For the last year, I've been posting inflamatory messages under various handles. I'm not proud of what I've done, but I hope to explain my actions so everyone can at least understand it.
When I first joined AOL, I hadn't had that much experience with the internet. I naturally gravitated to the politics forums, since I watch tv to keep myself informed of current events.
I was shocked by all the Republican rhetoric - war is good, civil liberties are bad, people demonizing poor mothers, racist and anti-semetic attacks, and constant ass kissing of the rich and powerful. I am a conservative, but I would post against these people and register my disapproval.
Of course, writing a well reasoned response to rabid propaganda had the expected effect: just more attacks, and lots of insinuations that I was involved in sexual practices that I most certainly am not.
After one particualarly obscene posting from someone CLAIMING to be a Republican, I shot back a witty comeback in which I claimed to be a Republican too, and I took his idea to a ridiculous point that would offend all normal Americans. Reductio ad absurdem, as the French would say. I expected him to call me names again, but I was shocked that he took me seriously, and told me he forwarded my posts to a few Republican friends. I was amused, somewhat frightened, and a bit curious.
Then everything got out of hand. I started posting the most vile, crazy, semi-illiterate crap, and the Republicans and conservatives keep agreeing. I wrote that the ACLU was hell bent on destroying our country because they defend free speech for bad people like the KKK. I said that Bill Clinton personally trained terrorists in Arkansas. I explained that Fox news is really centrist, but all the other large corporations were so hell bent on destroying capitalism that FOX seemed conservative in comparison. And I wrote that one black welfare queen was responsible for 2% of the 1998 federal budget, and posted a link to a long, complicated chart about accounting or something.
Since then, things have gone pretty well. I've got a blog now, I've been a semi-regular guest on a few talk radio shows, and I'm in discussion with Bantam for a book tentatively titled, Why Do You Hate America So Much?
Anyway, I just wanted to say thank you to all of you who responded, and especially those of you who took my writing and reposted it around the internet. I think that was what kept me going, even when someone called me on that welfare link (boy, was that embarrasing!)
And I am truly very sorry for trolling.
I'll be signing copies of some of my most classic posts at Borders Books in San Francisco March 3, 7:00 PM. See you there!
For the last year, I've been posting inflamatory messages under various handles. I'm not proud of what I've done, but I hope to explain my action so everyone can at least understand it.
When I first joined AOL, I hadn't had that much experience with the internet. I naturally gravitated to the politics forums, since I watch tv to keep myself informed of current events.
I was shocked by all the right wing rhetoric - people demonizing poor mothers, praising war and killing, outright racist and anti-semetic attacks, and constant ass kissing of the rich and powerful. I am an independent moderate, but I would post against these people and register my disapproval.
Of course, writing a well reasons response to rabid propaganda had the expected effect: just more attacks, and lots of insinuations that I was involved in sexual practices that I most certainly am not. But that just egged me on more. Soon I was frustrated and didn't know what to do.
After one particualarly obscene posting from someone claiming to be a Republican, I shot back a witty comeback in which I claimed to be a Republican too, and I took his idea to a ridiculous point that would offend all normal Americans. Reductio ad absurdem, as the Greeks would say. I expected him to call me names again, but I was shocked that he took me seriously, and told me he forwarded my posts to a few conservative friends. I was amused, a bit frightened, and really curious.
Then everything got out of hand. I started posting the most vile, crazy, semi-illiterate crap, and the Republicans and conservatives keep agreeing. I wrote that the ACLU was hell bent on destroying our country because they defend evil groups like the KKK. I said that Bill Clinton personally trained terrorists in Arkansas. I explained that Fox news is really centrist, but all the other large corporations were so hell bent on creating a socialist utopia that FOX seemed conservative in comparison. And I wrote that one black welfare queen was responsible for 2% of the 1998 federal budget, and posted a link to a long, complicated chart about accounting or something.
Since then, things have gone pretty well. I've got a blog now, I've been a semi-regular guest on a few talk radio shows, and I'm in discussion with Bantam for a book tentatively titled, Why Do You Hate America So Much?
Anyway, I just wanted to say thank you to all of you who responded, and especially those of you who took the time to respond. I think that was what kept me going, even when someone called me on that welfare link (boy, was that embarrasing!)
And I am truly very sorry for trolling.
I'll be signing copies of some of my most classic posts at Borders Bookstore in Tribeca March 3, 7:00 PM. See you there!
