BillW, Surgical strike and collateral damage are one and the same. It means absolutely nothing to protect the innocent. c.i.
I really like that thread......maybe I'm just the argumentative type and love a good debate. It's fun to watch and learn. But that has to do with my personality, which some have said is a bit perverse, but it's absolutely not true! Diversity......is good.
I am late here, and have only read pages 1 - 9, but I have to pipe in to exclaim my joy at finding other Harper's readers. Latham has been doing very well in my opinion for a couple of years now, but this last week's column is a topper.
On getting into the politics threads, I do read them sometimes. I too am not so interested in engaging.
First of all, I am disinclined to think I will change any minds by considered postings that wrench all my accumulated views on a given subject into focus and squeeze out a pithy paragraph that is entirely defensible with links to why I think such a way.
I am very interested in politics and have read about it, I would bet, to an equal or greater extent than many of the thread participants, although of course not all.
But I am interested in reading about politics for my own information, my own constant tuning of observation, and I scroll all that observing in a kind of brain feed that culls summaries to myself out of x amount of pages of chaff.
I am not all that interested in putting it together to convince someone else in the room or the thread. I have two day jobs already.
I too participate at my local level. I know my assemblywoman personally, my state senator has come into our office and gallery, as has our US congressional representative; in LA I was part of small neighborhood group with a woman who is now that part of the city's state senator. I know the people on my new city council, and the mayor is someone I can and do talk to. I don't have any confidence that I will be listened to by my present national government no matter who I write or call. Perhaps marching, but it will take a lot of us.
I am a US citizen who is interested in the larger world and have been for a long time. The US isn't the only place with self absorbed concerns, but it certainly seems like it.
I cannot answer the poll, as politics are not too heavy for me, LOL as they say.
And I like men just fine, a lot even (smiling).
ossbuco
I'm a bit of a glutton for reading too. Politics at the local, even neighborhood level, is not at all an insignificant place to be active...and it sure does have the advantage of effectiveness that one can witness. I live in the city, and there are a lot of elderly and children in my neighborhood. For a small hill (small to us, not to the elderly) I built a bench and nestled in some trees by the sidewalk. Seeing old folks use it for a rest or watching kids play on it has presented me with far far more gratification than anything I've written on a bulletin board, to an editor, or to a politician.
But, though it is so much less immediate, voices do matter I think. Whether shown by a demonstration or just in accumulation of rational argument, things can be shifted. I confess though that sometimes I think Sisyphus had it easy.
It perhaps ought to be noted here too that aid organizations have had quite encouraging success directing aid funding ONLY to women. I wish I had specifics on this, but perhaps someone here will.
Hello All:
Most of you know me, and I think you know I personally encourage women to get in these discussions and interject their logic. If we had more women in government, I don't think we'd be as screwed up as we are. A good friend of mine on Abuzz, BettyJ, ran for office in Missouri during the elections. Unfortunately she didn't win, but she tried, and she is a very politically savvy lady.
We need some levity to balance out the testerone levels in these forums. I know the men get awful in Abuzz, but they can't do that here!
Jump in there, give us you ideas and your logic, we need it!!
Anon
And we love it that you need it Anon. Finding the time to be that informed is difficult for me. But I do find the thread (Iraq) to be a very reliable reference for keeping me up on the issues involved in this very scary world event. Thanks guys for keep me up on the latest.
I rarely post on the Political threads. The reason for this is the abuse that is dished out when you say something, the majority doesn't agree with.
Why should I have a migraine, when the internet is supposed to be a source of fun, at least for me!
ok i give up, who is the majority?
New Haven, This is not Abuzz. I repeat, this is not Abuzz. The people on A2K know the rules of debate, and when anybody starts to get out of hand, they are reminded to stay focused on the subject. Try it, you'll love it. c.i.
The majority of the respondents on a
particular thread.
Why can't people just express themselves and not attack others, who don't agree? Why do we have to engage in these verbal fights that are a plain irritation and source of migraines.
To maintain peace,people should just state their veiws and then be quiet , while others express their views.
Shalom
I have found that if you have a thick skin, and a sense of humor, you can become involved in political threads without too much "damage". If I find myself becoming upset with what is said, I leave. I think that goes for all the threads. Once a person becomes too emotionally involved, IMO, it is not healthy, and no fun!
I agree. For me, the fighting isn't fun. It's wearing on my nervous system.
Phoenix:
I did briefly stick "my toe" in the water. Could that be a reason, why I now have only 9 toes? (bite...bite...bite!)
New Haven, I'd like to express one observation. You lost only one toe on A2K. On Abuzz, you would have not any more toes left.
c.i.
It's like a Thanksgiving dinner with family on some days in these forums, isn't it? I just wish some of the guys would just sit back, get drunk and fart.
