Dialog

So, I got an unsolicited e-mail a few weeks ago. I don't know whether the individual who sent it expected me to reply, but I did, and this developed into a dialog that went on for a couple of weeks. I thought I'd share it.

It began, you could say, with an unprovoked attack from a stranger -- but not an anonymous stranger. Richard signed his e-mails -- he works for a construction company in Texas. I have redacted his last name here, because it became a sort of point of honor: He speaks in the open, and I, for reasons of my own, choose to go with my pen name. Richard's invited to supply his real name if he cares to, in a comment.

At any rate, after Richard got tired of berating me while I got bored with talking down to him with my effete east coast nonchalance, we got down to a quite reasonable exchange. My point in sharing this is, I guess, that reasoned exchanges are feasible between ideological polar opposites, and I have always hoped blogging could be a place to let that happen. Thanks, Richard.

Here's the exchange in full, as if it were a private conversation:

Richard: GO TO HELL!!!

SC: Cheery greetings to you too.

Richard: Why don't you post your real name and address "ASSHOLE" like a real man. You have mine below.

SC: Why, you offering dinner?

Richard: Sure "AssHole" come on down to Texas. When you get here, anywhere, just tell them who you are so that you can get a real Texas "Ass Whipping!!
We will be waiting for you "FAGOT"!

SC: I can see where this is going. *yawn* I'm curious, though. Where did you find me and what did I say that got your attention?

Richard: I was thinking the same thing.

Seriously, tell me what is it about America that you dislike/hate. Grant you there is much room for improvement but don't you feel that it is our politicians that have failed us in not full filling their duties....as servants of the people.

SC: I don't hate America. I see Americans as generally unable to understand how the system that governs their lives really works, and as too easily swayed by simple, shallow slogans. I see Americans convinced that government is about morality, when the truth is government is more than anything else about money and class. I don't understand how middle class Americans are convinced that they are members of a conservative base, when conservative policy as it's been acted out over the last several decades has worked against middle class people, and for the wealthy and well-connected. I see Americans screwing themselves because they believe leaders like George W. Bush represent freedom and upright morality -- leaders I see as the most corrupt we've had in generations.

America frustrates me. But I don't hate it. I wouldn't live anywhere else.

Actually, I can't quite figure out what we're arguing about.

Richard: You asked me earlier how I got your e-mail address. I found it browsing through a military site. What caught my eye is that you had the American Flag upside down. That got my blood to boil, and felt that this need to be responded to. I don't know if this is how you wanted your page to be displayed over the internet...but it was.

I am glad to see that you don't hate this country. As you can tell I love this great land of ours. Yes I am a conservative. No I am not swayed by slogans or gimmicks put out by our politicians and amplified or twisted by the media or talk show hosts.

Conservatism is allowing individuals to be all that they can be without government intervention.
Conservatism is believing in God, family, and hard work.
Conservatism is lower taxes and using our funds to enhance this country and not the politicians pocket book. Only the naive and uniform [sic] believe that government is the answer to our problems.

Many "Liberal Democrats" tout that if you vote for me I will make your life better because I am for the little guy. That is the most ridicules statement of all. No politician can make your life better only "You" can by getting up and doing something about it. More taxes never made the poor wealthy only good old fashion honest hard work and a persistence to make your life better.

Recall that since after WW ll, this country was under the controlled of the Democrats for forty years. It was during this time that many of the entitlements came to being under the Johnson adminstration. Welfare, the food stamp program, paying individuals for staying home and doing nothing. It was during this time prayer was taken out of school and the killing of inocent babies was legalize. Morality of any kind was under attack because of "Liberalism".

I could go on and on but you are a smart guy and can figure out what I am saying. I go back to my earlier statement in that our politicians have let us down and have not fullfill their oath. That oath is to be a servant of the people.

SC: It seems pretty clear to me that we're going to disagree about a number of important things, but it also seems to me that we could have a civil enough conversation about it all if you wanted to. Question, though: A military site? What site would that be? I'm wondering why a military site would want to link to Stupid Country. Or am I selling them short? There are plenty of open minds in the military.

Richard: I don't recall because it was a link leading to where your address was located.

SC: Whatever. Tell me: Are you ok with the suggestion that this failure you see in our leaders is as true of those who position themselves as conservatives as it is of those calling themselves liberals or progressives? Because if so, we have at least one thing we can agree on.

Richard: Our leaders have failed us miserably in everyway. They are not leaders but leeches. They tout themselves as either conservative, liberal, moderates, or whatever just to appeal to some base of people for "Re-Election". Mean while they do nothing for the people but drum up idiotic investigations over "Bullshit" avoiding real legislation like the social security mess, trade deficits, illegal immigration, airport security etc.

Our leaders are not leaders, many do not have any core values, traditional American values, to live by. Our media keeps the pot stirred so that people hear only what they feel we should hear, and sadly many Americans are not informed of the issues as we should be.

As more individuals become aware of the issues at hand we can and should hold our representatives in check to how we would like our Country to be governed. If we are not willing to get involved then we can only blame ourselves.

My name is Richard _______. I was born and raised in the great state of Texas!

What is yours?? I know you are from South Carolina. Right!

SC: Hard to argue with your assessment of US leadership, which makes it hard to understand why we hold ourselves up as a model for democracy elsewhere in the world. I think the point I differ with you most on is the value of investigations. All of the issues you raise have become significantly worse, and more obvious and arrogant, in the last 6 1/2 years. Investigations can serve bullshit partisan purposes, but they can also drag out in the open a lot of things that complacent Americans need to see to appreciate how bad it's become. That's the only way to begin the process of undoing the worst of the rot.

I don't think there are any easy fixes -- it's not as though ordinary middle class Americans are about to suddenly come to their senses one day, throw out the leeches and start over. We have to recognize the flaws in our own culture -- media fail us because media are profit-driven and choose to give us what we keep telling them we want, which is generally mindless entertainment and "lifestyle journalism." Issues are complex. We defer to leaders who are willing to at least look as though they're taking those issues on, even when we know these people are corrupt.

I don't have the faith that you do in any specific "values." A lot of lies have been told in the name of faith, strength and tradition, generally by people with agendas that have nothing to do with any of those values. We have to consider and take seriously the possibility that some of the supposed truths we live by aren't truths at all.

• Americans' absolute faith that free enterprise gets everything done better and faster than government institutions looks a little ridiculous when you see the state of health care here. The profit motivation of the private sector simply doesn't work for some things, and if you think the right vision for health care is to eliminate all the entitlements and let it all sort it self out through survival of the fittest, then I guess I differ with you there too. (You have had harsh words about entitlements generally, and I do agree some of them have been excessive.)

• The US isn't always right. In many instances, we have been the aggressors and the bad actors in global conflicts. I happen to believe Iraq is one of the worst cases of this. We're not always the good guys, despite individual acts of kindness and courage on the part of the grunts on the ground. Iraq's not America at its best.

I appreciate your wanting to do this man to man, Richard, but it's my choice to have these discussions anonymously. Sorry if that doesn't work for you. I will tell you I'm from New Jersey, not South Carolina.

Have you ever actually read any of the Stupid Country blog? I mean, you could form an opinion from glancing at it that it's just simple-minded Bush-bashing, but I like to think there's a lot more there. You comments on any of the actual posts are more than welcome.

There the dialog ended. I suppose Richard agreed that my continued anonymity didn't work for him. Too bad. We were getting somewhere.
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