This happened to me today on Facebook:
A Friend Said:Really?! $0.40 more for gas in ONLY 9 days?!?!
I replied:Democracy in the middle east is expensive.
Mr Cynic Replied: And pointless because it won’t last
To which I said: What evidence do you have of that?
He Posited: Um… several thousand years of history on the region…
To which I offered conjecture: You mean those several thousand years were there was no rule by the people, and when stealing a loaf of bread was an offense punishable by death? Yeah, I don’t think those years are very good indicators.
At this point, one would suspect a lively banter to ensue, resulting in nothing, but allowing all parties to put evidence on the table. This was not to be so.
Mr Cynic: So here’s the problem with this. You’re a silly little art student who thinks he knows history because he’s picked up a few truisms and maybe seen a history channel documentary. Now on the bookshelf behind me are three rows of books on middle eastern history and culture. (They’re right under the Living Language series I’m working through to learn Farsi.) Now I could keep arguing with a fool… or I could just bow out now. Yeah… that second option seems a lot more attractive.
A friend of my friend interjected while I readied a retort: [My Friend] – why do you post such controversial statuses?
I replied directly to his points: Art student? Thank you for making a broad generalization and placing a label on someone you know nothing about. Not only am I not an art student, being that I graduated 3 years ago, but I’m also a web industry professional. So your assumptions about my culture and intelligence are so off base they need block leave. You are right about stopping this argument, though. I don’t think I can properly communicate with someone who is going to so easily descend to ad hominem.
It was at this time that Mr. Cynic decided it would be best to delete his side of the argument. A new friend came in to give their assessment.
The New Friend: [Me], although I don’t know you (and you now look like a crazy person having a fight with yourself), I have to commend your self-control. You managed a much more cool-headed response than the one I closed Facebook in order to prevent myself from posting.
As I no longer had anyone to argue with, I ended as gracefully as I felt was necessary.
I actually am crazy. I make up people in my head to fight with. I have like 500 Facebook accounts. : D
Now, I’m not posting this to say that I’m some master debater, or that I’m so witty that people stand in awe when I make an utterance. I’m posting this because I wanted to point out the frivolity that a political discussion caused so quickly, and to ask this question: Why exactly can’t we have a simple discussion about politics or religion?
