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Real value of blogs

Note: This commont approximate one made on a different weblog. At the end, it predicts the real value of blogs.

Further up the comment chain, Steven den Beste made an observation and I replied that that has caused me to attempt to resolve competing principles. I thought about what he wrote, took it to heart, and worked on it -- because my ideas aren't important, sound ideas are.

However, with another commenter -- any rhetorical trick is appropriate, when you have convictions.

He understands that the effect of framing an issue puts the issue into such a perspective that it removes the necessity to face either the argument or the evidence. He can discount a link because the link pointed to a right wing blog.

If that fails, he can avoid the issue as an "evidence producer" -- overwhelming the discussion with volume, whether that generated is germane or not.

If that fails, he can introduce the conventional meme, broad-brush cliché -- the "He lied about WMD" approach.

If that fails, he can put the opponent into a class of people -- neocon, dumb -- that is a class to put down and ignore by definition.

These are extraordinary defenses. Sadly, he cheats himself, not me.

It is good that we live in a democracy, where only 50% of the small number voting are all you need to convince to elect someone. But that, itself, is worrisome, because the voting majority sometimes buys into the foolish -- like the growing McCain-Feingold interpretation of blog support as political contribution. That interpretation isn't about equity, it is about control of argument by other means than the strength of the logic.

Blogs galvanized grassroots political participation (the Dean campaign). Blogs make main stream media more accountable (CBS, ABC, CNN). But the real contribution of blogs to civilization will be their challenge to education. When it becomes evident how ill-prepared people are to carry on discussion, schools will be obliged to equip people with proper tools for thought that make effective discussion possible.

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