The meaning of "Is" -- Its Clinton's Fault

[IdaBriggs]

Confused about the Republicans ability to take "global test" out of context? How they can become offended when someone admires Mary Cheney's family? How they wax poetic about Kerry's "plan" to leave the Iraqis high and dry? Or even "create government programs and ruin America's health care?"

My friends, John Kerry has said those words, and many more besides. A little bit of selective editing, and suddenly, The Freepers Are Telling The Truth and you are banging your head against a brick wall while counting to a hundred before exploding with frustration. Really, you are wasting your time because you aren't talking about facts; you are discussing the meaning of "Is" -- who "IS" credible and who ISn't?

The supporters of the current president have become skilled in the art of distortion and self-deception. They don't want to know things that don't fit into their world view, and you are annoying them when you try to point out "another reality" to them. There isn't much you can say or do to change things, and it has NOTHING to do with YOUR credibility. That may be hard to accept, but its the truth. Sometimes people just want to believe "bad things" because they are "more fun!" Allow me to give my own personal example of this from an experience I had many years ago with my mother-in-law.

Now, you must understand this about the woman: she adores her son, and no woman on the planet is good enough for him. I am a reasonable person, and I understood this. I ignored the slights and insults she tossed at me ("Are you gaining weight?") and to keep this story brief I won't even talk about the "going to wear a black veil to the wedding" incident, but I shall move along to when my husband and I first started dealing with infertility issues six years ago.

At some point in a conversation somewhere, my mother-in-law decided the only reason I wanted to have a child was so that I could (and I'm quoting her) "breed it for organ donation" for my six year old niece (who had 20% kidney damage at the time -- another story). After being horrified at this interpretation of my actions (which I assure you WERE NOT TRUE) instead of calling my husband to tell him what she thought of my despicable plans, SHE GOT ON THE PHONE AND SPENT THE NEXT FIVE MONTHS DISCUSSING IT WITH EVERY RELATIVE ON HIS SIDE OF THE FAMILY (who agreed with her about how horrible the situation was and didn't call us either). Since we knew nothing about this, we couldn't even refute it. Finally, right before Thanksgiving, other things blew up, and she brought it up in front of both my husband and I as another example of the horrible human that I was/am.

I must admit my jaw was on the ground, and I completely denied her charge; to his credit, my husband backed me up because HE KNEW there was no way on God's green earth this type of thought would even be crossing my mind, let alone leaving my lips. It was one of the most surreal conversations I have EVER participated in.

It turns out she had MISINTERPRETED a conversation about a hypothetical future situation: "what if our six year old niece needs a kidney transplant someday?" and decided it was the only reason we were trying to have a baby. It took a lot of work to twist it to fit her perception of me, but she managed to do it. I have literally said to her repeatedly in the years since, "if that's what you thought I meant, you misunderstood" and "that is NOT the reason we are trying to have a child" and half a dozen other things, but it does no good: she insists I said it (I didn't), she believes I meant it (?), in her head, we were (are?) trying to "breed a child for organ donation" and we had (have?) no other reason for wanting a baby. Nothing ANYONE can say will ever convince her differently.

Its years later, and my husband wants NOTHING to do with her because he thinks she's a frigging loon. I can't disagree, but am somewhat convinced she's got borderline personality disorder, so I'm a tad more forgiving. (To be fair, it helps that she's not around!) Relationships have been permanently damaged due to this distortion, but that is not really the point here: the point is that a little bit of twisting and some hyperbole on her part took a fairly innocent hypothetical discussion, and made it into something DESPICABLE.

You will notice the same thing happening with rabid Bush supporters. Reality is ignored to fit their judgments. Kerry is a "bad man" and any evidence to the contrary must be ignored. The kool-aid has been injected intravenously.

Accept it now: these people will attribute any good works that Kerry accomplishes to Bush. If the economy turns around, if Iraq is straightened out, if the environments gets cleaned up, if the containers get inspected -- its going to be "because of what Bush started with Kerry taking the credit for it" while anything BAD that happens is going to be Kerry's fault.

