Time for me to say goodbye to DU. Wish you all well It isn't for me anymore /nt

[stevenleser]

125. Liberalism and Progressivism are ideologies that need to be grounded in fact and reason

We're not like the freepers where an emotion-based knee-jerk response about "teh gays" or "communists" is enough for the community to start moving off in a certain direction with pitchforks and lighted torches in hand. At least we shouldn't be in my opinion. It's fine to be emotional about something, but the facts inform our emotions, not the other way around.

And yet that is how it has been with the NSA Surveillance issue for many here.

As I noted, when one presents an inconvenient fact that seems to contradict some of the prevailing thought, it doesnt slow folks down one iota.

There is very little in the way of thinking, searching for facts and reasoning happening on the "pro-Snowden", "anger at the NSA" side.

It's rather like a mob on their way to perform mob justice. How did Shakespeare describe it? After the speech by Mark Antony: "His name is Cassius! Kill him for his name!!!!!!!"

There is absolutely no reasoning with that crowd. No fact that ought to make them pause slows them down for an instant. In fact, they are openly contemptuous of any cited fact, with backup mind you, that casts doubt on their beliefs.