If you have not read Psychologist Scott Smith's columns in The Capital, don't start now...unless you want to be treated to a regular diet of blandly predictable, hyper conservative blather. He spreads his extremist views on just about any topic, even going so far as to suggest that the belief in global warming is just some sort of hype perpetrated and believed by people with some kind of emotional or psychological illness. I could say the same about those who deny it is real...in fact I will say it here. They are demented.
IT'S CALLED DENIAL BABY!!
This week he touches on just about every reason why the USA is wonderful (though he does admit we are not perfect) and uses our generosity in Haiti as an example. Yes we are being generous there now, but there is so much more to the story, which he conveniently represses. How is it that the poorest country in this hemisphere, and one of the poorest on Earth, is so close to the shores of the wealthiest? Could it be because we are not all that generous in other respects? I could go on, but...
Now the man may be an excellent therapist, but I wish he'd stick to personal behavior and counseling issues in his column instead of masquerading as one while he is really just a jingoistic social theorist. He should stop calling it a "lifestyle" column and just say he's a right-wing commentator. As much as I despise the "America Worst" or "Blame it on America" crowd, I also disdain the "America First" crowd that thinks we are wonderful and do no wrong. I think Smith is one of those people who has not caught on to the concept that nation-states are just an annoying artifice whose time has come...and is going. He seems to suffer from sort of denial or amnesia about the history of Haiti and the role played by Woodrow Wilson and the US Marines about a hundred years ago.
Read Smith here....
http://www.hometownannapolis.com/news/lif/2010/01/28-62/Psychology-Our-core-American-values-still-exist.html
...and then go spend a few minutes on the couch...
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Sip N Blog resumes THURSDAY, Jan 28th 8-9 am at ZU Coffee, 934 Bay Ridge Road in the Giant Shopping Ctr. with Howard Ernst on "Fight For The Bay."
Bay Daily on Hiatus
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Congratulations to Bay Daily creator, Tom Pelton, who has accepted a
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9 years ago
4 Comments:
Paul you're a great American. Funny how the Left never brings up free trade as a way to help the 3rd world. The best way to help Africa would be a free trade agreement, but never going to happen due to Big Unions controling our Democratic Politicans. Great to have you back!
Ted Thanks but I don't know what makes someone a great American. Can I just be a reasonably good American?
I don't follow the free trade issue but I'm not in love with the big unions or Democrats. keep on' readin'...donations always welcome, free trade or not....
Am I now to assume that criticism of your opinions is fair game Paul?
I would have expected a self proclaimed journalist such as you to have a bit more respect for a fellow columnist.
--Scott
Has this casued you some emotional trauma? It seems as if you are overly concerned that I somehow do not respect you, but we have not met. I don't know you as a person, but from your columns, I don't respect the beliefs you hold.
Well of course criticism of my opinions is fair game--it always has been and always will be--as long as you don't defame or libel me.
But I must ask, if I am a "self-proclaimed" journalist, does that make you a self-proclaimed psychologist? And why is using this term "self-proclaimed" the term of choice of my critics? Is it intended as an insult or to suggest that I am not a "real" journalist? Perhaps you will elaborate.
However, I stay pretty much out of psychology, which is what your column is ostensibly about, is it not? Perhaps you should consider staying out of political commentary or I may start working as a "self proclaimed psychologist."
You may be a fellow columnist, but suggesting that your role automatically makes you worthy of my respect is like saying a Beagle owner should respect a Rottweiler owner because they each own dogs. If you stuck to psychology rather than your predictably hyper-conservative rants, perhaps you'd have earned my respect. So what "label" is it for you, psychologist or self-proclaimed political commentator?
This could be fun. I await your response, but I'm not holding my breath.
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