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I absolutely detest the sarcastic, cynical replies that always appear in the comments of stories like this. It feels good to write them, but reading them just f

I absolutely detest the sarcastic, cynical replies that always appear in the comments of stories like this. It feels good to write them, but reading them just fills me with a deep sense of defeat and sadness and they contribute little or nothing.

cryoshon 11y ago
Ah, but consider that the fundamental cause of such comments indicates the opposite of defeat! Where there is cynicism, there is knowledge of reality instead of illusion. Where there is sarcasm, there is an implication that a better reality is possible, and perhaps deserved. A sarcastic cynical reply to a problem of government is an indicator that someone has identified a problem, and can envision a better world if it were fixed. They are waiting for a call to action, a plan, or an effective way of participating. Imagine a world in which every action of the government were met with widespread cynicism and sarcasm! It'd be akin to the ultra-pessimistic attitudes of Russians before and during the fall of the USSR-- a public unwilling to give their government anything other than derision is in the active process of reformation.
- happyscrappy 11y ago
  The petty cynicism of Millennial whiners who are so deluded that they actually think they are achieving something whilst not having an inkling of actual suffering or sacrifice make a joke of an entire generation. Enjoy your slacktivism.
MrZongle2 11y ago
What if I wrote a couple of honest, impassioned paragraphs as to why I disagree with the reporter's treatment? Would I -- or anybody else here -- have accomplished more? Aren't we all just bellyaching on the Internet?
- snowwrestler 11y ago
  I think you would have. A sarcastic response is free of any real content, and assumes the reader agrees with your point of view (otherwise, why would they find it funny). Writing some honest, passionate paragraphs would set out your view in a way that would allow others to understand what you believe, and why.

cryoshon 11y ago

Ah, but consider that the fundamental cause of such comments indicates the opposite of defeat! Where there is cynicism, there is knowledge of reality instead of illusion. Where there is sarcasm, there is an implication that a better reality is possible, and perhaps deserved. A sarcastic cynical reply to a problem of government is an indicator that someone has identified a problem, and can envision a better world if it were fixed. They are waiting for a call to action, a plan, or an effective way of participating. Imagine a world in which every action of the government were met with widespread cynicism and sarcasm! It'd be akin to the ultra-pessimistic attitudes of Russians before and during the fall of the USSR-- a public unwilling to give their government anything other than derision is in the active process of reformation.

happyscrappy 11y ago
The petty cynicism of Millennial whiners who are so deluded that they actually think they are achieving something whilst not having an inkling of actual suffering or sacrifice make a joke of an entire generation. Enjoy your slacktivism.

MrZongle2 11y ago

What if I wrote a couple of honest, impassioned paragraphs as to why I disagree with the reporter's treatment? Would I -- or anybody else here -- have accomplished more? Aren't we all just bellyaching on the Internet?

snowwrestler 11y ago
I think you would have. A sarcastic response is free of any real content, and assumes the reader agrees with your point of view (otherwise, why would they find it funny). Writing some honest, passionate paragraphs would set out your view in a way that would allow others to understand what you believe, and why.