The Internet and Mobocracy

Tech Central Station ^ | 12/23/2003 | Arnold Kling

[Federalist 78]

Very Good! I hope you post his response. If Kling fabricated/out of context, I will e-mail http://www.townhall.com/about/contact.html Town Hall. They have an incentive https://secure.heritage.org/townhall/supportth.cfm?gold to listen, regardless of disclaimers about links to other sites.

[CyberCowboy777]

I will post his response if it happens.

[PGalt]

Interesting post. Thanks.

[fnord]

Toward the end of the Weimar era, the German center collapsed, and politics degenerated into a battle between Communists and Nazis. It was literally a street fight, with beatings overtaking ballot boxes.

Exceedingly oversimplified, as well as a woefully inadequate analogy. If he is saying that after the political center collapsed, 2 socialist groups fought for political control, what is the point?

A more accurate analogy would be to forecast the collapse of the American middle (unlikely), with MoveOn and DU fighting for control. Reductio ad absurdum.

That won't happen because of sites like FR. The Internet is dominated by livertarians and conservatives, pro-American and anti-government types. Leftist sites are a pitiable sub=segment of the on-line world.

[StriperSniper]

Kling's more of a 'compassionate libertarian'.

[StriperSniper]

I was wondering where that quote came from myself. I figured if it was accurate, it was probably a tongue in cheek comment. Let's hope it gets cleared up.

Hey, maybe your inquiry will warrant an item in The Corner.

;-)

Merry Christmas!

[CyberCowboy777]

Merry Christmas to you!

I'll let you know when I hear back.

[CyberCowboy777]

Here is the response from Mr. Goldberg:

Yeah, i'm not sure about that reference either. It's certainly pretty old if it's real and probably excludes the qualifiers, i.e. someething like "some of the knucklescrapers at..." or some such. Also, there was a time a while ago when the Freepers turned viciously against my mom and therefor me. It was a sad period, but much of the stuff written about me back then at FR was really, really nasty so I may have said it in a fit of pique. Though, again, I don't remember writing it. Anyway, i like many freepers, even if i don't feel to close to Free Republic itself anymore.

My apologies if you took offense.

Jonah

I was not aware of any attacks on his mother, though I am sure that some simply dislike and/or disagree with Jonah - as is the case when thousands discuss anything. It can become visceral for certain.

[Federalist 78]

Also, there was a time a while ago when the Freepers turned viciously against my mom and therefor me.

Arnold Kling may have been correct; but his quote is inadequately cited.

I'll not be posting anymore articles from Kling.

[CyberCowboy777]

Agreed.

For certain some nipping has gone on between Goldberg and some on FR - Kling should have cited that directly though.

Instead he makes it out to be a all or nothing comment about the "extreme" nature of online partisans.

[Plutarch]

On the Internet, too, the center is relatively weak.

Political moderates could have an internet forum, but don't. That is because the muddled middle is politically apathetic. Where exactly outside the internet is the fount of centrist energy and strength? Aside from non-ideologic economic special interests, I can't think of any.