Donald Douglas - Reading Comprehension

Because sometimes, the urge to attack the individuals and groups one disagrees with and to portray them as eternally and unfailingly "eeeeevil" overwhelms the ability to pay enough attention to understand what the words and phrases mean, and actually get the story right.
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Friday, November 25, 2011, 6:00 AM

The NYTimes.com article says "'Those in a more modest income situation are the people who are going to the Wal-Marts and the Best Buys and the Targets at 8, 9, 10, 11 p.m. with little kids in tow because they can’t afford a baby sitter,” said Craig Johnson, president of Customer Growth Partners, a retail consultant firm. “It’s a very unpleasant shopping experience, frankly, for a lot of people.'"

Donald Douglas reads the passage above -- quotes it on his blog -- and says:

"Right. Kids are unpleasant. Can't afford a babysitter. Give me a break."

Words fail.
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July 18, 2011 12:57 PM

I comment (in part. -- Follow link for full text and context):

"While I'll never contact LBCC--barring a belief that you may harm someone at the school, which I honestly have never thought, no matter how nutty you've gotten--I wouldn't mind speaking to one of them, if they wish to contact me..."

Donald Douglas reads my comment--quotes the words above--and replies:

"This is where you cross the line. YOU openly state you have an interest in getting me fired."

???!

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Thursday, June 23, 2011, 5:10 PM

Little Green Footballs blogger Charles Johnson, wrote:

"As I’ve said from the beginning of Wilders’ trial, it’s wrong to prosecute anyone for free expression, no matter how hateful and deranged that expression is.

But it’s sadly ironic that Wilders was acquitted of exactly the same kind of persecution he wants to impose on all Muslims; he often calls for the Koran to be banned, advocates that Islam should not be considered a religion at all, and explicitly advocates that Muslims be stripped of the rights of free speech and free religion.

This is the correct judgment by the Netherlands court, but Geert Wilders is no hero of free speech — he’s a slimy hate-monger, just like the American bloggers who worship him."

Having read what Charles Johnson posted, Donald Douglas responds:

"And EXTRA LULZ: Lizard Loser Charles Johnson is bummed that Wilders was acquitted: 'Dutch Hatemonger Geert Wilders Acquitted of Inciting Hatred.'"
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Wednesday, June 22, 2011, 7:55 PM

Garrett Therolf, a writer at the Los Angeles Times, wrote:

"This month, the board will take back control of two large, chronically troubled agencies, one responsible for abused and neglected children and the other dealing with juvenile offenders. And more reductions in his power and office budget could be in the offing."
...
"'We just aren't getting the vital information we need,' said Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich, who recently voted with board members Gloria Molina and Zev Yaroslavsky to strip the Children and Family Services and Probation departments from Fujioka's control. Antonovich said Fujioka withheld names of candidates to lead the troubled children services agency and threatened to seek more reductions in Fujioka's staff and power in the coming months."
...
"Fujioka's backers say he has been particularly frustrated by some of the supervisors' interventions in the children's services agency, which has been grappling with child fatalities following errors in handling cases. It is one of the departments being taken away from Fujioka. Molina is especially hands-on, summoning top agency officials to her office to demand explanations. In one instance, she said she would like to cut the testicles off an executive because of problems in the agency, according to officials familiar with the exchange.

Molina declined to comment on the incident but said, 'At the end of the day, we as supervisors are literally blamed and held accountable for the outcomes of these children.'" (Bolding by me.)

Donald Douglas reads the article, and thoughtfully replies:

"That Supervisor Molina refused to answer questions about the comment, as the Times indicates, is not surprising:

Molina declined to comment on the incident but said, 'At the end of the day, we as supervisors are literally blamed and held accountable for the outcomes of these children.'

In a time of fiscal austerity, government officials at all levels have been coming under increased attention. But I think it's fair to say that it's especially inappropriate for an L.A. County Supervisor to announce she wants to 'cut the testicles' off subordinate agency officials, and when asked about it to further denigrate them as 'children.'" (Bolding by Dr. Douglas)

ADDED: The famous Dr Douglas double-down, because there are times when, once Donalde has chosen his "they're eeeeevil" meme, neither facts or the explanations and exhortations of his fellow conservatives will do much to dissuade him. For Dr Douglas, demonizing others beats "reading for meaning" entirely too often.:

"UPDATE: From Russ, in the comments:"

"I think when she says "children", she is referring to the children under the protective services that have died while under their authority, NOT the supervisors she threatened with castration."

"I also got an e-mail from someone objecting to my comment on Molina's reference to "the children." I won't be surprised if some ASFLs contact my college to complain. Democrats and progressives are evil like that. So let's be clear: "The outcomes" may clearly refer to a purposeful act in the active sense, as in the actions of the administrators who have taken power from the hands of the board. Of course Molina might be referring to "the outcomes" of the children in the passive sense, but then again, considering she's threatening administrative subordinates, maybe not. She's a Democrat. They talk down to people like that. Progressives are losers."

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May 10, 2011 at 2:05 pm

Robert Farley said:

"That said, I think that Chomsky probably offers a bit more than most political scientists who study international relations are willing to concede; he writes about subjects that hover at the edge of the discipline, but that are quite important and that don’t receive enough attention."

...and Professor Donald Kent Douglas replies:

"I’m not surprised Rob “Che” Farley finds that Chomsky’s work is 'quite important' and doesn’t 'receive enough attention.'"
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Monday, May 9, 2011, 2:00 AM

I say:

"Ideas that are not born in one’s own head (or that harmonize and synchronize with the ones that are, at least) scare some folks silly.

Pointing and yelling “Anti-Seeeeemite!!!” (or “Cooooomunist!!” or “niiiiihilist!!”) at the top of one’s internet lungs is no substitute for reasoned discourse."

Donald Douglas reads those words, and reacts by saying:

"RACIST REPSAC = CASPER dropped in for a drive-by comment at Lawyers, Guns and Murder on Saturday, and he again offered up a variant of his pathetic delusion that there are no communists allied with the Democratic Party in contemporary American politics."
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May 7, 2011 at 5:04 pm

Scott Lemieux says:

"I think the Donalde is trying to make KC Johnson look like the good cop. (I’m hoping KC will send us the full list of governments whose past actions should be exempt from criticism if we are to remain academics in good standing. Am I allowed to say that Andrew Jackson engaged in ethnic cleansing, or do I have to lie about it?)"

Donald Douglas reads what Scott wrote, and replies:

"Yes, Scott, if that’s your position. Not only are you a hypocrite, you’re now admitting you’ll resort to lies."

And even that reaction later morphed into:

"Scott’s a hypocrite and now a self-professed liar..."

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“We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are.” - Anais Nin