Don Surber, Stupid Asshole


Via Balloon Juice, here's some dude named Surber posting what may very well be some kind of parody of wingnuttery. (For example he turns Bush's semi-theft of the election of 2000 into "Al Gore [making] a mockery out of the American electoral system by being a spoilsport over Florida, which Bush indeed won by 537 votes.") Surber's title? "I Do Not Want Civil Discourse." His most frequently repeated phrase? "Bite me."


It's a puerile little tantrum. B-Juice alleges that it's being linked to all over the fever swamps, though it seems to be below even the fairly low standards prevailing over in the non-reality-based community...


Since some in the leftosphere are also denigrating civility these days (though on the basis of more cogent reasons than those of Surber), let's quickly review some of the reasons why civility is important. If you speak to me in an uncivil manner, it makes it more difficult for me to assess your points objectively. See, if we disagree, then at least one of us is wrong. Which means that at least one of us needs to change his mind. That's hard enough to do even when both parties are being civil. If one or both parties are being assholes, and the parties start getting their respective hackles up, then it becomes very unlikely that any minds are going to get changed. Which means that the error or errors become even more deeply entrenched, and any time spent on discussion is wasted. Make fun of civil discussions if you like but at least they have a nonzero probability of being productive. Derisively saying "bite me" to each other is a guaranteed waste of time.


Which is why I cordially invite Surber and other foes of civility to, well, bite me.