The other day I noted that manly man Ace O Spades was girding his pasty loins preparing to go virtual medieval on David Kernell’s ass, since Kernell used his superhuman hacking skillz to figure out that the Wasilla Nitwit’s password to her Yahoo account. That event, of course, caused Wall Street to collapse which is why you spent the morning stocking up on canned goods, ammo, and softcore porn.
Then you watched Oprah.
Making fun o’ Ace then set off Patterico.
Ostensibly it’s all about the privacy (which is why Patterico likes using my real double-super secret name):
That’s like reacting to your neighbor’s home burglary by ridiculing him for having a bad lock on his front door. You would never think to make such a asshole comment about your neighbor. Unless your neighbor is a Republican and you’re a Democrat, of course — because then your neighbor would be evil, so the niceties don’t really have to be observed.
Actually, it’s more like writing your PIN number on your ATM card and then leaving it in the machine… but never mind that because Patterico has a larger equivalency to fry when it comes to privacy:
But by night, he runs “TBogg” — a blog sufficiently popular to garner an invitation to be hosted on the wildly popular lefty blog FireDogLake.
And he thinks it’s hilarious that a conservative’s e-mail was hacked.
Get it through your heads, conservatives. If you believe in any restrictions in abortion on demand — any! — then there is no violation of privacy so egregious that these people wouldn’t chuckle if it happened to you. If you have the gall to oppose doctors sticking scissors into babies’ heads and sucking out the brains with a suction catheter, then you’re “anti-choice” — and anti-privacy. And that means it’s OK to go through your underwear drawer.
If someone burglarized your home, copied your diary, set up a camera in your bedroom, and published everything they found online, Amanda Marcotte and Tom Boggioni and their readers would laugh and laugh until they couldn’t breathe.
Only one type of privacy violation seems to disturb them. They’ll get very mad if you try to listen to phone calls placed by terrorists.
Such hardball tactics, you see, should be reserved for the real enemy.
Republicans.
But wait.
I thought we had all just agreed that Amanda and that Tom guy were disturbed by people who seem to think that they have some right to stick their collective noses into a perfect stranger’s vagina (and not in a good way) and that offended Tom & Amanda’s privacy sensibilities. Now I have to disapprove of two crimes against privacy? I’m going to have to get a bigger blog.
Needless to say, for someone who has such strong feelings about privacy on teh internets, Patterico can be downright flexible when he has to.




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That’s really quite breathtaking in its opacity. And density.
These guys have some curious notions about privacy. They clap their flippers and beg for more when the government asserts the necessity of listening in on our phone calls, reading our email and our postal mail, of running sneak searches of our possessions and our hard drives but then they snivel when one of theirs receives a bit of the same treatment.
If you haven’t done anything wrong then you have nothing to fear, boys.
Addendum: right-wingers talking about privacy is like right-wingers talking about the economy: dead men talking.
Well, let’s all remember, these are the same morons who think that “pro-choice” is the same as “pro-death”—-except if you oppose the death penalty, then you’re a wussy pansy.
There is no presumed confidentiality in materials sent through e-mail.
And while we’re on the subject of “privacy” over matters nonconfidential, the RNC in Michigan–and a few other states–allegedly plans to use lists of foreclosed properties to disqualify voters who haven’t updated their addresses. Yeah, I wonder how the wingnut base is going to feel about losing their homes, paying increased taxes to bail out Wall Street, and then being told their vote doesn’t count because they had to move to the sort of fleabag motel where no one asks for a credit card?
Oh. Wait…. This will only happen in primarily LIBERAL and/or minority zip codes!
Wait, wait, I know something else about you.
Welcome to Phoenix. Remember, it’s a dry heat. I would even come by and say hi to you, the Extroverted yet Circumspect Mrs. TBogg, and the Lovely & Talented Casey except that would be a little bit forward of me. Oh well.
Go Silverswords!
Wow! A metrosexual version of McCloud, a former bulk purchaser of women’s underwear, a bibliophile–AND BASSETS? Dude, if you had a leather fetish you’d be a virtual demigod!
Older guy? heh…
And let’s not leave out Mr. B’s subversive playlists released every pre-Friday. Definitely something sinister there.
Oh…and …Go Casey!!!! Center Ds are the toughest broads on the field.
Any mention from this Republican apologist as to the ethics of hiding official government communication on unsecured and unregulated servers? Huh…I’m shocked.
Even discounting the probable crime of putting official business e-mails on non-government servers in the first place (which P doesn’t much mind, of course), putting the e-mails on Yahoo with the expectation of privacy is either very naive or very careless (”don’t know” or “don’t care”). Governor Palin gets a big ol’ FAIL either way.
and Patterico is one stupid son of a bitch.
Is his wife gonna check in to apologize for the little twit this time?
Yes, density rivaling the soon-to-be-created LHC black hole. Between the two of them, they’ll end humanity once and for all.
Existence Fail!
Oh noes! Patrick Fry is not aware of all internet tradishuns!!
If TBogg set up a camera in the bedroom he’d be rich by now and could quit the day job.
Wait, your name is *not* Tbogg? I feel so lied to… *sniff*
At least I am aware of all internet traditions!
Brought to my attention via Sadly, No!
one of these days, I’ll figure out how to make the tm-circle-thingy required for official intertoobz trademarks…
John McCain probably could have warned her about that. He invented the
internetblackberry, you know.…but, but, but…if Screech Pailin wasn’t doin any thang wrong, why did she , sorta of, ya know “protect” her e-type-mails with a password?
This comment thread has an unusually high Dave content.
I know one thing: I’m going to start using “Metroflexible McCloud” over at Sadly, No! as my commenter name. Well, maybe just once or twice, because “The Goddamn Batman” is too good to give up.
Ah, yes, the valley of the sun…where automotive rim stores topped with razor wire is the defining dominant architectural motif.
Stay classy, Phoenix!
On the bright side, you might have an extra addition to the taglines for this blog…. “a blog sufficiently popular.”