We Must Be Driving the Loony Left Crazy...

Here is an example of the clever sort of email we receive from our intellectually-superior left-wing friends. Note the thinly-veiled sarcasm:

"Hey Ray,

Your so cool. I love the way that you love George W. Bush so much. He's my real hero. He talks like a real cowboy, and cowboys are really cool. You kind of talk like a real cool cowboy too. Again, that is soooooo cool.

When that damn Katrina hurricane thing hit New Orleans and George W. Bush was playing the geetar I thought that was so cool that he didn't care about that stupid hurricane one lick. He's so important and he has too worry about more important things than anything going on in Amerika. He's really got to make sure that the Iraq economy is on the up and that cities like Bagdad are being RE-CONSTRUCTED.

Black people in New Orleans stealing water and food from stores in a flooded city is just plain wrong. I was taught right Ray and I know you probably were too. Stealing is bad. And besides black people shouldn't behave that way. What's wrong with them? I agree Ray, let's put the blame where it belongs okay. It belongs on that mayor of New Orleans. I know his name is Ray too but don't let that get you down because not all Rays are bad (I think only the black ones are), BUT hey that's between you and me right RAY.

Take care of yourself RAY, you are a true journalist. The sound of your pen will reverberate across the ages.

Hey let's start our own website about cool cowboys!!!! What do you think?

Take care RAY your the greatest and definitely the coolest. Stay RAY!

Oh yeah—Chris"

Wow Chris. You really have us figured out, we are all just bad, bad neocon cowboys here. I really love the enormous intellectual substance displayed in this email. What wit, what brilliance!

Comments

[WhatDoIKnow]

This is the result of the German media and "elites". They managed to create a "new man", just like the Communists and the Nazis. No facts will ever disturb their self-created image of the world. The bottom has not yet been reached.

[Querdenker]

If Chris did not agree to his email address being published it is bad style to do so anyway.

Note from David: If this blog does not agree to Oberlehrer-style co-blogging it is bad style to do so anyway.

[George M]

"He's so important and he has too worry about more important things than anything going on in Amerika."

Spelling America with a "k" is usually a good sign of a lefty's attempt at satire or humor. This goes back to the Abby Hoffman/Gerry Rueben days.

"He's really got to make sure that the Iraq economy is on the up and that cities like Bagdad are being RE-CONSTRUCTED."

Fox had a repeat of its special, "What the MSM fails to report from Irak." According to Iraqi sources, Iraq's economy has grown 16.5% since 2003. That's 16.5% more than the German economy.

[RayD]

@ Querdenker:

But of course its not bad style for Chris to sit there and type me out the above email, right? That's all good, and of course Querdenker is the only unbiased person here...

All I can say is that any emails we receive are fair game. So if you want to write us wacky emails, be warned.

[Querdenker]

RayD, he sent you a private email. He did not stalk or insult you. He was trying to be funny, maybe.
"Fair game" huh... that rings a bell. But thanks for the warning.

No more advices about style from me, I promise.

[FranzisM]

Oh that cowboy craze again.

I've more than once complained on this blog about the silly caricatures that the American imagination draws of the European archetype of the underdog. Here we have a perfect example of the same thing the other way round, an American archetype which is employed as a silly caricature by the European imagination.

[Querdenker]

Since the mail is one of a Verizon subscriber the writer must live in the U.S.

[Zachar1as]

I can understand chris.... As I had seen this site, many articles had sounds for me proamerican and antigerman. Do you hate us becouse we say sometimes our opinion about GeorgeW.Bush?
And I cant understood why you display his email adress, in my eyes that was against laws.

[RayD]

@ Zachar1as

Where do we ever say we hate anyone? Is somebody a bit oversensitive? And do you assume that to be German means that one must necessarily be anti-Bush? Why do you think you can speak for all Germans? Did you ever stop to consider the possibility that David and I are ourselves critical of Bush on certain issues?

[Zachar1as]

"Where do we ever say we hate anyone?"
I dont had say it, I had ask it becouse it looks like for me.

"Is somebody a bit oversensitive?"
Good question. Why is that email and the email adress of this person shown like on a pillory?

"And do you assume that to be German means that one must necessarily be anti-Bush?"
No, everyone has his own opinion. We have here Bush friends and Bush antis. Like you have in america, but in america, the Bush friends are more.

"Why do you think you can speak for all Germans?"
Hm, good question? Why do you can?
I can say you that Im life in germany, so I think I can talk about germany too ;)

"Did you ever stop to consider the possibility that David and I are ourselves critical of Bush on certain issues?"
Actually I hadnt read all of this site, there is many stuff to read so it can need some times, and my english is not so good so it goes to endless job for me to read all ;)

[kcom]

I totally respect the purpose of this blog and support you in those efforts. But I have to say that unless he has specifically authorized you to release his email address you should not do so. It's very poor net etiquette.

