The never ending story....

Talk Left has the latest drama being staged at Protein Wisdom. I'm not even going to read the thread. Frankly Jeff's little dramas generally feel so manufactured, they bore me. But I left this comment at TL.

Gee whiz. The blog dramas are taking over Blogtopia. Everywhere I go there are these over the top spitting contests.

I haven't followed this one but I know Goldstein well enough to know he's involved in these ugly imbroglios regularly and he is indeed capable of some vile and violent rhetoric. Wasn't he the guy calling for the immediate execution of whistleblowers and damn the trials? And come to think of it wasn't he just in an ugly exchange with Amanda over laudry baskets or something earlier this week? I believe he not only looks to start trouble but he actively endeavors to escalate it. It pleases his fan base.

I don't condone this other person's conduct and I agree it reflects badly on liberal bloggers, but neither can I excuse Jeff just because he's only making the right wingers look bad.

They both contribute to the gross incivility that is turning Blogtopia into a cesspool. And I'm especially uncomfortable with the publishing of personal information on anyone, no matter how egregious their language, for the sole purpose of encouraging threats and retribution by who knows what kind of nutcases that prowl the internets. That seems to be the right's latest tactic for drawing traffic and it strikes me as childishly vindictive and much more dangerous than overheated rhetoric. If someone is making credible threats then the authorities should be called in, not the keyboard warriors.

I greatly respect your opinion Jeralyn but in this case, I have to condemn them both and frankly I hold Goldstein responsible for creating the environment where that kind of exchange passes for reasoned debate and especially for allowing personal information to be published that endangers another human being just because she pissed him off.

Okay I lied. Having read the highlights since I posted the comment, it's clear this woman is obviously deranged. This shouldn't surprise him. Goldstein writes incendiary posts. He gets a lot of hate mail. It goes with the territory.

Perhaps I misunderstand the situation but from what I read on PW, this woman initially contacted him by email. He chose to post the email instead of contacting the authorities and his readers got all fired up. She then apparently further commented on the thread, if I'm understanding this correctly. My point is he could have avoided the whole circus if he had simply contacted the appropriate law enforcement agency in the first place but he chose instead to bait her publicly on his blog. I have to wonder why.

It should go without saying that any sane person, liberal or conservative would condemn this unknown woman's remarks. I certainly do condemn them, but I don't think it's going to stop those who prefer to paint "the left" with a broad brush from using her as a poster child for what's "wrong" with us, even if every single liberal blogger denounced her in unison.

I only wish there was some magic mantra we could all chant that would restore some civility to the debate. I for one get tired of the hateful rhetoric on both sides of the fence.

And as far as the technotacticians launching the DOS attacks against Goldstien's blog. Cut it out - please. It doesn't accomplish anything and it plays into their whole frame of the unhinged left.

Update: Goldstein admits he encouraged her to "show her ass" for his own amusement. I think this says it all.

update: Thanks to those of you who’ve written, commented, hit the tip jar, etc. If I haven’t dropped you a thank you note, it’s because I’m still not getting all my emails. So for the time being, I ask that you let this generic show of appreciation suffice.

Can you say hit trolling? I knew you could...