"If both the left and right hate it, then it can't be bad" and old gas

[ThomWV]

Watching the TV and listening to the radio over the last couple of days I've heard this comment in one form or another time and again, you can't help but notice it: "If both the left and right hate it, then it can't be bad", indicating that somehow a magical middle-ground holds the path to a utopian ideal. They think that my mixing good with bad you get acceptable, that the average, which is not particularly good for either side is in the end best for all. It is worth mentioning that I've also noticed that if the interviewer probes a little deeper that the people who say that sort of thing are grossly misinformed or (more likely) uninformed on the details of the subject at hand. They don't know what they're talking about, but they are sure compromise is the solution.

I used to run a boat that jus sat over the winter. After they sit too long that gas goes bad if you don't put a stabilizer in it. I often forgot to put the stuff in though, and in fact forgot to fully fill the tank too, and so when the spring came around I had a half a tank of bad gas. A tank, by the way, was 120 gallons. So, the question is what to do. Like many these days I went on line to enthusiasts sites and asked. For a long time everyone who responded said just fill it up the rest of the way and run it. Their theory was that half bad and half good mixed together gives a useful blend. I got that advice time and time again, until one fellow voiced a different, and more realistic opininion. Here's what he said. When you add a half a tank of good gas to a half a tank of bad gas what you end up with is a full tank of bad gas.

He was right. Think of it what you will.

[joeybee12]

1. The middle hates it too...the only ones who like it are the greedy ignorant

and the idol worshippers.

[fascisthunter]

2. Well Said...

[avaistheone1]

8. True.

The greedy are the only ones that benefit. The idol worshippers -that is a good term for some folks. What the hell do they get out of this?

[readmoreoften]

3. If there was a bargain between Nazis who wanted to kill jews and Nazis who wanted to deport Jews

would killing some jews and deporting others be an acceptable bargain? Would the "left" who wanted no jews killed or deported be "radicals" who shouldn't get their way?

Point is: you can never tell if something is good or bad by choosing its middle.

[FiveGoodMen]

4. Amen, amen, a-fucking-men!

:fistbump: :thumbsup: :toast: :applause: :bounce: :yourock:

[truedelphi]

5. According to the "New Logic" Employed By the New Wave

Of Politicians and Media Nonsense Spewers, why yes.

There is no longer any right or wrong. There is only this intentional disruption of common sense, telling us we have to accept at least some of the nonsense of the opposing side.

THis "New Logic" is almost worse than the old logic we were experiencing under George W. At elst, back when "war was peace" "up was down" "wrong was right" we could at least determine that the slogan was false.

Now we are left with a muddle. Many formerly rational people will just turn aside, as the fix is more than apparently fully in, and anyone wanting the right actions and choices to be taken, is so "Twentieth Century."

[bvar22]

6. A Logical Fallacy that appears way too often on DU.

K&R

[suffragette]

7. And it looks like we'll only be hearing more of this

The whole thing is being structured in such a way as to support the idea that this is some kind of middle ground, centrist way of reaching agreement and in doing that it propels the false framing that the liberals in Congress (who are actually pretty moderate) are the far-left equivalent of the tea baggers, who actually are on the far right.

It's likely from this that most of the members who get placed on the Super-Dupe Committee will also be "chosen" as someone representing the the so-called center of the parties, though they may include one or two since they it looks like that amount could easily be voted down.

[chill_wind]

9. Well said and told. Claire McCaskill (Third Wayer)

was promoting this wonderful magical middle-grounds legislation on MTP this weekend, while going out of her way to conflate the tea baggers with the "far left." If lefties hate it too, it's double-plus good! Everyone around the table nodded sagely.