Political Discussions where the protagonists can't be civil

[Teiwaz]

We all know how the Republican/Democrat animosity can get otherwise sane and reasonable people worked up enough to hurl insults at each other from the safety of their keyboards. Disagreements about one thing or another in politics are usually based on opinions which are formed based on "facts" that are rather fluid, inconsistent and often tainted heavily by opinion themselves. Then we take that and roll it into wildly varying levels of education (which does not equate to intelligence), different life experiences and the indoctrination of our parents and role models as we grow up. No wonder consensus is hard to find.

That still does not explain to me though the people that will say things like "Well if you think [insert opinion to be denegrated] then you must be an idiot" or "I hate Republicans/Democrats because they are the cause of all our current problems" etc. We have all seen these emotive posts, and the argumentative types, and the insults and personal aspersions.

I mean, when you post on a political topic, surely you realise that people will hold differing opinions? Aren't you looking for discussion so that you can better understand the issues?

My rant is about those who just seek to provoke for the sake of provoking, or who make statements merely to deride others' opinions. No-one I know, and that includes PhD's in a couple of related fields, knows enough to be dogmatic in the area of politics so it really pisses me off when I see people who barely watch the news and read a local paper dismissing the opinions of others out of hand without even the whiff of objective backing, independent thought or reasoned consideration.

Lets hope those people stay away from here.

[Freethinker]

You know as well as I do that this politcs can get heated. I second your wishes for a meaningful and diverse discussion.:D

[Moondog]

Agreed.

["shazbat"]

Is this the exit for rants or not?
Rants being what they are, are just the overt manifestations of your frustrations at the time.
They're typically not rational because emotion is the fuel to fire them.
I guess to rant in answer to a rant is the height of emotional idiocy but is understandable. Sometimes just the "last straw".
Anyway, is this where I rant or are we just going to platonically discuss the ins and outs of rants to no positive conclusion?

[Freethinker]

Is this the exit for rants or not?
Rants being what they are, are just the overt manifestations of your frustrations at the time.
They're typically not rational because emotion is the fuel to fire them.
I guess to rant in answer to a rant is the height of emotional idiocy but is understandable. Sometimes just the "last straw".
Anyway, is this where I rant or are we just going to platonically discuss the ins and outs of rants to no positive conclusion?

Rant all you want, just know you're rant will be dissected and reviewed, which may or may not fuel your emotional rant........:confused:

I think I confused myself again........

[Teiwaz]

Anyway, is this where I rant or are we just going to platonically discuss the ins and outs of rants to no positive conclusion?

Sure it's for rants. Mine was about people who get stupid and rude because their narrow minded view of the world isn't meekly and instantly adopted by everyone around them.

["shazbat"]

I think I confused myself again........

"I think, therefore I'm confused?"

[Teiwaz]

I'm confused, therefore I drink.

["shazbat"]

I'm confused, therefore I drink.

In that case "I drink, therefore I am" How Platonic.
And all this time I thought it was "I drink, I get drunk, I fall down and puke on your shoes, No problem"
You can ineed teach an old dog new tricks.;)

[Sonrisa]

You want a rant....I'll give you a rant......I am prepared for you to slice and dice it to your heart's content. As my old friend, Otto, used to say, "We can disagree without being disagreeable".

I guess it is all ego-centered anyway, otherwise, why do I get so hostile and just plain pissed when people in general take any issue like politics or whatever and slyly insert their religious philosophy into it. My reaction is they are being condescending....and obnoxious.. and casting aspersions at my intellect, my morals according to their doctrine, and making blanket assumptions about who and what I am....if my ego were not involved it wouldn't matter.

I have always regarded religion as a private affair between a person and their God or the lack of it, and truly no one else's business. It FEELS like with the current political climate with what FEELS like constant harping on religion and religious mores that our civil liberties are in danger of disappearing altogether.

I actually had someone I genuinely like and respect, in all innocence privately email me and ask me "Why don't you believe in Jesus". After a smart alecky answer that I won't repeat here, I told him it was none of his business, but was astounded that he would ask.

I see a lot of the advances for women receding back into time to the 1930s. I must admit a lot of the immigration question is tinged in my case in that regard. Many of the immigrants are from countries where women's rights are small or nonexistent. I do fear that ours will be even more eroded. I haven't heard anyone admit to it on camera, and they would surely be branded as racist if they did, but I know of a lot of other women who are also concerned about it.

I'll admit to going ballistic while viewing the 6 o'clock news and that's why this forum is very good for me, because I can't and I have to slow down and think.