Its about Pride. They can't be wrong, and everything depends on the meaning of "is" -- did he say "global test"? He IS putting the French in charge of our national defense. Did he say "lesbian"? He IS RUDE! Did he say "wrong war"? He IS not supporting our troops!

There IS nothing you can do once someone has moved to this stage of denial, but if you really want to irritate them, just smile and say how much they remind you of Clinton. It makes their heads explode, and sometimes, the entertainment value of that experience is the best you can get. Remember not to take it personally, no matter how tempting. Its not worth it.

And besides, it IS all Clinton's fault anyway. Who knew he had secret superpowers like this? :) :eyes:

[Eye and Monkey]

1. I see that frequently - "because I thought it, it IS, must be, that way."

Something doesn't click with the "just an opinion" gizmo in their brains, I guess.

oh, and nice piece, btw.

[IdaBriggs]

7. Thank you! :) nt

[Norquist Nemesis]

2. Good analysis

and I agree. Unfortunately, if Kerry is elected, they will be hunting him as much (if not moreso) than they did with Bill Clinton. If Kerry is elected, he is going to have his hands full and will need each and every one of us keeping things straight. It won't be over by a long shot. :(

BTW, I can empathise with the MIL situation. Had the same thing. She wasn't BPD...I think it was severe depression never diagnosed. Oh well. We're related in more than one way! (Briggs in my family line). :hi:

[Oak2004]

6. Yes, he'll be hunted

which is why we need to hunt back until every last one of those anti-American constitution hating slimeballs has been exposed, discredited, and, when necessary, convicted and serving their sentences.

[IdaBriggs]

8. Its going to be scary.

They had a lot of practice with Clinton -- I'm not sure how much lower they can go, but I think the Smear Boat guys are simply the first in line. At a certain point, they've made AN INDUSTRY out of attacking Democratic presidents. How many folks in the media do you think will spend full time attempting to discredit JFK and his family? To be fair, there have been a ton of folks going after Blinky, but most of that is based on easily available public information and opinions on the wisdom of the choices. Michael Moore, for example, got most of his stuff from the public record!

(And thanks for the sympathy about the MIL!)

[PoiBoy]

3. An excellent post...

thank you for laying it out so clearly and eloquently... you're absolutely correct in that the hunting of the president will escalate to a fever pitch until and unless Kerry's justice dept. starts exposing these frauds for what they are, indicting them and putting them away for a long time...

IMO, Clinton's legacy is living viable proof that the republican agenda - economically, socially and politically - is a total and utter failure...

Thank you again for sharing your thoughts... :hi:

[Neoplatonist]

4. I study philosophy and symbolic logic...

and what Clinton meant when he said, "It depends on what your definition of 'is' is..." was this.

"Is" is a tenseless copula. It can be used in the past tense, such as

"World War II is a long time ago.";

in the present tense,

"This is a hot day.";

or in the future tense,

"One hundred years is a long time from now."

Bill Clinton is such a genius that he wanted to know what tense the copula "is" was being used when questioned in the deposition--the past, present, or future tense. Republicans are just so damn dumb that they couldn't see into the breadth and depth of Clinton's cognition.

[LittleClarkie]

5. I've seen that at work

One of my bosses said, when I tried to explain that partial birth abortions are only done in cases of severe birth defects and are done because... this is where my boss cut me off mid-explanation... she interjected "because they want the babies for parts?"

She was serious. I just stopped and looked at her. I said I would suspect any stance that makes the other side look like the devil incarnate.

I tried to complete the explanation that it's in the best interest of the mother that she not be cut open to give birth to a child that can't survive and can't be born naturally.

It reminds me of what you're talking about. I get the same feeling when some people call Roosevelt, Kennedy and any Democrat they can think of either "Socialist" or "Communist." Kennedy, a Socialist?!

John Kerry, save us!