Remember a while back when I explained the term "idiotarian" and its history? And referred to Tim Blair's formulation of:
"...the ongoing process by which the world's multiple idiocies are becoming one giant, useless force (suggested slogan: "United, Retarded, We'll Never Be Defeated!")"
Right. Presenting Fred Phelps of "God Hates Fags" - who was an idiotarian already, but thought he'd work a bit harder to make it screamingly obvious.
UPDATE: PD Shaw's "Idiotarian Rating Scale" is a useful addition to the debate; Phelps pulls a 4.5/5.
[Zapped and IP banned]
Now you're being kind of unfair to the idiotarians.
Phelps is a genuine lunatic who probably suffers from amphetamine psychosis. That doesn't excuse his followers, of course, who would be an embarrassment to the Mississippi Ku Klan Klan, and probably are. It also doesn't excuse the criminal justice system, which refuses to lock Fred up even after 8 convictions for assault and disorderly conduct.
The Wikipedia article on Fred is an impressive piece of work. At least, the picture of Fred with Al and Tipper Gore is pretty funny. If it had been Bush instead of Gore, it would have made the cover of Newsweek. Three or four weeks in a row.
Somebody please stomp on Ned Smartword the Idiotarian Tax Consultant, and goosh him like a June Bug. I don't like Spam for breakfast.
I second Glen Wishard’s call for banning the spammer and/or blocking their IP.
As far as the idiotarian that is the subject of the post, why give them attention since that’s what they’re after? I realize it makes great radio and internet fodder so we can all denounce this fool with the appropriate level of disgust for crashing a soldier’s funeral but surely everyone realizes that Phelps isn’t out to make any converts, he’s out to get his picture on the news and have people talk about him . . . which is what we’re doing now.
I agree with Glen, he's worse than an idiot. On a scale of 1-5, he's a 4 1/2:
5 = Dangerous (e.g., treason, admiring references to fragging)
4 = Insane (e.g., dangerous to self; Oliver Stone)
3 = Hateful (e.g., dangerous to discourse; Bush is Hitler crowd)
2 = Naive (e.g., unrealistic world view making discourse difficult; peace movement)
1 = Significant Policy Differences (policy exremism; WOT as solely an LE matter)
Of recent statements, Galloway's is probably a 5, anything Carter says is usually a 2 by default, and Durbin's comments were a 2 1/2. IMHO.
The scale doesn't differ btw/ the source of the comment. Whether a former president and the founder of a fringe religion should be held to a different standard is something entirely different. I do think that extreme statements by fringe people should still be held up for public admonishment though. And the most extreme should be prosecuted.
Another call for banning the spammer and/or blocking their IP.
Normally I would hesitate to interrupt a thread to discuss banning a spammer or a troll, but Fred Phelps is a sort of troll, so it's not really off topic.
I tend to agree with Glen. Phelps I put in the same category as LaRouche, another distinguished member of the Lunatic-American community. If he espouses idiotarian views it's only by accident, the same way someone flailing around randomly might accidentally hit you in the nose.
How dare Phelps call his Westboro Little House o' Hate a church of any kind.