I’m sorry, should I pretend to be offended?

When I was in high school, I spent a lot of time on PinoyExchange which is an online forum. I liked it a lot and was a frequent commenter on the Local and Foreign Issues board. After getting into a number of heated exchanges which degenerated into cheap shots and insults, I pretty much quit. I had to because I would come home from school anticipating another insult for which I would have formulate a response—because I always had to have the last word.

Since then, I mostly stay away from the board and gravitate towards TV and Movies. The people there are more amiable but the place can be rather dull. I mean, what more can you say after posting, “I love the Gilmore Girls?” Okay, so there’s a lot more you can say but it’s not as stimulating. So I’ll find myself back to the Foreign Issues board where I just read and sometimes shake my head. Occasionally I post something with the promise that I won’t get drawn into a squabble. And usually, it takes a couple posts before you find yourself drawn into one. Not with this one guy, though. He really let me have it.

So the topic was “US to Begin Talks with Iran.” One of the members, arcie, was going on the line of allowing Israel to attack the nuclear sites in Iran. I understand that point of view and after a fashion, I can see where it might be necessary but I have a more nuanced stance and I’d like a more detailed analysis of all available courses of actions before going in with guns blazing. And although I won’t agree with arcie’s opinion, there really wasn’t too much of a reason to get on that person’s back. Leave it to Peeter Utol to say to arcie, “You know what you are? You are like a court stenographer who records every bit and pieces of what a lot of other people has said and presenting it like is your own opinion.”

When I read that, some of the milk that I was drinking got snorted back out through my nose…which as you may know, hurts like hell! Not only was it a weak shot, it did not make a lick of sense. Also, I thought it was a little unfair to arcie. So I wrote:

What?! How is that anything like a court stenographer?

As for arcie's willingness to let Israel do all the dirty work, it's incredibly simplistic and I don't think that takes into account the political situation that exists between the various actors. It's one big knotted mess. Let's say Israel decides to attack Iran. They're most likely going to have to cross Iraq. If the US allows them, then they offend the Arab states. If they don't, then they back-stab Israel. There are other questions that need to be asked such as: how would other Arab states react to a nuclear armed Iran? How would they shift their alliances in the face of an Israeli attack? How would American cooperation or resistance be seen? And the domestic population of Iran where we are seeing an undercurrent [of] resentment [towards] the regime, how would they react to sanctions or attacks?

Later Peeter wrote back:

You dont sound like a court stenographer. You sound like a manicurist in a Jewish barber shop in Santa Monica, California

I’m so hurt. He actually had the nerve to call me a… a… Californian. *rolls eyes* Seriously, how far up their assess do these trolls have to stick their hands in order to fling this kind of crap-crap? Whatever dude. And so I am here writing about this, not because I need to vent, but because I think it’s funny. I sincerely hope that when I was flinging poo back in the day, it was a lot better than that. Screw that. I know it was.

…Damn, I’m old. :-P