More Mike Jones

Mike Jones-- one of the Oklahoman's part-time columnists-- is at it again. And, not surprisingly, it's yet another lesson on the ills of communism and how "liberals" are doing their best to bring communism to the US. Seriously, at this point the paper should save everyone the time and trouble and just put a notice in the opinion section every six weeks or so saying "Mike Jones of Oklahoma City wants you to know that he thinks communism is bad, capitalism is good, and liberals are ruining America."

Anyhow, back to his actual letter, he starts:

Liberals have been saying for years that communism can work and “pure” communism has never been accomplished. 

We’re starting to hear it again. ...

Wait, wait. "Liberals have been saying for years that communism can work"?? Really? As I've noted before, most real newspapers try to run letters that are in some way topical, offering opinion on some recent event. In light of this, one might expect that Mr Jones is referring to some actual comments made by actual people. But naturally, we get no reference to any examples of mainstream politicians or influential political thinkers-- not fringe candidates or academics, but real, mainstream people-- talking about the glories of communism. But of course, he doesn't-- probably because he actually can't. Because, indeed, there are no examples! When Mr Jones says "we're starting to hear it again" one has to wonder: from whom? There is no doubt that if this were actually happening-- if people were actually talking about how communism "can work" it would be ALL OVER Fox News and the right wing blogs. And yet.... nothing.

THIS IS A STRAW MAN. Why would the Oklahoman run this sort of letter? Would they ever run a letter from someone saying "Conservatives have been saying for years that fascism can work and that 'pure' fascism has never been accomplished"? Of course not. But the Oklahoman isn't a real newspaper and their letters section is largely just a propaganda page to push right-wing talking points. And the publication of Mr Jones' letter is just another example of this.

He goes on:

Comparing communist nations to non-communist nations is complicated by the fact that there are other variables at work — different cultures, different natural resources, different mixes of races and even different climates.

Oh god. So now we're going to "compare" the communist and non-communist nations-- obviously in a very lame attempt to "prove" how inferior communism is. Of course, as noted above, no one is arguing that communism is great, or superior to the western-style free market capitalism and democracies.

Still, it is impressive that Mr Jones actually recognizes-- to some extent-- the problems in trying to make blanket comparisons of different geopolitical entities (though, the "different mixes of races" bit is sort of cringe-worthy). But after this, it's all down hill:

The easiest, most accurate comparison is between North Korea and South Korea. Except for their governments, they’re virtually identical: same race, language, geography, natural resources and climate. They have the same culture, which includes their traditions, family structure and even their diet. 

North Korea is the most tightly regimented communist nation in the world. Its steady decline into oppression, brutality, poverty and starvation has gotten so bad that even the liberal United Nations has been forced to admit that its treatment of citizens 'does not have any parallel in the contemporary world.'

Wow. What trenchant observations!! North Korea is bad, especially compared with South Korea!!!  Whose eyes does Mike Jones think he's opening here with this?!?

Mr Jones' simplistic point here-- North Korea is bad, and it is an example of communism!-- misses the fact that not all "communist" nations are alike. North Korea is not and was not like the USSR.  And neither is/was like Cuba. And so on. Of course, getting into such distinctions probably goes beyond the scope os a short letter to the editor, but then again, that's the point: Why is a major newspaper letting some free-market-obsessed old man lecture its readers on the ills of communism in 250 words or less? It's embarrassing.

Anyhow, we get more:

South Korea separated from North Korea in 1953 and began a transformation that’s embraced democracy and free-market capitalism. 

It’s become a leader in consumer electronics and has the fastest Internet connections on the planet. It’s now the 13th-largest economy in the world.

It's good to see Mr Jones bragging about a country that has universal health care, restrictive gun laws, and whose internet providers offer faster, cheaper service than the "free-market" American companies.

And of course, like any good letter the Oklahoman runs, it has to have a non-sequitor parting-shot:

American liberals, on the other hand, are openly hostile to free-market capitalism and are slowly strangling it.

So after this lesson on communism (comparing two different countries that have the same race, no less!), we come back to American liberals "strangling" free-market capitalism? In an entirely different country? I mean, what's the connection? He just told us how North Korea is all oppressive and horrible (even the "liberal" United Nations sort of doesn't like them!), so is he trying to say that liberal Americans want us to be like North Korea? If so, then: really? 'Cause talk about a straw man! And if not, then what the fuck is the point of this North/South Korea comparison?

No joke: Mike Jones is an intellectual lightweight and has no business lecturing anyone on anything. He is an idiot. And yet, the Oklahoman continues to publish his letters all because they allow the editors to throw out ad hominem attacks on progressives without having to own up to such foolishness.

It's a PATHETIC act on the part of this paper, and everyone should be ashamed that it represents the state's largest city.