- Capitalism and Alternatives -

agreed

Posted by: Quioncunx ( Third shrub from the left ) on August 03, 1997 at 12:55:12:

In Reply to: Dreams to get you through the day posted by Samuel Day Fassbinder on August 02, 1997 at 13:01:03:

: Thanks for the lengthy reply... there were only a few places where I wanted to add something...

: etc etc

: :As matter of fact you may have clobbered more rightwingers than I have. I wind up agreeing with you just about all the time when viewing some of the exchanges in this debate room and others. But before you steamroller me into oblivion I must say that nobody stole the American Dream. It was never there. My ancestors told me that and then that's another subject and a little too personal.

: My response: I believe that Americans need something to believe in, some sort of dream to get them through the day, like everyone else. That's the American Dream, and attempts to complicate the issue by revealing the true American history of genocide, exploitation, discrimination, and greed will be countered by Americans with a retreat into ignorance. That stuff isn't the point -- dreams are in the heads of dreamers, they serve a purpose there. If you're going to make communism appeal to Americans, then communism will have to be part of the "American Dream."

: And rightwing arguments need to be inspected very carefully, and when they're wrong, establish what debaters call "direct clash" -- disagree with one of their declarative sentences, and offer reasons and evidence for your support.

I may not have been able to say that any better. I already have the FAIR Report bookmarked though. It will probably help onlookers who peruse this.



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