But you can, you know.
It's a little technique I've decided to call...
No words necessary.
Among the more vocal critics of Barack Obama's historic trip to Cuba this week, one of the more strident is Dan Bongino.
Bongino is a former employee of NYPD, a former Secret Service agent, a former candidate for Congress and a former candidate for the U.S. Senate.
He currently spends his professional hours as a conservative talk radio host, conservative news talk television contributor and writing on his experiences as all of the aforementioned "formers" as well as his egregiously obvious unhappiness and dissatisfaction with everything and anything currently being said in this country not being said by a conservative voice.
I met Bongino, briefly, several years ago when he was running for Congress and came into the radio station I was affiliated with, at the time, to record some campaign spots. It was only by happenstance that I was standing in the studio when Bongino came in, the production manager had stepped out and so I was happy to flip a couple of switches and push a couple of buttons so the man could record his spots and be on his way without being inconvenienced.
We made very brief small talk and didn't discuss any specific political matters, but I remember that my impression of the man was positive. There was something in the way of a vibe or sensation that this guy might be something more than the same old same old.
I've kept an eye and ear on the man since that day two years ago, primarily out of the curiosity that naturally results from personally knowing someone in the limelight and, from an essentially "outside looking in" P.O.V. watched the evolution of both his public persona and his dogmatic presentation of it.
For my tastes, he's always been just a shade too much "The End Is Near" when it comes to expressing his opposition to the other guy's power and politics. Most especially the power and politics of Barack Obama. But I have no way of knowing whether that's simply where he was headed anyway or whether it's the result of some of the inevitable sense of clout, and accompanying drama, that often, also inevitably, comes with finding oneself in a limelight.
As always, don't take my word for it. Check out his Facebook page or his other writings and judge for yourself.
Despite what a lot of the Chicken Littles have been squawking about since November of 2008, your freedom to do that, along with pretty much every other freedom that was in place in October of 2008, is still good to go.
In recent weeks, though, in fact, now, even in recent days, what I'm gleaning from Bongino's comments and commentaries is a pretty angry, even virulent abandonment from any cabin on any deck of the good ship, U.S.S Loyal Opposition.
There is absolutely nothing loyal to be found in his opposition.
And it may be only my perception, but, in keeping with the irrefutable truth that perception is reality, what I 'm seeing is a very passionate man who, with passionate beliefs and, even allowing for the best of intentions, isn't contributing anything to the dialogues but more logs.
The kind that make a fire rise higher and hotter and faster and spread more quickly but not necessarily so much to light the way as to simply slash and burn.
Which brings us to Cuba.
And this picture posted on Bongino's Facebook page.
Bongino captioned the picture as follows.
"No words necessary."
Admittedly, my first, instinctive, autonomic reaction to Dan's delivery was a chuckle.
As in, "yeah, right, no words necessary, but, Katie, bar the door, baby and get ready for the tsunami of words that's already roarin' down the valley."
Or comment threads from sea to shining sea as the case may be.
Upon a little reflection, though, I recognized another inner reaction.
This one more of the "really.....Dan?.......again?......this is all you got?......"
More of the bashing for the sake of the bashing, more of the glass not even half full, God forbid, for that matter, there be anything in the glass at all but some old and stale bitters at the very bottom?
Not a single, solitary, almost invisible thread of a glimmer of anything other than the same vitriol and venom and vindictiveness and viciousness very very badly disguised as victory for the causes of truth, justice and the American way?
Really?........Dan?........
This is all you got?
The actual comment thread that followed the original posting was as predictable as the arrival of another selfie of Kim Kardashian's breasts every 72 to 96 hours.
Bitchin', bashin' and trashin'.
Not to be confused with the other Kardashian sisters.
And right there on the front lines of the flame throwin', the former Secret Service agent, former Congressional candidate, former Senatorial candidate himself.
Chris Keddy Cuba is a beautiful place, full of great and friendly people. Don't let your media provide your opinions for you. Check it out and see for yourself smile emoticon
Daniel Bongino Sure Chris. That's why hundreds of thousands of people construct boats from garbage to escape Cuba. Great analysis.
Raymond Nudals you can see how beautiful cuba is just from this picture. I've seen less dilapidated buildings torn down.