Sonrisa :D

[The_Man]

You want a rant....I'll give you a rant......I am prepared for you to slice and dice it to your heart's content. As my old friend, Otto, used to say, "We can disagree without being disagreeable".

I like the phrase that your friend Otto used and hope that we can maintain the spirit of that statement with all discussions and discourse on this forum.

I guess it is all ego-centered anyway, otherwise, why do I get so hostile and just plain pissed when people in general take any issue like politics or whatever and slyly insert their religious philosophy into it. My reaction is they are being condescending....and obnoxious.. and casting aspersions at my intellect, my morals according to their doctrine, and making blanket assumptions about who and what I am....if my ego were not involved it wouldn't matter.

It is very difficult for me to discuss politics or any other topic without my personal religious ideas coming into play. My faith is a large part of me and it would be a censored response and incomplete reply if I had to restrict those thoughts from discussions on any topic. I don’t try to be evangelical or attempt to convert anyone, only to state how I see it on any topic within the forum and am of the impression that that is the purpose of the forum in the first place. This is a place to openly discuss the political topics that affect all members of the forum. I am sure over time as the forum grows there will be many philosophies brought to bear since the diverse political structures of the world are just that, diverse.

I have always regarded religion as a private affair between a person and their God or the lack of it, and truly no one else's business. It FEELS like with the current political climate with what FEELS like constant harping on religion and religious mores that our civil liberties are in danger of disappearing altogether.

The way I see it religious freedom is what has been slowly compromised not civil liberties. This country was founded on basic Christian principles no matter what the present misrepresentation of our history seems to say. It is well documented in documents and dissertations by our founding fathers in plain English only to be dissected by those who wish to redefine what was actually said.

I see a lot of the advances for women receding back into time to the 1930s. I must admit a lot of the immigration question is tinged in my case in that regard. Many of the immigrants are from countries where women's rights are small or nonexistent. I do fear that ours will be even more eroded. I haven't heard anyone admit to it on camera, and they would surely be branded as racist if they did, but I know of a lot of other women who are also concerned about it.

You will have much better insite on this point than I ever could and it is interesting. I will have to give this some serious thought. Although it is difficult to believe that any group of people, having once being oppressed and then granted liberty would silently go backwards. Liberty has a funny way of taking hold that way.

PS Welcome to the forum and I mean it.

[Sonrisa]

Thanks!! The only part I agree with is the part where we don't need to be disagreeable, but that's why I joined this forum. Being around only people who think like me would be like being with no one but myself all the time - very boring!!

I am actually willing to change my mind and frequently do, but I need a convincing reason to do so, not just people pleasing.

I am actually not left or right and not really centrist either.......very right on some things and very left on others. I think a lot of people are.

Christian or not it doesn't matter to me since I have the same dislike of all religions equally. Spirituality is another matter entirely, but that is mine personally and not something I could explain even if I wanted to. I've many wondrous personal experiences with that, but they don't translate well into public discussion and are way too lengthy to put on any forum.

For our purposes here, the Golden Rule works fine for me.

I'm glad to be, and I do mean that sincerely.

Sonrisa

[Sonrisa]

P.S. What does "Nil gach uile fhanai cail" mean? It looks Gaelic.

[nelson]

Sonrisa, to your rant, I honestly believe that everyone has a religious philosophy, whether it encompasses the origin of the universe, basic rules to live by everyday, a divine being, or a deliberate rejection of all of the above. For instance, I believe some scientists have deduced their own religion - humanism - using our collective and very limited human perspective to declare it and it's most recent theories factual by definition. I cannot harbor ill against them or anyone else for holding their particular philosophy nor for wanting to propagate it, no matter how different theirs may be from my own. We all have our own contexts in which we matured, and our own resulting philosophical realities, why should I feel contested by the existence of another person, who without a doubt matured in a world perceived differently than my own? I can't -- not as an adult.

But I certainly can and will judge the behavior of another; that is quite a different and very tangible thing. If my judgement of another's behavior is based on the standards of a nation founded upon rules, then I see nothing wrong with that either, even if those rules derived from one particular religion.

[nelson]

Teiwaz, I believe the targets of your rant ruin any real discussion for all others.Lets hope those people stay away from here.Amen!!

[Teiwaz]

Ah shut up.

[Teiwaz]

:)

:eek:

[The_Man]

P.S. What does "Nil gach uile fhanai cail" mean? It looks Gaelic.

Correct, "Not all who wander are lost."

["shazbat"]

A fine kettle of soup here. Needs digesting.

Correct, "Not all who wander are lost."
Did I miss the turn at the last galaxy?

But seriously, this has all been interesting thus far.