Slashdot Mirror
For the last year, I've been posting inflamatory messages under various handles. I'm not proud of what I've done, but I hope to explain my actions so everyone can at least understand it.
When I first joined AOL, I hadn't had that much experience with the internet. I naturally gravitated to the politics forums, since I watch tv to keep myself informed of current events.
I was shocked by all the Republican rhetoric - war is good, civil liberties are bad, people demonizing poor mothers, racist and anti-semetic attacks, and constant ass kissing of the rich and powerful. I am a conservative, but I would post against these people and register my disapproval.
Of course, writing a well reasoned response to rabid propaganda had the expected effect: just more attacks, and lots of insinuations that I was involved in sexual practices that I most certainly am not.
After one particualarly obscene posting from someone CLAIMING to be a Republican, I shot back a witty comeback in which I claimed to be a Republican too, and I took his idea to a ridiculous point that would offend all normal Americans. Reductio ad absurdem, as the French would say. I expected him to call me names again, but I was shocked that he took me seriously, and told me he forwarded my posts to a few Republican friends. I was amused, somewhat frightened, and a bit curious.
Then everything got out of hand. I started posting the most vile, crazy, semi-illiterate crap, and the Republicans and conservatives keep agreeing. I wrote that the ACLU was hell bent on destroying our country because they defend free speech for bad people like the KKK. I said that Bill Clinton personally trained terrorists in Arkansas. I explained that Fox news is really centrist, but all the other large corporations were so hell bent on destroying capitalism that FOX seemed conservative in comparison. And I wrote that one black welfare queen was responsible for 2% of the 1998 federal budget, and posted a link to a long, complicated chart about accounting or something.
Since then, things have gone pretty well. I've got a blog now, I've been a semi-regular guest on a few talk radio shows, and I'm in discussion with Bantam for a book tentatively titled, Why Do You Hate America So Much?
Anyway, I just wanted to say thank you to all of you who responded, and especially those of you who took my writing and reposted it around the internet. I think that was what kept me going, even when someone called me on that welfare link (boy, was that embarrasing!)
And I am truly very sorry for trolling.
I'll be signing copies of some of my most classic posts at Borders Books in San Francisco March 3, 7:00 PM. See you there!
For the last year, I've been posting inflamatory messages under various handles. I'm not proud of what I've done, but I hope to explain my action so everyone can at least understand it.
When I first joined AOL, I hadn't had that much experience with the internet. I naturally gravitated to the politics forums, since I watch tv to keep myself informed of current events.
I was shocked by all the right wing rhetoric - people demonizing poor mothers, praising war and killing, outright racist and anti-semetic attacks, and constant ass kissing of the rich and powerful. I am an independent moderate, but I would post against these people and register my disapproval.
Of course, writing a well reasons response to rabid propaganda had the expected effect: just more attacks, and lots of insinuations that I was involved in sexual practices that I most certainly am not. But that just egged me on more. Soon I was frustrated and didn't know what to do.
After one particualarly obscene posting from someone claiming to be a Republican, I shot back a witty comeback in which I claimed to be a Republican too, and I took his idea to a ridiculous point that would offend all normal Americans. Reductio ad absurdem, as the Greeks would say. I expected him to call me names again, but I was shocked that he took me seriously, and told me he forwarded my posts to a few conservative friends. I was amused, a bit frightened, and really curious.
Then everything got out of hand. I started posting the most vile, crazy, semi-illiterate crap, and the Republicans and conservatives keep agreeing. I wrote that the ACLU was hell bent on destroying our country because they defend evil groups like the KKK. I said that Bill Clinton personally trained terrorists in Arkansas. I explained that Fox news is really centrist, but all the other large corporations were so hell bent on creating a socialist utopia that FOX seemed conservative in comparison. And I wrote that one black welfare queen was responsible for 2% of the 1998 federal budget, and posted a link to a long, complicated chart about accounting or something.
Since then, things have gone pretty well. I've got a blog now, I've been a semi-regular guest on a few talk radio shows, and I'm in discussion with Bantam for a book tentatively titled, Why Do You Hate America So Much?
Anyway, I just wanted to say thank you to all of you who responded, and especially those of you who took the time to respond. I think that was what kept me going, even when someone called me on that welfare link (boy, was that embarrasing!)
And I am truly very sorry for trolling.
I'll be signing copies of some of my most classic posts at Borders Bookstore in Tribeca March 3, 7:00 PM. See you there!