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Thread: Why such hard partisianship around here?

  1. #31
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    Quote Originally Posted by Standing Wolf View Post
    If everyone were on this forum for the same reason - and that reason was, as you put it, "to discuss issues and develop a non-partisan solution" - of course things would be far different here. The reality is that some folks are here to practice their skills at cognition and expression - understanding what others are thinking and developing their own skills at rationally dealing with the views of others while testing their own - while others are just here to scrawl out a message on the public bathroom wall.

    People in the first group tend to occasionally grant those with whom they generally disagree credit when they have a valid point; people in the second group would see doing something like that as a sign of weakness. Those in the first group will admit it when they don't honestly know enough about a topic to have an informed opinion; those in the second group would rather take poison than do that.

    Folks in the first group will even occasionally have their minds changed about something; folks in the second group would sooner change their gender identity than their stance on illegal immigration or same-sex marriage. People in the first group tend to be intellectually lazy and cling to absolutes and authoritative answers with a fervor approaching the religious; people in the second group are willing to subject their own ideas and opinions to scrutiny, to take the time to honestly examine those things and to refute the other guy's views with facts and logic, rather than hyperbole and insult.

    Those in the first group will usually modify a negative description or a criticism of the opposition with a word like "some"; those in the second group have no problem with dismissing and condemning the opposition with a stated or implied "all".

    Members in the first group will admit that the folks with whom they generally agree, be they "Liberals" or "Conservatives", are at least occasionally guilty of being in the "second group" as described above. Members in the second group are absolutely convinced that their side in any argument, their partisan clique, is relatively guiltless in all of the above faults and peccadillos - that it's "the other side" that simply trolls and lashes out all the time.



    Personally, I find that characterization of this forum to be bizarre. I see the extremes of both sides of most issues having their "say" on this board hundreds of times every day. I see players on both "teams" being warned, sanctioned and suspended. If the other members with whom you identify politically or ideologically are getting slammed at what you feel is an unfair rate or with disproportionate frequency - you might want to consider the possibility that at least some of those posters are displaying signs of being in The Second Group.
    My criticisms were not aimed at this board alone. Note the terminology "these discussion boards."

    Every board has its limitations with respect to, let us say moderation. Some moderators imagine threats when people they don't like point out that if the board talk were face to face discussions, it would mean that someone were bucking for a fight.

    For example, the insults, name calling and false misrepresentations made in order to circumvent the discussion of an issue would lead to a fist fight if done on a face to face basis. So, if you point that fact out (and mainly because I don't understand why people act that way unless they are cowards and use discussion boards to play tough guy) you get in trouble and that group that employs such techniques is allowed to continue unabated.

    Every board has its special interest groups and they have become masters at manipulating the flow of information. Take me, for example. Not being in a group, if I show the weak points of any special interest group, the entire flock comes out to challenge by way of insults, badgering, lies, misrepresentations, etc. Never mind that when I know where a certain political issue began, it's the fact that I don't toe the line with respect to socialist solutions that causes me to get flak from people too stupid to simply ask for explanations.

    Regardless of which ones you reprimand, the group mentality is to win. And, winning even includes the illusion of winning when you are getting your butt handed to you. If a group can post the most insults and make the biggest splash, they are convinced, in their minds, they won and stopped the discussion. The fact that they intimidate others from having alternative opinions reinforces their psychological intimidation.

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  3. #32
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    Quote Originally Posted by Scrounger View Post
    My criticisms were not aimed at this board alone. Note the terminology "these discussion boards."

    Every board has its limitations with respect to, let us say moderation. Some moderators imagine threats when people they don't like point out that if the board talk were face to face discussions, it would mean that someone were bucking for a fight.

    For example, the insults, name calling and false misrepresentations made in order to circumvent the discussion of an issue would lead to a fist fight if done on a face to face basis. So, if you point that fact out (and mainly because I don't understand why people act that way unless they are cowards and use discussion boards to play tough guy) you get in trouble and that group that employs such techniques is allowed to continue unabated.

    Every board has its special interest groups and they have become masters at manipulating the flow of information. Take me, for example. Not being in a group, if I show the weak points of any special interest group, the entire flock comes out to challenge by way of insults, badgering, lies, misrepresentations, etc. Never mind that when I know where a certain political issue began, it's the fact that I don't toe the line with respect to socialist solutions that causes me to get flak from people too stupid to simply ask for explanations.

    Regardless of which ones you reprimand, the group mentality is to win. And, winning even includes the illusion of winning when you are getting your butt handed to you. If a group can post the most insults and make the biggest splash, they are convinced, in their minds, they won and stopped the discussion. The fact that they intimidate others from having alternative opinions reinforces their psychological intimidation.


