Ronald Coleman (mail) (www):
Another vote for (B) here, Rosemary.
6.29.2007 9:59am
jaymaster (mail):
I’m just going to ignore him until he starts to act like an adult.
6.29.2007 10:09am
Elisha Feger (mail) (www):
Can we have a (c) option which is "Ali could stop telling lies in his posts"?
6.29.2007 10:15am
DanielH:
Centralizing the debate isn't such a bad idea.

I'm also in favor of a putting a stop to wanton and incorrect use of the word "lie" and all variants thereof; "lie" does not mean "a statement I believe to be false," nor does it mean "a statement I believe has been proven false."
6.29.2007 10:32am
DBrooks (mail):
For myself, I quit paying attention to him quite a while ago.
6.29.2007 10:41am
Tom Hawkson:
Could we have a (C) option like this?

"Ali AND Dean AND Arnold AND Rosemary AND Everyone Else pretend they are DanielH and stop making ranting, hyperbolic, incindiary comments like calling people racists and liars. And we stick to one thread."

Ali isn't a liar, he's just another rant-master with at least one incorrect opinion.

Just say no to hyperbole. Even joking hyperbole. I often can't tell when you are serious, people. The medium removes facial expression and tone of voice. Sometimes that is a blessing, but it has drawbacks.

Yours,
Wince
6.29.2007 11:00am
Kevin D (mail) (www):
I vote D!

D: Ali keeps doing what he's doing because it's so damned entertaining. Can he do with while spinning plates? Choose "D" and find out!
6.29.2007 11:03am
Rosemary Esmay (www):
I'm being serious and I didn't call him a liar or a racist.I'm just sick of him ignoring everyone and posting thread responses instead of debating his own damn points with people. That's not hyperbole, that's an accurate assessment of DW in the last day. Just scroll down.
6.29.2007 11:05am
Casey Tompkins (mail) (www):
One suggestion could be to have him quit with the passsive-agressive nonsense. Some recent posts almost literally dared people to flame him.

AEI Reaganite Wants Cheney Impeached
by Ali Eteraz

-snip-

But in the land of the Deranged-Bushophiles at Curmudgeon's World, this guy is probably a communist.

or
Dean's Forthcoming Accusation of Racism
by Ali Eteraz

Soon Dean or a Deaniac will accuse me of being racist against either "my own people" or "the less fortunate" or "the rest of the world."

I am claiming this space as the place where I will write my response.


That kind of foolishness borders on trolling, in the sense of "I'm just doing this to start a fight" trolling. Being called a bigot or deranged doesn't help much either.
6.29.2007 11:33am
Martin L. Shoemaker (mail) (www):
Rosemary, Ali does not discuss. He lectures, and we bigots and morons are just supposed to listen respectfully and nod approvingly as he explains all our faults. If we do otherwise, we're blind. And mean. And then he gets a chance to insult us.
6.29.2007 11:51am
Tom Hawkson:
He lectures, and we bigots and morons are just supposed to listen respectfully and nod approvingly as he explains all our faults.

Well, I've often adopted a lecturing tone. I need to talk less, listen more, and ask more questions.

Yours,
Wince
6.29.2007 12:13pm
Martin L. Shoemaker (mail) (www):

Well, I've often adopted a lecturing tone.


Tom, lecturing by itself isn't the problem. Many a fruitful discussion starts with a lecture, and then proceeds to a give-and-take.

The problem is Ali's follow-through: he wants to give, and we're supposed to just take his wisdom. When he doesn't ignore responses, he belittles them (and still ignores their substance). He becomes condescending and insulting. And eventually, he just goes away, and then comes back later and pretends the responses never happened.

Since I'm not supposed to conclude that he's intentionally dishonest, and I don't believe he's too stupid to understand the argument, the only conclusion I can see is that he's simply uninterested in discussion. He's right, and we're wrong, and we're not supposed to question that. He always claims to want to foster discussion; but in his mind, our role in that discussion is to say, "Yes, Ali."
6.29.2007 12:21pm
HokiePundit (RDB) W&M 0L (mail) (www):
I vote A. George Washington as President should be the only unanimous result in history.
6.29.2007 12:22pm
Ronald Coleman (mail) (www):
I really do find this frustrating. As a "contributor" here I can't always promise to address every issue every commenter raises to a post, but I think we do have an obligation to stay involved in the discussion until it's either veered from the original topic or is more or less over. I can't say Ali meets that responsibility by a long shot. And the irony is, I'd much rather duke it out with him in the comments than with, say, Dave Price or Dean, with whom I usually agree. But what can I do? He won't have the discussion.
6.29.2007 12:29pm
Mark @ Urthshu (mail) (www):

I'm also in favor of a putting a stop to wanton and incorrect use of the word "lie" and all variants thereof; "lie" does not mean "a statement I believe to be false," nor does it mean "a statement I believe has been proven false."

