Controversy and how not to do it

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Gwarlroge
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Controversy and how not to do it

Post by Gwarlroge » Fri Jun 04, 2010 10:16 pm

G.K. Chesterton writes wonderful books which are fun to read (and often controversial). Several things impress me about his polemical writing:

(1) He always calls his opponents by respectful names: "Mr. George Bernard Shaw," "Mr. Max Beerbohm," "Mr. Rudyard Kipling," etc.

(2) He always insists that he is right, unless he is writing some years later about his former opinions. He is always opinionated, but he always admits when he was wrong.

(3) He insists that no one should write something polemical unless it's the truth. Correctness is a duty and not a personal quirk of Mr. G.K. Chesterton.

(4) He says that declaring "I'm right" can be modest.

(5) His objections are nearly always deep. They come from reading and digesting an author's whole works. In other words, he does his homework.

(6) His objections are nearly always funny, even if they are to eugenics, socialism, capitalism, atheism, or whatever. Wit and humor abound.

(7) He always has a positive case to present--even if it stays unpresented backstage.

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Metacrock
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Re: Controversy and how not to do it

Post by Metacrock » Thu Jun 10, 2010 3:20 pm

Gwarlroge wrote:G.K. Chesterton writes wonderful books which are fun to read (and often controversial). Several things impress me about his polemical writing:

(1) He always calls his opponents by respectful names: "Mr. George Bernard Shaw," "Mr. Max Beerbohm," "Mr. Rudyard Kipling," etc.

(2) He always insists that he is right, unless he is writing some years later about his former opinions. He is always opinionated, but he always admits when he was wrong.

(3) He insists that no one should write something polemical unless it's the truth. Correctness is a duty and not a personal quirk of Mr. G.K. Chesterton.

(4) He says that declaring "I'm right" can be modest.

(5) His objections are nearly always deep. They come from reading and digesting an author's whole works. In other words, he does his homework.

(6) His objections are nearly always funny, even if they are to eugenics, socialism, capitalism, atheism, or whatever. Wit and humor abound.

(7) He always has a positive case to present--even if it stays unpresented backstage.

he's a role model. I wish I could do it like he did. He also didn't have to post on CARM./ I wonder if he was made to feel as the atheists made me feel?
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Metacrock
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Re: Controversy and how not to do it

Post by Metacrock » Wed Jun 23, 2010 7:02 pm

test
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ZAROVE
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Re: Controversy and how not to do it

Post by ZAROVE » Thu Aug 26, 2010 6:49 pm

I'm afraid he wss more like me Metacrock. We were both Cynical Englishmen, so more likely he'd have felt Quiet bothered. if they really got to him his mood may have reached very cross.

But I doubt he'd have felt inferior. Sort of hard to with the whole Stiff Upper Lip, Imperial Glory attitude.

As a Texan you'd feel infuriated and likely to shoot them.

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Re: Controversy and how not to do it

Post by Metacrock » Thu Sep 02, 2010 11:21 am

ZAROVE wrote:I'm afraid he wss more like me Metacrock. We were both Cynical Englishmen, so more likely he'd have felt Quiet bothered. if they really got to him his mood may have reached very cross.

But I doubt he'd have felt inferior. Sort of hard to with the whole Stiff Upper Lip, Imperial Glory attitude.

As a Texan you'd feel infuriated and likely to shoot them.

well yea, I feel that way on a good day. :mrgreen:
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