The "Neutral" D&D Thread... "Why I hate Politics."

too many people "discuss" politics as if a particular party was their favorite sports team, unquestioningly supporting its every word or action, failing to see the effects of change, sugercoating inadequacies...etc.

 

I'm not here necessarily to change people's mind but mainly because I enjoy discussion and debate and to both provoke thought in others and inturn get my own brain going. As a side benefit since I don't live in Houston anymore this is a good way to get a sense of what's going on in Houston. I've been particularly entertained by the Houston LRT debates.

While there certainly are trolls and heated emotions here I'm not bothered by it, for comparison y'all should see the NYTimes Bush forum which I abandoned sinc that was all it was, I'm generally not bothered by it and keep it in perspective. There are serious issues but as far as I know I don't know anyone here outside of this forum personally or have any other dealings with anyone here so there's no reason for me to get upset about anything I read here.

 

This forum is interesting and should be kept around for the simple fact that it is an exercise in sociology.

This bbs, I think, is a sampling of the general publi, the "real world" without the social conditioning that exists in face-to-face meetings. While it is true that this pales in comparison of true discourse obtained by such personal interface, it nontheless brings a kind of awareness about what people really want to say.

Many in here probably act but they nontheless act in a way that they envision as cool or ideal. Exaggeration, no matter how extreme, still holds truth. Some (maybe many) are probably pretty authentic. I know I am (for better or worse) with the exception of being much more emotionally and intellectually detatched. But I play arond in real life just as much (sorry, giddy, I don't hide as you assume).

In any event, this forum is interesting because it is like a train wreck...it is the reality we often overlook in our own worlds. People at their ugliest and sometimes at their best (the genuine concern for mc mark after 911 was a wonderful result of a sense of community).

 

Puck Folitics.

 

what an EXCELLENT observation!

 

Actually,

I never discuss politics in a public situation. It is a polarizing conversation to say the least.

Politics and Religion are off limits at parties for me....it is a waste of time, and a real downer.

I am a fiscal conservative and a social moderate.

I like less government, and am pro choice.

Can't stand people who do not stand by their beliefs, and politicians drive me batty.

We have not had a good leader since Ronald Reagan..where are all the presidents who understand that their job is to make us feel good about the direction our country is going?

DD

 

Fatty:

I get along with RM95 and Jorge as well. Spent precious little time off board with either, but more with Jorge than 95. I also had a great night out with uber liberal rimrocker and uber conservative rrj_gamz. This forum doesn't ruin or prevent friendships. In fact, it promotes understanding between people of different ideologies. But for time, giddyup and I would have had lunch when I was in NC and hopefully one day we still will. I've said before there's no one on this board I wouldn't enjoy meeting.

That doesn't mean that there should be no place whatever to discuss politics, even if it gets nasty sometimes.

You know, I really wouldn't have had a problem with your thread if you'd started it in the Feedback forum. If I substituted a few words and posted the same thing in the GARM though, just to b**** about how bad some of the threads there are, it would have been moved to Feedback or locked. The only reason yours wasn't is because this forum is disdained by the politics suck crowd. And it's instructive that the guy you got in the argument with is a conservative just like you. He just didn't like being told that caring about politics was stupid. I don't either. It doesn't mean I don't like you personally.

Off to NYC for a couple days. Glad we got some PG's before I had to log off. Have a good one. See you Thursday.

 

Fatty Fat, I'd have no problem meeting up with T_J at a cc.net get together. During the 2000 election, things got pretty heated around here. This was before I'd met anyone from the board, sans Major. The three people I was most excited about meeting where TheFreak, Clutch, and BrianKagy for two reasons. One, they were in Austin with me. Secondly, it was the fact that I was arguing against them everyday. I was happy to meet all three and I met two of them while the recount was going on...there were no problems whatsoever.

 

We don't get along here. We got in too many pissing matches that was no good for the forum, so I put him on ignore. My bandwidth comments were just jabs at his past bandwidth comments.

I have no doubt that I wouldn't have a bad time having a beer or six with him.

 

I do that already.

 

It would be fun, I'd be pretty convincing...but, I don't think too many of us on both sides could play along with this...

 

Given that your post immediately followed mine, and came more than two hours later, I think it would behoove you to clarify who you're referring to as "moron".