Huh. Think you could tell the LeftistsDem base this? They keep using that word in regard to pre-war intelligence.

Unless, of course, you think that's perfectly reasonable - in which case I'll back elisha.
6.29.2007 2:16pm
Mark @ Urthshu (mail) (www):
Oh, and I vote B.

But it won't do any good. See, Ali's just angling for a public outburst/banning from Dean so he can get some more notoriety in his new digs at HuffPo at Dean's expense.

Just business, man. Nothing personal.
6.29.2007 2:20pm
John B. Irving (mail):
Ali's just angling for a public outburst/banning from Dean so he can get some more notoriety in his new digs at HuffPo at Dean's expense.

The Aristocrats!


Seriously, Ali's getting old. He's a one trick pony, and both the trick and the pony are lame.
6.29.2007 2:23pm
Ali Eteraz (mail) (www):
Hey listen folks, I make posts because that way everyone can see what I am going to say. I really don't have the time to stick around in comments. Maybe I once did (even then I didn't really). Life' a bit different. Sorry if you get offended but it's not like you don't know my views.
6.29.2007 2:46pm
Ali Eteraz (mail) (www):
Again, the related posts function, which i don't know how to work, would be quite useful here, and I assumed that at some point that function would kick in again (I don't know how it works).

As to my point about engagement, I specifically recall saying this even before anyone got their objections out, showing how ready I was to let you have at me:


I am claiming this space as the place where I will write my response.

Now I'm going to sleep.


And then, when I woke up, I did what I supposed to.

Irrelevant post Queen.
6.29.2007 2:51pm
Tom Hawkson:
OK, Ali, then E) don't allow comments on your posts, or F) add a standard disclaimer to your posts that you don't have time to engage in the comment section.

Hmmmm. I don't have time to engage in the comment section, either. In fact, I'm almost always pretty depressed when I do so, and I'm using it as a really freaking useless coping strategy.

Yours,
Wince
6.29.2007 3:12pm
Martin L. Shoemaker (mail) (www):

Hey listen folks, I make posts because that way everyone can see what I am going to say. I really don't have the time to stick around in comments.


Translation: I don't want to answer questions and defend my positions, just use my loud soapbox that most of you can't share.
6.29.2007 3:52pm
Tom Hawkson:
Translation: I don't want to answer questions and defend my positions, just use my loud soapbox that most of you can't share.

That's not fair. For one thing Dean is generous with his posting priviledges. For another there are plenty of people who don't allow comments. If I was actively blogging on my site I wouldn't allow them either, since I don't have the time to moderate the comments section and I have seen that commenters invariably behave badly on the wide open internet if not moderated.

Luckily on my site no one cares.

Yours,
Wince
6.29.2007 4:25pm
Martin L. Shoemaker (mail) (www):

That's not fair.


But it's true. Ali's pattern is clear: he happily joins the comments, right up to the point where he meets arguments that he can't answer. Then he disappears, and returns later with a new post with the same points, as if arguments were never raised. So his disputed points get the front page. Our undisputed responses get the comments. He gets the soap box, and we're just supposed to accept what he says as Revealed Truth.
6.29.2007 4:48pm
McKiernan:
Ali, may we have permission to call your posts simply drivebys with attitude ?

-
6.29.2007 4:48pm
Rosemary Esmay (www):
Nothing I post is irrelevant. Annoying maybe but not irrelevant. BTW, why do you need so much sleep?
6.29.2007 6:17pm
Casey Tompkins (mail) (www):
Dunno, Rose; maybe Wince is "getting" more than you?

(what the heck, it's not like this was a deep thread anyway... {g})

Not that he has your obvious & magnificent attributes, natch... ;)
6.30.2007 1:44am
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Commenting on Dean's World is a privilege, not a right. Dean is your host, you are his guest, and you should behave in that fashion. Dean is not your babysitter, nor is he your punching bag. Please remember this. In general, you are free to disagree with anyone on any subject you wish, but abusive behavior will not be tolerated.

Of course we all lose our tempers now and then. Dean freely admits to being imperfect in this regard, which is why regulars to this establishment will generally be cut more slack than people who we don't know very well.

Still: behave like an adult, or go find somewhere else to play. Thanks.