The Death of Reason

As I have noted before I am not unfamiliar with encountering close minded douchbags on various comment boards.  Up until now, at least in my experience, these troglodytes have been exclusively of the leftist variety.  Shocking I know!  It usually follows a familiar pattern.  I'd post a comment or respond to the post of another, generally laying out an argument or position on whatever issue is in question.  Used to be there would be those who would respectfully disagree and a conversation would ensue. and then there would be those who would immediately resort to name calling, innuendo or worse. 

I guess Voltaire is dead as well.

Not being one who is intimidated by such childish behavior I've been know to give it back, often more succinctly than it was dished out.  This of course leads those in the latter category to become enraged, sink into profanity, where the imbedded filters allow, or euphemisms for it where they don't.  Eventually One or two of these low digit IQ denizen will go crying to the board moderator, a misnomer if ever there was one, and complain.  This generally leads to the so called offending remarks being marked as deleted or disappearing all together.  A little practice I call shoving things down the memory hole. 

Not one to be deterred by such bad behavior I would continue to comment undeterred.  This of course leads to further outrage on the part of these people who I have come to refer to as "the usual suspects".  All that said I'm sure there are those who might cite similar circumstances coming from the other end of the spectrum.

As I am not exactly trusting of the MSM I often read and comment at alternative sites.  One of my favorites for quite some time has been Zerohedge.com.  For the longest time the comment section has been an anything goes, rhetorical equivalent of the wild wild west.  ZH has a reputation for both perspective one didn't find on the MSM with a definite pro-capitalist / anti-bankster bent.  There had always been  tinges of anti-Americanism present but these comments were most often countered by those who refused to except that either party or any particular politician was representative of what America really means.

Sadly all that has changed.  Over the last year or so the reporting  has become dominated by a markedly anti-Semitic, hate America, pro all things Russia and Putin attitude.  With the growing tensions in Ukraine, particularly with recent shooting down of flight MH-17, and Israel's undertaking to counter Hamas' constant rocket barrages it has reached the point any commenter who takes on a contrary position comes under vicious attack.  Attacks even more profane and hateful than anything I have encountered from the vilest of the left wing sites.

I can only imagine that this image would
make the heads of  the censors at
Zerohedge explode.

As I stated the last two days events have brought things to an ugly and naked head.  Firstly Israel's launching of ground operations brought forth a stream of anti-Semitic comments and attacks against anyone who dared support Israel or question Hamas' tactics that one would fully expect to see on an Aryan Nation or KKK website.  Then, also yesterday, a story was posted outlining and openly questioning the Ukrainian perspective on the crash.  The story ended with an editorialization that "the whole thing smells fishy".  This was followed today with a story from the Russian perspective that consisted of little more than a series of direct quotes from various Russian news feeds and government agencies (as if there is any real difference).  The story again ended with an editorialization, but this time it was a rather disingenuous remark to the effect that in the end it was going to come down to which side propaganda was most effective.   My position on the fighting in Ukraine is well know, on ZH and elsewhere and it has nothing to do with Obama or Putin but history. I posted a quick and sarcastic comment that "It's official, ZH is now an outlet for RT, (Russia Times, the Kremlins cable news and internet feed site), because we all know Russia would never lie".


Within 3 minutes, (yes that fast) not only was my comment heavily downvoted, 14 to 3 the last I could see, (only logged in users can see vote counts at ZH) but my account was blocked.  I guess I was surprised at first by this but maybe I shouldn't be.  I can only speculate that this comment, combined with other remarks questioning if the (pro-Putin) commenter was comfortable in their cubicle at Lubyanka (KGB headquarters and prison in the heart of Moscow) was striking too close to home for TPTB at ZH to take anymore. 

Apparently ZH has no sense of irony.  The donations page lists three reason to donate:

1  to liberate oppressed knowledge.
2  to provide analysis uninhibited by political constraint.
3  to facilitate information's unending quest for freedom.

I'd say shame on them, but I doubt they have the integrity to care that their actions prove my point.  The 21st century will be remembered for the death of reason, civility, rational behavior and indeed moral conscience.