On a recent blog, a respondent used the standard retort that my position was invalid because the other's was just as bad. This is interesting, as I've never pretended to give equal time to the opposition in most of my blogs.
I cannot decide whether it is sheer laziness or ignorance that drives people to expect me to post the positions of the opposing argument on my blogs; at any rate, it annoys me that they can't be bothered to assemble their own facts on the case. Would it be reasonable for a debater to step up and rebut their opponent by asking the opponent to list all the reasons why their position is wrong?
Simply put, some individuals have excellent statistical minds. They can put out charts that support their position, and have interest in digging up those charts. I don't. I started blogging as an online journal, and as an online journal it will remain. If I represent a position as factual, with no accomodation for the opposition, then I have a responsibility to offer a minimum of support for my position; if, however, I present it as an op/ed piece, or as MY viewpoint, then it stands on its own as such. I do not need to go to various websites to generate support for YOUR argument.
The fact is, in the political arena, both parties have some glaring inconsistencies. "Small government" republicans demand greater federal accountability in areas such as education and homeland security, and "diversity minded" liberals show an appalling level of intolerance to anything right of center, and hobble American businesses with unreasonable taxes, possibly costing jobs that could have been provided with the money that was sent to the IRS. I could (and have) go on and one about the prolems with both major parties' platforms, but instead I address the issues one blog at a time. Giving equal time to the opposition is neither topical nor possible without spending a good deal of research on the subject, research I simply don't have the time to undertake.
I apologize for the rambling post; my point (and I do have one) is that my blogs are what they are. If you choose to argue my position, do it with an intelligent refutation of the points presented, not with a juvenile "but he did it FIRST" argument.
signing off,
Gideon MacLeish