Perhaps There Is a Difference Between Right-Wing and Left-Wing Bloggers

Left-wing and right-wing bloggers would like a person to think there is some definitive difference between them: one thing--aside from their partisan or ideological allegiances--that set them apart from one another.

Perhaps there is.

Most of those who insist these differences exist also insist that they are differences in character.

One's character is often best exemplified by how they admit they are wrong, and apologize when necessary.

Those who follow this particular blog on a regular basis are probably now aware of the allegations raised by committed miscreant Red Tory: notedly, that I was posting comments on his blog under an alias (something that I never do as a point of principle). Having proven decisively that I was away from my computer at the time the posts were made, and thus unable to make them, I have demanded an apology from Red Tory.

Red Tory has basically announced that no apology will be forthcoming, despite his demonstrably libellous comments. "I have nothing to apologize for," Red Tory insists. "I said there was a probability — people can arrive at their own conclusions based on the available information."

This is despite a comment made earlier in the same comments section, wherein he wrote, "I knew it right from the get-go a couple of nights back when he was commenting on that thread about polygamy. It was just him all over. He can call himself whatever he wants to and I'll still be able to tell. I have a very good "ear" for these things."

Apparently, not so good as he would like to think, but this is all beside the point.

When Blogging Tory Steve Janke was sued for libel by Liberal David Herle, it became quite the story in the left-wing blogosphere.

(Red Tory, for his part, made quite the tale out of it.)

Janke's article reportedly accused Herle of manipulating operations of the department of Finance to his seeming advantage. There were several options Janke could have used. In the end, Janke issued several apologies.

So perhaps there is a difference between right-wing bloggers and left-wing bloggers after all. Seemingly, the difference is that some will do the right thing when they've libelled another individual--others won't.