"The only time cut and paste is complained about is when someone from what is percieved as the "political right" post things that make most mudcatters uncomfortable."

That may be the only time you notice it happening, John, but it's not actually true. In fac there was a sopecifuic referance earlier on the thread to a recent visitor, with decidedly non-right-wing views, who got up people's noses by doing length cut-and-pastes. Any overlengthy cut-and-paste, more especially when it isn't credited, is liable to draw complaints, including from peopel who might actually share the general views being expressed by the cut-and-paster.

Basically, most times, that kind of thing is just bad manners. And silly as well. A link with an explanation and a quote to act as a teaser is much more likely to get read with interest rather than skimmed and skipped in irritation. In addition the pieces involved are generally a lot easier to read in their original format. Plus that way peopole can get introduced to interesting new sources of information and opinion, which might even shift their perceptions, which is surely what the cut-and-paster would be hoping for.

About the only exception to this is when, for some reason, it is not possible to make a link, maybe because the site it is taken from is only accessible to paying customers, or because it is likely the original site won't archive the piece. (In both these cases the better way would be for the person posting to stick the piece on their own website, and provide a link to that.)