Comments on: Live From Blogworld: The Political Blogosphere in Transition

By: Ex-fetus

Ex-fetus — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 22:19:41 +0000

would someone elucidate on the question: what is a libertarian?

A Socialist with an overdrawn checking account.

“Communism is like one big phone company.”
Lenny Bruce
(1923 – 1966)

In hopes that Lenny won’t start spinning in his grave;
‘Libertarinism is like a small phone company’.
All joking aside, libertarianism is like pornography, you know it when you see it.

By: Joe

Joe — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 17:17:01 +0000

Thank you for the civil and reasonable reply Michael B. Now, would someone elucidate on the question: what is a libertarian?

By: Saltherring

Saltherring — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 14:45:53 +0000

Want a sneak peek of an Obama presidency? Let’s see, which segment of society’s ideas, values (and people) would set the standard? The Leftist Blogistan probably gives a good indication.

By: Scott Somerville

Scott Somerville — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 14:00:22 +0000

I’ve tried to spend time in Left Blogistan, but it’s pretty harsh in there. I don’t care for profanity, but I have no patience with “groupthink.” I’m looking for ideas I couldn’t come up with on my own, and I seldom find much worth looking for on the left.

By contrast, I find a lot to listen to on the right side of the blogosphere. It really is a “big tent,” complete with Creationists, drug-legalizers, gay Republicans, Ron Paul supporters, etc. (There are also tons of trolls from the left.)

I’ve observed that Left Blogistan keeps coming up with ABSURD conspiracy theories–and then hangs on to them despite an impossible amount of evidence to the contrary. By contrast, the “pajamaheedin” have been pretty consistent about nailing bad guys (Dan Rather’s “Memogate” was the first, David Kernell’s hack of Palin’s email is the latest, and there have been lots of examples in between.)

From what I can see, the Left Blogosphere is weak on information processing, high on coerced conformity. It may be more powerful than the right side of cyberspace, but is less accurate. In the short run, power beats intelligence (see man v. saber-tooth tiger), but in the long run, ingtelligence beats power (see man v. saber-tooth tiger). I’m betting on the pajamaheedin!

By: » Networking Learning Fun Conference at Halo Secretarial Blog -

» Networking Learning Fun Conference at Halo Secretarial Blog - — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 12:52:24 +0000

[...] Moran from Pajamas Media has a really detailed discussion on the changes in blogging, based on his experiences from [...]

By: Michael B.

Michael B. — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 12:02:47 +0000

Joe, I didn’t mean to praise KOS or HuffPo content. I just like to see what the other side is thinking. So, let’s put aside the fact that they are indeed, sewer rats and smear merchants. Apart from the content, simply look at the format and features of the site… they are miles ahead of the sites that I mentioned (not withstanding Rush’s excellent site, which I refuse to pay a fee to get the “full access”- its not the money, its the principle). I love HotAir, but the site is amateurish compared. That was my only point.

By: Joe

Joe — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 07:13:42 +0000

Had to laugh at Michael b, the self-confessed troll. Praise for the content and professionalism of the Daily Kos and HuffPo? If he thinks those sewer rats and smear merchants show professionalism and superior content, then I pray Malkin and Hot Air never attain such lofty staus. Mr. Moran, this article’s author, is a self-described libertarian, as is Instapundit’s Glenn Reynolds. Both of these gentlemen seem to be liberals at heart. Mr. Moran often writes hopefully it seems of an Obama victory, as if to punish conservatives. Instapundit’s posted features on 9/10/01 praising both Andrew Sullivan and the ACLU. Could someone tell me exactly what is a libertarian?

By: Ex-fetus

Ex-fetus — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 05:31:11 +0000

Michael B., that is eye candy. Something they do to hide the lack of content. As we say in my neck of the woods, “If it don’t run, chrome it.”
DU and Kos banned me long ago. I didn’t bother to change my IPN, since there is no point in talking to those that refuse to listen. Huffy doesn’t give me am ‘access denied’ code, they just delete my posts. I fisked an article by some starlet with a hot body and cold synapses and now all my posts vanish within an hour or so.
Samizdata was at least polite about it. I observed that a capitalist was someone with a healthy checking account balance, a socialist was someone without a checking account and a libertatian was someone with an overdrawn checking account. I thought that was clever and not very outrageous, but they took umbrage and asked me to stop posting, so I did. I’m going to wait until the Muslims take over and ban them to make a final post.
See how I am?

By: whitehall

whitehall — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 05:16:33 +0000

I don’t visit leftist sites much since they offer little that makes sense to me. One exception is The Oil Drum which has a least some grip on reality in some of the posts although the leftists and doomsday crowd can be VERY rude. One could make a blanket statement that leftists seem exclusionary to ideas while right wing blogs are willing to talk things over politely. Exceptions do occur both ways though.

I do find that center-right blogs are individualistic in the the owners have a proprietary interest in their fame, readership, and growth. I feel funny when I reference an American Thinker piece in a comment on Belmont Club, for example – is that kosher?

The owners seem entrepreneurs on a shoe string while the big lefty blogs seem better capitalized. Maybe the Right needs a sugar daddy like George Soros?

As to video, I’m not excited. I can read anytime but watching a video means I’m locked into the presentation’s pace. Plus you have to listen which can be difficult – like at work!

By: Marina

Marina — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 05:12:27 +0000

to RICK:

why should the right blogosphere become the same socialistically “organized” = faceless and brainless sheeple like the left one? They are ants, we are INDIVIDUALS. That’s what is precious in the right blogosphere. Everybody is different. Only here you can learn the REAL tolerance. They all think and act the same way. We are all different (and not in a Monty Python’s way). Why should WE be like THEM, brainwashed sectists with no individuality? It’s very easy to organize sheeple. It’s difficult to find so many INDIVIDUALS as you can find in AMERICA. That’s precious in America. Keep it like this! Don’t try to change it. Organized people are everywhere: Cuba, China, Saudi Arabia etc. A lot of INDIVIDUALS – you can find it only in America (and maybe in Israel, but it’s another story). INDIVIDUALS OF AMERICA, DON’T UNITE!