is false on its face but because they are so ugly in presenting in it.
For example, I am interested in foreign policy and the intellectual history behind it - in fact I wrote my Masters thesis along these lines. I am in fact sympathetic to a more minimalist conception of American foreign policy. But Justin’s screed is a childish and silly polemic strinking out at people who disagree with him. His accurate points are covered in snide and sopmoric rhetoric. His larger point lost in his conspiracy theories about the neo-cons and Israel. It is such a waste. Why not have an intelligent discussion of the issues invovled and calmly point out where you differ from others points of view? One finds this type of language at Will Willkinson’s Fly Bottle as well. An obviously itelligent person relying on snide comments and personal insults to make a point. I must confess that all of this hectoring rhetoric makes me tired. In fact this is why so much online discussion gets old, it has very little deeper meaning. It is not worth reading five minutes after it has been posted or it drips with so much personal animus that it covers what intelligence there is below the surface.
As I have many times before, I am not a neocon or paleo-con or libertarian - I do think all three categories have useful perspectives and serve some purpose - but the paleo-libertarian (this is an awkward label I know) obession with who is a “real” libetarian or conservative or rightist or whatever and their conspiracy theories about liberal neocons who have hijacked things is getting real old and real silly. If these groups ever hope to be taken seriously, I hope they will consider dropping this confrontational and condescending tone.

Comments

Comments are closed.