The short answer to the pompous bloviation of Lee Siegel, as any seasoned blogger could tell you, is "Godwin's Law, chump, you lose."

But Josh Marshall's longer answer is worth reading, too: "I can understand someone from the world of small magazines being shocked by the responsiveness, rambuctiousness and even hair trigger hostility of the blogosphere."

It's also eye-opening to write an opinion column in one's hometown newspaper...anyway, back to Josh: "Not long ago I got on the wrong side of the ridiculousness of the proprietor of one left-wing website. And his antics were so dishonorable and shameless that I don't think I'd ever speak to the guy again. Still, I don't think he was a fascist. I think he is, mundane a category as it may be, a dick. Or perhaps I'm the dick. To him, certainly. Still though, I don't think fascism has anything to do with it."

And of course, the best response of all.