Dixie Chicks defenders need to learn some manners
Published March 23, 2003
The defenders of the Dixie Chicks only make them look worse. From the comments section of my earlier post:
Now go cruise around in your pickup, swill some beer, lynch a nigger, shoot some roadsigns, beat your wife, and get to the yeehawin'
for some reason our current president is beyond reproach. and negative commentary is not tolerated.
So we should respect Bush because he's a draft dodging, coke-snorting alcoholic with deep ties to Enron...
Are we supposed to take you all seriously? You sling irrelevant ad hominems and bigotry and hysterical claims of non-existent repression- everything but a substantive argument about the real serious problem of Islamic radical terror and how we are to defend ourselves. It is precisely this type of display of disrespectful childish petulance that makes serious people- liberals as well as others- utterly contemptuous of you.
It is perfectly fine to criticize the president. He pisses ME off on a regular basis. I criticize him vigorously. However, I try to make some type of substantive critique, and suggest specifically what should be done differently. I try to take into account the real world situation the president is in, and the various pressures he has to balance.
If you said that you opposed the war because of x, y and z issues, that's fine. Ms. Maines, however, merely wished to say that the president is a big poopy-head, so there! It is the arrogant and totally unearned presumption of smug superiority that infuriated people. "Ashamed" of the president? Shut your pie-hole. Who do you think you are?
Notice by contrast the much different reaction that Bono got for opposing the war at about the same time. He respectfully disagreed with Prime Minister Blair- without reaching for every stupid sinister kitchen sink smear he could find. He recognized that Mr. Blair is sincere in his belief that this war is necessary, but suggested that he was "sincerely wrong." Note that no one is burning their U2 collection.
Indeed, Bono has repeatedly shown himself to be thoughtful and interested in understanding other people's points of view. He does his homework, and mostly talks about a couple of specific issues about which he has significantly educated himself. He could actually tell you something about third world debt issues- what countries owe how much to whom for what. You might actually learn something.
Or you could just jump up in front of a microphone or camera and indulge some childish display of petulance, then whine about how unfairly you're being treated when you get called out for it.
![U2 - Elevation Tour 2001 - Live from Boston [Region 2]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41hv3YNX1WL._SY90_.jpg "U2 - Elevation Tour 2001 - Live from Boston [Region 2]")
- Dixie Chicks defenders need to learn some manners
- Published: March 23, 2003
- Type:
- Section: Politics
- Filed Under: Culture: Media, Music: Classic Rock and Oldies, Music: News, Music: Rock
- Writer: Al Barger
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- Al Barger's personal site
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You give Bono more credit than he deserves.
Patisan considerations dominate here. Blair is from Labour and Bush is Republican. I'm sure Blair has many other policies that Bono agrees with, while none of Bush's policies hold any appeal for an Austin liberal like Ms. Maines. Mr. Blair is sincere in his belief that war is necessary because he is from Labour, the "moral"party. Mr. Bush is a vile specimen of the right who has no morality in the eyes of these people. These people are the anointed, and we should listen to them.
-"You write 'Born to Kill' on your helmet and you wear a peace button. What's that supposed to be, some kind of sick joke?!"
-"I think I was trying to suggest something about the duality of man, sir."
Al Barger, representative of the bizarre duality of the pro-war movement: free speech only if it's pro-war speech.
-"We've gotta keep our heads until this peace craze blows over."
-"Aye-aye, sir."
[Many thanks to the combined talents of Stanley Kubrick, Michael Herr and Gustav Hasford.]
No, I think Bono's fine. He has also reached out even to Jesse Helms, perhaps the mostly widely reviled Republican of a generation. Now obviously Bono likes himself pretty well, but he just doesn't assume some air of smug moral superiority to anyone who disagrees with him.
Also, if he expresses a political opinion, he's generally got something better and more relevant to say about it than personal insults aimed at those who disagree.
In short, Bono is a thoughtful and honorable person who may display honest differences of opinion from what I would make of a situation. OK, I can work with that.
I believe the Dixie Chicks forgot their roots and who purchases their music(Rednecks)? Maybe they should go to France where their views which seem to be the same. I disagree with them going to entertain the troops. Who would want a group that does not support the Commander and Chief "entertaining" the Brave American's!! I will never own another Dixie Chick cd and will boycott all companies that they endorse. GO TO FRANCE CHICKS!!
And there we have just one of the thousands of fine examples of the superior manners and intellect of the Dixie Bashers, right? Or are comments like "GO TO FRANCE CHICKS!" part of a "substantive argument about the real serious problem of Islamic radical terror and how we are to defend ourselves"?
sorry about the multiple posts. it's this dagnabbit computer!
Add your comment, speak your mind
(Or ping: http://blogcritics.org/mt/tb/4014)
Hey folks!
Watch the dueling Al Bargers!
"Are we supposed to take you all seriously? You sling irrelevant ad hominems and bigotry..."
VERSUS
"'Ashamed' of the president? Shut your pie-hole. Who do you think you are?"
Who's the real Al Barger? The one who doesn't likes good manners or the one who doesn't?
I don't know.
But on behalf of every single person in America, I'd like to say that we're all ashamed of both Al Bargers.
(I am now officially convinced that "Al Barger" is a fictional character along the lines of Ed Anger at the Weekly World News. Hey, wait a second..."Al Barger," "Ed Anger." They even sound the same. Well, anyway, whoever made him up, nice job. I will still address him as if he's real, except in parentheses.)