Louis Pedrero Perhaps he meant the scape and terra, but most certainly not the infrastructure, government, and all other man made items...
Erik Stanger All the Cuban dissidents are in prison for the Obama visit. Great place. Gimme a break.
Jur Amsbaugh If there were so many great people, they would have thrown out the Castros decades sgo.
Teresa Holmes Taylor Erik, that was exactly what I was going to say.
Steve Nassi Really!!!
Amy Rogers Hunter It's
not the "friendly people" there that are the problem. It's their
oppressive leaders, and our leader wants to be their BFF.🙄
LeRoy Rice I pray our country makes it through the next nine months. And the we make a better decision this next election !
Those pearls swine-ishly offered up by the villagers, torches at the ready, apparently not sufficient, second verse, same as the first.
Walter Diaz Mister
Obama stood up on a place that happens to have a figure of El Che. I
don't see any issue with that. Sir, does your Iphone say "Made in
China"? if so, then shut up.
David Forney You cannot be that naïve
Daniel Bongino He is that naïve
I think it was Bongino's last comment there, "he is that naive'" combined with the snark of this "no words necessary" caption of the Cuba picture that finally brought me to Def Con 1 in terms of offering up a little SEP P.O.V.
First, I'm not a fan of the school that teaches the way to counter an unreasonable assertion is to load up and fire back with an equally unreasonable assertion.
I have no academic credentials specifically earned in the matter, but my own life experience has taught me that "you're stupid, no, you're stupid, no, you're stupid, no, you're stupid" is generally ineffective in both the short term and long run when it comes to moving the large rock of progress forward.
And one of the more commonly used, but inevitably useless, if not damaging, methods used by those whose primary goal is to have their opinion declared the winner is to drape that opinion in a cloak of pseudo-credibility, even faux resume', as if expertise alone automatically validates a perspective, period, no questions asked.
In this case, for example, while I can't claim professional proximity to Presidents on my own CV, I'm not sure that running along side the limo and being prepared to take a bullet qualifies one as an indisputable expert on global relations and/or geopolitics.
As far as Obama opening up talks with Cuba after fifty plus years, I don't claim to know what's going to happen as he proceeds.
I can, though, with not a moment's hesitation owing to a lack of credentials, confidently predict what will happen if he does not.
Nothing. Nada. Zip. Zero.
With, of course, the possible, even probable, exception of the naysayers gleaming, gloating and, of course, naysaying.
Until their guy gets the keys to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave back and then, oh, well, then, it's a whole new kettle of fish, isn't it?
Or stack of Cuban tobacco, as the case may be.
And if the agenda of those opposed to the Cuba outreach isn't simply vindictive, temper tantrum throwing, foot stomping, take their ball and go home political, then why aren't the brighter minds of the opposition not giving even a micro-second's thought to the possibility that perhaps what's in play here isn't simply, to their way of thinking, another page from the reviled Obama playbook but, is, in fact, an oldie but goodie from that master of the playing field himself, Sun Tzu?
"Keep your friends close...but keep your enemies closer."
And why, while we're on a why roll here, aren't the brighter minds of the opposition considering the possibility that the strategy isn't necessary being read from the brazen Book of Barack but, is, in fact, borrowed cleverly and even a little deviously, from the writings of Mario Puzo, who had the character Frankie Pentangeli offer up this little marinara of maneuvering in "The Godfather-Part II"?
"Your father did business with Hyman Roth....your father respected Hyman Roth....but your father never trusted Hyman Roth..."
I don't make it a rule to engage or enter the comment threads of this kind of "dialogue" for several reasons.
First, I have other means to express my opinion. You're reading one of them right now.
Second, I have absolutely no desire whatsoever to put even a pinky toe into the tar pit of "you're stupid, no, you're stupid"....oh, wait.....2016 update......make that "you're naive, no, you're naive, no, you're naive."
Third, because so many, too many, "comment threads" in social media today offer very little wheat in the form of informed dissent, enlightened debate, civil discourse and/or productive conversation.
Actually they offer nothing. Nada. Zip. Zero.
But they offer a whole lotta chaff in the form of bicker, banter, bitchin' and bluster.
You'd think there'd be a lot, lot, lot less of that.
After all, take it from Dan Bongino.
No words necessary.
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