Thinking Meat

The Diablogger has an enlightening discussion with some arrogant (natch) anti-American (natch) anti-war (natch) professors (natch) down in Florida.

They threw some anti-war cliches in my direction, complete with the usual missives regarding the president's intelligence. Then the one sitting closest to me turned around and, addressing me directly, said, "How can you not be against war in Iraq? It's logic. It's just logic." Now, I sensed before he spoke that he was about to express disagreement through a condescending and "sophisticated" remark. But I was completely unprepared for what had just come out of his mouth. Logic? I had no idea how to respond. How could I explain to him that "logic" regards not the *content* of an argument but the relationships between its parts? How clarify that "logic" by its very nature is not concerned with the position you adopt but with the consistencies or inconsistencies within your system of beliefs or propositions? In one brief utterance he had managed to show that he understood neither logic nor political reality. I retorted that there was no way we would be able to have a serious discussion about the matter.

But, no, my friends, it didn't end there. His colleague then turned to me, and questioned my knowledge of German and French (I speak only English, or American, if you prefer, plus a few "amigos," "amis," and "bloody Mary's"). After a brief summary of his academic background (oh, it was quite a list of paper deeds), he addressed me in a barely disguised German accent: "I don't see how someone who can't read French and German newspapers can possibly be informed on this matter."

To quote one of my favorite show lines, "Ah, stupidity and arrogance all in one package! How efficient of you."