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Tue 27 Jun, 2006 11:44 am
I sometimes wonder what we are all doing here. And why we continue to post, when it means wading through utter stupidity and abusive argument.
I live in suburban Boston. My town is upper-middle class. Its school system is consistently among the top ten in the state. People tend to register as independents, although there are slightly more registered Democrats than Republicans. I know that neighboring towns are more liberal than my own.
So, I feel confident sometimes that America is heading in the right direction, albeit slowly.
For many years, I did not know much about the political choices of my neighbors (used in the broad sense, not limited to people on my street), largely because the political scene was generally benign.
The bush administration is hardly benign. It is one of the worst, most likely the worst, disaster to befall America in its history. Until the rampages against the planet and humanity wrought by the WH, I knew little of the politics of people about.
That is largely because most center-left to left wing people are good mannered, respectful and quiet about their beliefs. As it turns out, all my friends are on the left. They are friendly, creative, intelligent and without a lot of what can only be called character flaws.
Lately, the right wing has become more vocal on this forum than it had been for years.
The opinions of these posters are extreme. Frankly, they are often ignorant. Yet their attitude is negative.
Which faction represents America?
undoubtably and unfortunately the frothing right are the squeaky wheels....IMO
I'm not really sure what the point of this topic is, so this is just a casual observation....
I assume you're associating yourself as one of the "center-left to left wing people who are good mannered, respectful and quiet about their beliefs
At the same time you question why "we" continue to post when it involves "wading through utter stupidity and abusive argument" and well as extreme and ignorant.
I don't give much thought as to why others choose to post here, I just consider why I do.
I notice you seem to like to lump people together, not seeming to regard humans as indivduals.
Then again, I've been known to be wrong.
Doesn't matter to me one way or the other what someones reason for doing something like posting here is.
We are definitely not representative of the whole country. Most people, for instance, don't give a **** about most current events and certainly wouldn't take the time to argue about them online. We represent a small minority of people who are bored at work and/or at home, and who like to argue.
Re: Does A2K represent the nation? If so, how?
plainoldme wrote:I sometimes wonder what we are all doing here. And why we continue to post, when it means wading through utter stupidity and abusive argument.
I live in suburban Boston. My town is upper-middle class. Its school system is consistently among the top ten in the state. People tend to register as independents, although there are slightly more registered Democrats than Republicans. I know that neighboring towns are more liberal than my own.
So, I feel confident sometimes that America is heading in the right direction, albeit slowly.
For many years, I did not know much about the political choices of my neighbors (used in the broad sense, not limited to people on my street), largely because the political scene was generally benign.
The bush administration is hardly benign. It is one of the worst, most likely the worst, disaster to befall America in its history. Until the rampages against the planet and humanity wrought by the WH, I knew little of the politics of people about.
That is largely because most center-left to left wing people are good mannered, respectful and quiet about their beliefs. As it turns out, all my friends are on the left. They are friendly, creative, intelligent and without a lot of what can only be called character flaws.
Lately, the right wing has become more vocal on this forum than it had been for years.
The opinions of these posters are extreme. Frankly, they are often ignorant. Yet their attitude is negative.
But you are being too kind.
Quote:Which faction represents America?
The faction that posts!
Which, of course, means both sides of all the issues.
That is what America is.
freeduck -- You are absolutely correct about most people not caring about current events or issues or even personalities (not the Hollywood kind: too many people seem to care too much about their doings). We here are certainly vocal and involved.
chai -- People lump themselves into categories. Conservatives are more vocal than liberals about proclaiming themselves. I also think people latch onto patterns. When it was "fashionable" to favor active and/or passive solar energy, people did. After a few years, it fell out of style and there began to appear in the press stories that the environment was not a concern any longer. People stopped their pro-environment activities because they could read in the paper that it was fashionable to not separate your trash and to waste electricity.
Frank -- My feeling is that after several years on abuzz and a2k, we have all seen the same people (no matter how many guises they assume) posting the same things. If I run across another post lifted completely from Posner, I will scream.
These are not people worth discussing things with. They make up complicated rules for posting here, demand answers that have already been given and think that life and knowledge depend upon how many links one can provide. Geeez!
good rule of thumb
excepting those who agree with my every word and opinion... everyone is full of ****.
No more needs to be said.
(just being representative of America)
plainoldme wrote:freeduck -- You are absolutely correct about most people not caring about current events or issues or even personalities (not the Hollywood kind: too many people seem to care too much about their doings). We here are certainly vocal and involved.
chai -- People lump themselves into categories. Conservatives are more vocal than liberals about proclaiming themselves. I also think people latch onto patterns. When it was "fashionable" to favor active and/or passive solar energy, people did. After a few years, it fell out of style and there began to appear in the press stories that the environment was not a concern any longer. People stopped their pro-environment activities because they could read in the paper that it was fashionable to not separate your trash and to waste electricity.
You missed my point, which was in my first 3 sentences.
Your association with the type of people in my 2nd sentence does not correspond to your opinions stated in the 3rd.
No, not the nation. A2K's view of things is heavily clouded by socialism, particularly noticible in the posts coming from Europe, Canada, and down under. They love to tell us American's how stupid and brash we are, when they've given up most of their rights and becomes slaves to their governments.
And look where you are from - Taxachusetts, where your favorite son senator Kennedy is known by the slogan "he may be an idiot, but he's our idiot", and the other Senator couldn't even beat Bush. Perhaps this is because he is the biggest liberal in the U.S. Senate and the country isn't ready for that. Perhaps.
cjhsa -- What do you think liberalism is and why isn't the country ready for it?
As for Taxachusetts, when I moved from Michigan to New ENgland in 1976, my taxes were lessened. Most states today have a higher sales tax than Massachusetts does.
I also think in terms of classical liberalism -- the spirit behind the Civil Rights Movement -- do you think the country needs to return to separate but equal?
What about rights for women? Should we revoke the vote for women?
And science? Never mind! We know the country isn't ready for real science!
(wish I'd said that, Jespah..)
Perhaps, POM - and cj, too - the circle within which you confine your intellectual travels is unrepresentative of The Nation's mood and attitude as a whole, and similarly unrepresentative of the overall mood and attitude of the aggregate membership of this website.
timberlandko -- What do you mean by an intellectual circle? The real intellectuals are an even smaller minority than the political activists. Frankly, when there are times of relative peace and prosperity -- ok, those things are wills - o' - the - wisp -- then political activists mean lonely aged widows who need to get out from their four walls.
I have seen neither hide nor hair of an intellectual attitude on any of the threads I visit.
The idea that an assertion has any validity is anti-intellectualism of the highest order.
One of my considered posts this very afternoon was greeted with the assertion that it was "very silly" without the slightest attempt to justify the remark nor, seemingly, any sense that there was a need to justify it.
I have come to the conclusion that if A2K is representive of America you are hardly capable of holding a proper conversation with each other and prefer to "reach" as Frank Apisa suggested yesterday.
As for science-the less said about that the better. Opinionated people can't do science.
But America's achievements are such that it is hardly possible to imagine that A2K is representitive of America generally. One lives in hope.
How many people in real life handle differences in opinion by insulting others?
spendius wrote:One of my considered posts this very afternoon was greeted with the assertion that it was "very silly" without the slightest attempt to justify the remark nor, seemingly, any sense that there was a need to justify it.
Considering the amount of drivel you post which has absolutely no relation to the topics being discussed, it is small wonder that people don't feel the need to justify calling your efforts silly.
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