The Other McCain

"One should either write ruthlessly what one believes to be the truth, or else shut up." — Arthur Koestler

Learning Not to Argue

Posted on | October 9, 2016 | 3 Comments

One of the important lessons in life — and it took me a long time to learn it — is to avoid arguments. That is to say, when you find yourself in a situation where someone is determined to dispute about facts, as opposed to mere opinion, just leave it alone and walk away. You have stated what you believe to be true, and the person trying to have an argument with you is, in effect, accusing you of ignorance and/or poor judgment. You are being disrespected, and there is no possibility that someone who has no respect for you will be persuaded by anything more you have to say. Change the subject, or politely excuse yourself from the conversation, because continuing such an argument will only give further offense to your antagonist, and likely cause harm to your reputation.

Yesterday, I stated as a fact that the presidential election is now effectively over, that the release of Donald Trump’s “hot mic” tape is a “non-recoverable error.” I am 57 years old, and have studied politics quite assiduously during my life, and if I don’t know what I’m talking about by now when it comes to elections, then I must be a hopeless fool.

Well, the comments on yesterday’s post were flooded with angry people calling me a fool and worse. What seems to be the problem is that these people do not comprehend the “is”/“ought” distinction. It is of no consequence whether I believe Donald Trump should lose the election. Rather what I am stating, as a matter of fact, is that Trump will lose.

Election Day is now a month away, and we shall see what happens. However, I wish to call to the attention of readers the folly involved in believing that what I write on this blog (which got about 6,000 page views yesterday) could somehow decisively influence the outcome of the election. This is the real source, I suspect, of the wrath directed toward me by angry commenters. There seems to be an idea that blogs exercise a tremendous influence in electoral politics. Although I do not wish to say that my blog (or any other blog) has no influence, what I want to point out is that this influence is greater when it comes to primary campaigns than when we are talking about the final month of the general election for President of the United States. This election is now The Big Show — being covered by every TV network and other major news organization — and is quite unlikely to be influenced at this point by anything I say here.

At the top of my blog is a quote by Arthur Koestler: “One should either write ruthlessly what one believes to be the truth, or else shut up.” Regular readers expect me to keep that promise, and it would be a disservice to those readers if, having seen the handwriting on the wall (“Mene, mene, tekel, upharsin”) I didn’t share this fact with them.

Amid the firestorm of hatred unleashed against me for speaking truth, I am confident in my judgment, and unswayed by any criticism. When I state something as a fact, declaring the outcome of future events, all that is required of me is patience in awaiting my vindication. Selah.

 

Category: Donald Trump, Election

Comments

3 Responses to “Learning Not to Argue”

  1. Another Great Blog Self-Immolates and Becomes Just a Willing Servant of Hillary, Inc. | The Blog Of Monte Cristo
    October 10th, 2016 @ 2:08 am

    […] that never took root at all with his co-writers and not very well with Stacy, because he regressed a few days ago by declaring that the “pussygate” scandal would be unrecoverable for Trump, and that […]

  2. Another Great Blog Self-Immolates and Becomes Just a Willing Servant of Hillary, Inc, Over KittyGate – 'Nox & Friends
    October 10th, 2016 @ 2:15 pm

    […] that never took root at all with his co-writers and not very well with Stacy, because he regressed a few days ago by declaring that the “pussygate” scandal would be unrecoverable for Trump, and that […]

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