Why do I keep seeing DUers use the phrase "poor form"

[Occulus]

to describe what Chavez said/did? Why do I keep seeing that exact same phrase, when we all know that speaking truth to power is generally a good thing?

Do these people think Chavez wasn't speaking the truth? Or do they just want to undermine Chavez among the left?

Do they NOT know that the internet lets us all read his speech for ourselves? Or are they fervently hoping we'll forego the actual words of Chavez in favor of what they have to say against him?

I'm only wondering whether we have some people here tonight, who have somehow accumulated 1000+ posts, who are acting like the LIEberman supporters did a while back.

Remember: there are people out there who are paid to post a line of bullshit.

Are we starting to see this here at DU?

[EST]

1. Without attacking your assumptions,

I would point out that, while Chavez is correct and I am sympathetic to his views, making up amatuerish nanny-nanny-boo-boo- comments to bless an international audience is not something that will attract thoughtful consideration.

Chavez is right but his comments make him look goofy-thus, poor form.

[Spider Jerusalem]

2. Well...

Chavez WASN'T 'speaking truth to power'; he was engaging in sophomoric name-calling. There's nothing particularly diplomatic about calling someone the Devil and making comments about the stench of sulphur. And if we understand 'devil' to mean 'the ultimate in evil', then he certainly wasn't speaking the truth; I greatly dislike Bush and think his presidency has been an unmitigated disaster, with many terrible consequences, but I do not think he is anywhere near 'the ultimate in evil'. Kim Jong-Il makes Bush look like an amateur. As do probably a dozen or so (at least) Afghan or African warlords (lots of places in the world where random slaughter, genocide, and the brutal imposition of totalitarian authority goes on, and the actions of the US government under George W Bush pale in comparison to most of them). Just because someone doesn't agree with Chavez' absurdist hyperbole (or more to the point in what you're saying, just because someone doesn't think EXACTLY THE SAME THING YOU DO) doesn't mean they happen to be a paid operative of some sinister right-wing cabal (paranoid much?).

[TahitiNut]

3. I think the most telling aspect of his remarks was the positive response

It was evident that there was far more agreement and amusement than outrage ... in fact, I noted no outrage at all. Clearly, some of the children took their marbles and left before he spoke, but that's even more childish than Chavez's remarks.

[Occulus]

7. Yes, that's the part I don't get

These people insist it was "poor form" and that "comments likie his shouldn't be MAAAADE at the YOOU ENNN", and yet *I* know he was applauded.

W.

T.

F.

!!!!!

[pitohui]

4. that's a good question

i've been elsewhere most of the evening and didn't see the "poor form" posts until you pointed them out but i do see them now

for the record, i think it's refreshing that a politician can just come right out and say what we're all thinking, let's be honest, we've kidded that * is the anti-christ for many a year but we are silenced because of fear, to have someone able to come out and say this in public who can't be whisked off to gitmo is pretty damn refreshing

are people being paid to post? i'm convinced of it -- there's no way that everyone in america suddenly decided to post about "snakes on a motherfucking plane" out of the goodness of their heart (one poster did acknowledge that she was paid in free movie tix but many others never fessed up) -- and if we are now seeing posts on other topics with the same phrases repeated over and over, well, i'm not surprised, it's the new astroturf i suppose

i am also morally certain that the insurance industry paid people to post hateful things about people not buying flood insurance in louisiana after hurricane katrina, guess what, THEY LIED, when it was all over and the hateful hurtful meme repeated endlessly, it was later revealed that louisiana had the highest participation in the national flood insurance program of ANY state in the union

no poster who posted the lies about us ever came back and apologized, not one, and not for lack of my complaints and pointing out the issue

i do think there are corporate, religious, and political "hacks" if you will among us -- and NOT just on DU but everywhere on the internet, looking to isolate and mock progressive people and ideas

[QuestionAll...]

16. absolutely no doubt of infiltration.

you see the patterns easily after a while, some much more obvious than others.

just curious if you know if the confessor of the Snakes scam had any repercussions from the admin.
or should she have?

[oasis]

5. "Bash Hugo Brigade" members are as unpaid as the are unenlightened.

:dunce::dunce::dunce:They are more than willing to bash him for free.

[Occulus]

8. So I've noticed.

But they were that way from the beginning.

Part of what makes me wonder, doncha know?

[QuestionAll...]

6. it Was poor form...

Chavez should have said:

'Fuck you and the Diebold machines you rode in on you stupid little bastard.'

[TahitiNut]

9. When I compare the speeches of Junior, Ahmadinejad, and Chavez ...

... Junior falls behind. While I regard the short part of Chavez' speech where he characterized Junior as the Devil as hyperbole and somewhat childish, he still did far better than Junior, as did Ahmadinejad.

Junior came off like a petulant, threatening adolescent with a gun. Despicable.

[Occulus]

11. ...and that would be the SAD observation

thanks for making it, though.

Sad, huh? Very, very sad.

[Cleita]

14. Adolescent? He's been acting like he belongs in nursery

school for a long time now.

[Blue-Jay]

10. Please stop saying "speaking truth to power."

Do these people think Chavez wasn't speaking the truth?

Do you mean that Duhbya is the actual incarnation of Satan?

[Occulus]

12. /snark

Well, no. THAT would be something called *hyperbole*.

Do you know- I think, based upon observation outside DU, that people aren't getting taught what hyperbole is anymore?

Maybe they think it's too hard a word to learn....

[Blue-Jay]

18. There's nothing wrong with my vocabulary, thank you.

Hey, I like Chavez as much as the next guy, but I just think intelligent leaders of nations probably shouldn't go around calling other people "the devil". Hell, I call Bush worse than that daily but I'm not the leader of a large nation. I don't care if it is that hyperwhatever big giant word you used in your previous, politely-stated post.

[TahitiNut]

17. Baal'zedubya, whose coming was foretold - Lord of the Maggots

... progeny of Baal'zebub, Lord of the Flies.

:shrug: What part of that isn't obvious?

[Cleita]

13. You are so right.

I'm only wondering whether we have some people here tonight, who have somehow accumulated 1000+ posts, who are acting like the LIEberman supporters did a while back.

Events like this bring them out of the closet.

[Lex]

15. I think it's okay if people have different opinions on Chavez

without inferring that fellow DU'ers are trolls if they think that what Chavez said wasn't proper form.

[Kiouni]

19. well said

where is the support for open dialogue? this thread seems to miss the point of why DU exists.