I understand how annoying and frustrating (from personal experience) dumb correspondence can be and there is a tendency to overreact at times but it is not the occasion to lose your integrity and ambush someone that way. Ask him for permission and if he gives it then fine, but otherwise do unto others as you would have them do unto you and respect his privacy. Or block his email address from your mailbox if you want to handle it that way. Taking the high road will never be something to regret in the future.

[Pamela]

@Zachar1as
and my english is not so good so it goes to endless job for me to read all ;)

That's ok. You should see my German. On second thought, no you shouldn't.

It's very good of you to make the effort.

[Scout]

@Querdenker: "Since the mail is one of a Verizon subscriber the writer must live in the U.S"

I was thinking the same thing, but the quality of the English is so poor, it gives me pause for thought (I thought EVERYBODY understood the difference between you're and your). Yours is excellent, BTW, in case no one has mentioned. I just thought I would say that... even though we may disagree on a variety of other topics.

[Querdenker]

Scout, thank you for the kind words...
Well I frequently see mistakes like that in U.S. blogs... "there" and "their" seems a challenge to some as well. But sometimes I also mistype.
We may disagree on a variety of topics... and maybe agree on other ones.
Let's hope we can continue to share opinions unless this falls foul of the rules of not "co-blogging".

Note from David: Poor Querdenker... Just meager 40 Querdenker comments since early December - I guess we'll have to rename this blog (Querdenkers Medienkritik sounds fine).

[joesixpack]

sometimes i find his comments a little to harsh too.
the blog shut set a more serious focus on the anti-american sentiments in german society. by the way i would almost call it nationalistic shift, because what really happens these days, is that germans rediscover their nationalistic feelings.
and because we are not allowed to hate minorities thats why we must hate the us and israel. they are strong and they must know better

[Querdenker]

@David

40 comments? Sorry, I must have been on a pre-Christmas(holiday?)-roll. Also sorry to make this comment 41, I vow restraint after that one.

I think most of my comments lately were answers since I was frequently addressed by name... and the torture issue did work me up a little. I have no intentions of co-blogging.

Maybe we share more interest than you think. I'm very much in favor of a better understanding between Americans and Germans. I don't agree with many things the Bush administration does but I can be a lot harsher on the late Schroeder administration. The Gazprom deal is outrageous and it makes me think about how long Schroeder has been working for Russian interests when he should have worked for German and transatlantic interests.

I think it's damn fine to expose the shortcomings of the German media when it comes to reporting about the U.S. What I would hate to see is that both sides just confirm their set opinions: One side thinks Germans are diving into anti-Americanism, the other side thinks that Medienkritik is just a shill for the Bush administration and just there to excuse anything.

By that we achieve little. Real success happens by winning people over. This can only happen in fair debates. Of course many people chose not to debate at all.

Keep up your work and don't take it as another Oberlehrer advice: Not everyone who disagrees with your views from time to time is your enemy. He might be your best friend.

In order to push comment 42 a bit further into the future I will not comment on a reply from you unless you specifically address me and I also vow restraint on future articles. Deal?

Of course if you prefer no further comments from me at all, please just say so.

[RayD]

@ kcom,

I guess you're right. We'll give poor Chris's inbox a rest now.

[LC Mamapajamas]

Wasn't it Mark Twain who said something like, "Never annoy people who buy ink by the barrel"??? Something like that. We might update that a bit... never annoy people who buy server time by the gigabyte.

[Carl Spackler]

David,

You think that's a foul email, you should see the ones I get from my family. I am just hoping they let me in for Christmas dinner and I don't have to sit in the car like last time and listen to the radio. :)

Merry Christmas!
Carl.

[syn]

Poor Chris, he was duped by the nasty race-baiters running NBC News.

[othercoast]

@Q:

I'll bite the ominous-sounding bait: What bell does "Fair game" ring?

[Walter E. Wallis]

I have never made an anonymous comment, and I question the ethics of anyone that does. I need not question their intelligence since that is patently obvious. Put the coward's address back.

[kcom]

> I have never made an anonymous comment, and I question the ethics of anyone that does. I need not question their intelligence since that is patently obvious. Put the coward's address back.

It wasn't anonymous, it was person-to-person. There's a difference.

If I made a comment about something and you called me to register your disastisfaction, does that mean I then have the right to publish your telephone number to the rest of the world? After all, you called me. I don't think so and I hope you don't.