Michael Reichmann disagrees with Ken Rockwell and does so in a public place.
When someone disagrees with (apparently) one of your core beliefs you can:
1) Ignore them.
2) Make a reasoned argument that solidifies your point(s).
3) Say something disparaging about their Mother
or (and you don’t see this one nearly enough)
4) Launch an ad hominem attack against an entire country and include an irrelevant history lesson.
Oddly enough, or maybe not, Rockwell choose number 4. I wouldn’t dare to paraphrase this jingoistic nonsense so here is the meat of it in his own words:
Maybe I’m American-centric. American’s don’t understand words like “no,” “I can’t” or “impossible.” In the 1700s everyone knew a motley band of rabble rousers couldn’t defeat the world’s most powerful empire, but we did and created the United States of America in 1776. Everyone knew heavier-than-air flight was a proven scientific impossibility, but in 1903 the Wright Brothers flew anyway. No possible way could men ever get to the moon, but back in 1969 we sent men up there just because we could, and although we continued to send men up there on an almost weekly basis until we got bored of it in the 1970s, no other nation has ever been able to get there to this day almost 40 years later. Tell a Texan (an especially tough breed of American) that he’s got cancer and only 6 weeks to live, and he’ll cut off one of his own nuts just to keep things fair and go off to win le Tour de France — seven times in a row. Do you think it was his bicycle?
So I guess when you try to tell an American that he can’t make good pictures with a crappy camera, that won’t stop him, but Geeze, it would be a very sad world if only Americans had the gumption to make decent photos with crappy cameras. I honestly doubt that.
I sure know I’ve also seen far more really crappy photos made with great equipment, in fact, I’ve made thousands of the crappy ones myself with great gear!
Reichman is a little too found of his toys and can seem a little chummy with those that make them. Rockwell is a mediocre writer who has trouble actually crafting an argument. That said, this round goes to the Canadian for, if nothing else, attempting a reasoned argument.
And for not once mentioning Lance Armstrong…
March 14, 2008 Postscript: As of this evening, Ken Rockwell has excised much of the vitriol quoted above. But, with apologies to the Wright Brothers and Lance Armstrong (who I am certain rode a series of very tricked out bikes on the Tour) not to mention all Canadians, the text deserves to linger. So it does.
April 12: Rockwell has archived the sanitized version of this post. I’ve corrected the link. Scroll to March 13 to read the re-written version.