A life in words

  • Counterpoint

    This is my response to the email I received from “La Russophobe,” whose blog I commented on recently. I have to say that this is the most I ever want to become involved with “blog politics.” I’m not particularly interested in explaining and defending my viewpoints at great depth; I really just express them for…

  • Point

    I reproduce here an email I received in response to my previous post, “How to Tell Constructive Writing from Diatribe.” Dear Josh, After coming across your comments about our blog on yours, we thought you’d be interested in an update on the situation, namely that the author of Russia Blog has admitted that his post…

  • How to Tell Constructive Writing from Diatribe

    Alright friends, I’m going to ask you to compare two blog posts. After that we’€™ll discuss the differences, just like you used to do in school! The first one is at Russia Blog: “Slander” — The Wall Street Journal Misinforms on Extremism Legislation. The second is at La Russophobe (a name which, by the way,…

The common and continual mischiefs of the spirit of party are sufficient to make it the interest and duty of a wise people to discourage and restrain it. It serves… to distract the public councils and enfeeble the public administration. It agitates the community with ill-founded jealousies and false alarms, kindles the animosity of one part against another, foments occasionally riot and insurrection [and] opens the door to foreign influence and corruption….George Washington, Farewell Address