Sunday, August 15, 2010

John Smithson's Modus Operandi: Spread "Gossip And Lies" Until They Are "Fact"

Conservative activist and small time blogger John Smithson had made a post yesterday that we here at The Midnight Review found particularly funny - Smithson gave a list of the 25 worst Americans (that only contained 23 people) and then discussed how despicable the people on the list were.  Some on the list were not even Americans, like Benedict Arnold, who was born a British subject in London, fought for America in the beginning of the Revolutionary War, and then defected to the British joining their military - he eventually died in his birth city of London, England.  That is not the funny part - Smithson actually references myself in his article when discussing how bad Barack Obama is:
Second on our list would be Barack Obama. He is not only perfectly at ease with Marxist teaching, he is committed to the overthrow of traditional Constitutional tradition and is in a position to severely damage the Conservative and Constitutional experiment that has been the Untied States of America for the past 230 years. More than this, he is an aggressive anti-Christian in terms of his manifest actions, something quite different than his manifest rhetoric. For example, a Christian would never force the covering of the symbols for "Jesus" before a speech, as did Obama at the University of Georgetown. We can think of only one "Christian" who approves and he is a non-consequential blogger out of New York who is, himself, a non-practicing Catholic post-op type "fellow" with no college background to speak of and little political understanding . . . . just a radicalized liberal with no moral compass, ala Barack Obama. For this editor's taste, we have no patience for those who would be militant in their opposition to Christianity. Obama is in this camp. He is uninformed as to Christian dogma, biased in his Black Liberation thinking and and more than dangerous in his faithless ignorance.
That sentence is a direct attack against myself and it is rife with inaccuracies - Smithson apparently never read my "About Me" page, otherwise he would have known that I do have a college background (in international affairs, architecture, and general studies), but since he gets that wrong, it is obvious that Smithson doesn't care much for the facts, but that was already known by this author.  With a little searching on the internet, it was easy to find Smithson's other writings - on a Yahoo group discussing religion, Smithson had written that he does "not have to be right about much of anything to be 'saved.'"

Smithson had also written the following on TruthTalk:
I personally believe that if gossip and lies are not eventually dealt with, they become "fact" as a result of the "where there is smoke there must be fire" clause in the Manual of Personal Assault and Character Assassination. Since this kind of attack is provided for on TT, I think it necessary to say something. It will be my only defense.
Do those sound like the words of a good Christian?

Smithson's comments remind me of this Joseph Goebbels quote:
"If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it."
Based on Smithson's work on his little website, it would become evident that he has "little political understanding" and "no moral compass" - after all, it is Smithson who had incorrectly attacked this author for supporting abortion while he himself thinks abortion is a great idea (just not nationally).  He also can't diferentiate between Marxism, socialism, communism, or any other political ideology other then his own right-wing fringe beliefs - he constantly claims that I am a "radicalized liberal" and some sort of "Marxist obstructionist" despite the facts that my political beliefs are clearly in the center of the spectrum (but definitely left from where Smithson is coming from) - probably most of America is left of Smithson.  Smithson seems to get his political education from right-wing media - he admits in his profile that he has zero educational background in politics, unless you count his cult-like fervor for the Stone/Campbell Restoration tradition as credentials for being an armchair propagandist.  He comprehends as much politics as James O'Keefe comprehends journalism, and thats not saying much.

He also lacks legal comprehension, as is evidenced by his constant plagiarism - he had copied the majority of the content from a Daniel Klein Article from The Wall Street Journal, a George Will article for RealClearPolitics, a study by The Pew Research Center for the People & the Press, a Joshua Rhett Miller article for Fox News, and a Cat Corben article form The American Thinker.

Smithson is also full of contradictions.  For instance, he constantly writes articles attacking Obama for adhering to "black liberation theology" yet he himself states Dietrich Bonhoeffer is a "personal hero" of his - Boenhoeffer was heavily influenced by the black churches of Harlem.
Bonhoeffer discovered in the black church that theology is autobiographical in character, expressed in preaching, singing and worship. These art forms of Christian expression were celebrations of stories that united the secular and the sacred in black people's quest for God's justice. Bonhoeffer saw this when he visited the historic Abyssinian Baptist Church, under the leadership of Adam Clayton Powell, Sr. Located in the richness of New York's black Harlem community, Abyssinian provided Bonhoeffer a rare view of the liberating qualities of black religion. The stories and songs of the black church gave voice to the struggle for justice in America. The ethos of the black church so impressed him and so deepened his understanding of the Christian church that he later referred to his experiences there as a movement of "great liberation."

Bonhoeffer saw the black church as a true expression of his concept of sanctorum communio, a Christian fellowship of love in action, of people existing for others. Through his encounter with the everyday existence of black people in Harlem, Bonhoeffer became a sensitive critic of American racism. This deepened his resistance to German anti-Semitism. He returned to Germany with the black church in his heart as brothers and sisters in the communion of saints.
Would Smithson feel right at home in Reverend Wright's pews?

Probably.

You see, John Smithson has consistently shunned the facts and when faced with honest, intellectual debate, he disappears.  That is because he cant spread the "gossip and lies" he wants to become "fact" when he is confronted with the truth.  He seems to fall under many of the indicators of a delusion - it is a recommendation that Smithson gets professional help.  Maybe he has abandonment issues?

What is sad is that Smithson is just one of many people who have entered into this group fantasy that the nation is being hurled into an abyss by the godless Democrats and when faced with reality, Smithson's kind would rather live out their existence in the world with their limited scope and stop at nothing to bring the rest of the world into their delusion - I spend this much time writing about John Smithson because he illustrates perfectly the ignorance that is so prevalent in the right-wing fringe and that the GOP is constantly caught pandering to.

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