Why Do You Post and/or Read A2K Political Threads?

I sneak a peek once in awhile. I find that the vast majority of threads on Abuzz are political, and very hostile in nature. I stay away from them like the plague!

Do we constantly avoid something which is often self-serving, misdirected, irritating yet needed within a democractic society; or do we keep trying to find a way to address the issues in a meaningful dialogue?

Mapleleaf- I think that "meaningful dialogue" is extremely important. What I don't want or need, are mean spirited people, who don't stick to the issues, but use Abuzz to attack and demean other people.

That is not discussion or debate, it is merely adolescent vitriol!

As with many of these polls there are three of the options that apply.

I have very strong opinions (some of you may not have noticed , but I also I can be persuaded by a good logical argument. I have had my opinions moderated by several posts, and have completely changed my mind as the result of at least two. I hope others have had this experience.

You can learn a lot more when you are wrong than when you are right. I most enjoy the feeling that I am learning something new.

I enjoy having my ideas challenged and challenging the ideas of others. This challenge at the very least helps me understand why I believe what I do. I also enjoy learning about the beliefs of others and more importantly why they hold them.

ebrown_p- I am gratified that you have had this experience. What I find is that some people have political ideas that are set in stone. They do not want their ideas challenged- they merely want others to agree with their "take" on issues, and often attack those who attempt to disagree.

I have learned that the more that one keeps an open mind, the greater that one learns. The older that I get, the more I realize how much that I DON'T know!

It reminds me of the story of the son who was talking about his father. He said that when he was 17, he thought that his father didn't know much. He was amazed at how much the father had learned by the time he was 22!

I was posting to the thread, "Personal Attacks".

http://www.able2know.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=256413#256413

Reading this, I thought that I would like to find out just WHY people love to discuss and argue politics, especially as it refers to A2K. I wanted to start a thread on the subject.

Then I remembered that I had already started a thread on the subject!

Anybody, in the light of the political threads on A2K today, want to add any comments?

I agree with ebrown_p. Now, politics are not of particular interest to me, and as many of the threads here revolve around American politics, I pop in just to catch up with issues that people are talking about, to expand my knowledge a bit in an area where it is seriously lacking. If I post an opinion, it is just that, an opinion, often not based on much research, and certainly mutable. I am always willing to listen and learn. However, when an opinion is attacked in a hostile or childish manner, with personal digs, I lose interest. I don't have the patience for that. A2K is a wonderful diversion for me, I don't feel I should walk away angry or upset. If a thread gets too heated, i.e., in a personal way, I simply ignore it. There are plenty of interesting threads here, and topics, where that sort of thing does not go on.

what underlies politics, not unlike religion, is one's primal understanding of the world one lives in.

dys- Beautifully said.............and therein lies the problem. For some, one's politics is an integral part of their being. Attacking their politics is tantamount to attacking their raison d'etre!

Frankly, I sit back in sheer awe of the munificent verbalistic trajectories and insalubrious disconsolacy. You know, like the puerile tautology and all! It's the jam on my toast.



:-D

If one MUST be pureile and insulting, at least do it in a truly childish way, so everyone can laugh, and not get upset, like "OOOO, so-and-so, you are just a big ole farty poopy-pants!" The underlying motivation is the same as the supposedly "adult" insults we get....

Cav- How right you are. It's that thinly veiled agression that is so disconcerting. Then when someone is "called" on it, they can feign innocence.

I think that if we tried your technique, it might prove valuable. Let's all laugh together, and not at one another.

For starters- I think that the vast majority of politicians are doodyheads, whose only goal is to cover their own tushies!

Hee!

The other problem is that adult high-brow insults can seem snotty or be misconstrued.

Being terrible at vocabulary, my previous post should read "I like reading all the big words". :-)

There's some smart people here.

There are lots of smart people here Code, but sometimes big words can be used to cover up small ideas. I always feel it is best to be as clear as possible. I think that's why I like Frank Apisa's posts so much, even when I disagree with him. They are to the point, one man's honest opinion. I like that far more than flatulent doublespeak.

Oops, I meant "farty doublespeak".

Actually, I wonder what you said, when joining any political discussion in Europe - in "real life" (even those at the monthly meetings of my own party [very small suburbian part of a rural town] are mostly more 'lively' then many here!)!

Walter, I think that the size of the group must be taken into consideration though, and the familiarity with each other. I get into wickedly heated debates with my friends and peers, but I can see their faces, I can guage that nobody is getting offended, and we have history together. The underlying trust is there. Here, and I know many of you know each other, the community is still pretty much comprised of strangers and newcomers, and it continues to grow. A different protocol should be observed.

Yeap, too true, cav.

bull poo!

poo head!

this poo is cold!