    Here we're member-driven. We run the forum based on member input and reports. Every idea for the forum ad every criticism is considered. We don't roam the threads looking for violations but work off members reporting them--when you do, please refer to specific rule component you think violated.

    On the partisan thing, we're not going to take sides, you all work that out.

  4. #33
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    Quote Originally Posted by Scrounger View Post
    I am embarrassed and even frustrated by the right wing conservatives. Their ethics, standards, and methods are bottom of the barrel. For that reason I have been pointing out to them how they have mixed socialism into their philosophy (sometimes knowingly and sometimes ignorantly.)

    At the end of the day they will forfeit one right in order to give the illusion of a win on another right. They are incapable of having any kind of civil discourse.

    Conservatives seem to have repackaged the product. The left is majority rule - the nanny state and the right has become the POLICE STATE. At the end of the day both sides are committed to the same type and form of government.
    Reputation WIN!
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    When out walking, look out for PROBlems. You know: maskless Plague Rats On Bicycles who blow past you without giving you time to get out of the way.

    Ah, CONServatives, the Masters of Projection (MOPs). With CONServatives, every accusation is a confession. Weird, that.

    ............Oh, what fresh hell is this?
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  5. #34
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    Quote Originally Posted by Subdermal View Post
    Because the oil of rabid Progressivism is utterly incompatible with the water of traditional American values.
    LOL, you do know what oil on water does, right? It calms it.

    No, don't try and think about it; it will just make you upset.
    Wearing a mask with your nose sticking out is like wearing a condom on your testicles.

    When out walking, look out for PROBlems. You know: maskless Plague Rats On Bicycles who blow past you without giving you time to get out of the way.

    Ah, CONServatives, the Masters of Projection (MOPs). With CONServatives, every accusation is a confession. Weird, that.

    ............Oh, what fresh hell is this?
    ,,,........¯¯\_(ツ)_/¯¯
    ....... Not my circus, not my monkeys

  6. #35
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    Quote Originally Posted by Scrounger View Post
    My criticisms were not aimed at this board alone. Note the terminology "these discussion boards."

    Every board has its limitations with respect to, let us say moderation. Some moderators imagine threats when people they don't like point out that if the board talk were face to face discussions, it would mean that someone were bucking for a fight.

    For example, the insults, name calling and false misrepresentations made in order to circumvent the discussion of an issue would lead to a fist fight if done on a face to face basis. So, if you point that fact out (and mainly because I don't understand why people act that way unless they are cowards and use discussion boards to play tough guy) you get in trouble and that group that employs such techniques is allowed to continue unabated.

    Every board has its special interest groups and they have become masters at manipulating the flow of information. Take me, for example. Not being in a group, if I show the weak points of any special interest group, the entire flock comes out to challenge by way of insults, badgering, lies, misrepresentations, etc. Never mind that when I know where a certain political issue began, it's the fact that I don't toe the line with respect to socialist solutions that causes me to get flak from people too stupid to simply ask for explanations.

    Regardless of which ones you reprimand, the group mentality is to win. And, winning even includes the illusion of winning when you are getting your butt handed to you. If a group can post the most insults and make the biggest splash, they are convinced, in their minds, they won and stopped the discussion. The fact that they intimidate others from having alternative opinions reinforces their psychological intimidation.
    Like a Boss.
    Wearing a mask with your nose sticking out is like wearing a condom on your testicles.

    When out walking, look out for PROBlems. You know: maskless Plague Rats On Bicycles who blow past you without giving you time to get out of the way.

    Ah, CONServatives, the Masters of Projection (MOPs). With CONServatives, every accusation is a confession. Weird, that.

    ............Oh, what fresh hell is this?
    ,,,........¯¯\_(ツ)_/¯¯
    ....... Not my circus, not my monkeys

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    Quote Originally Posted by Chris View Post
    Here we're member-driven. We run the forum based on member input and reports. Every idea for the forum ad every criticism is considered. We don't roam the threads looking for violations but work off members reporting them--when you do, please refer to specific rule component you think violated.

    On the partisan thing, we're not going to take sides, you all work that out.
    Again, my criticisms are not just about this board. It's the nature of the boards along with the efforts by groups to dominate the discussions.

    In the instant case, one poster here wanted to call me names, badger me, etc. I reported him. No action was taken. So, he gave me an insulting board name and I returned the favor. There is no problem. If you can respond equally, across the board, then it is what it is.

    OTOH, I have been lied about here and when I point out that what I'm being accused of is a lie, I'm reprimanded to calling lies what they are. Those promoting the lies are allowed to do so without being reprimanded.

    And... since you brought it up. You were the moderator who reprimanded me for explaining my position to another poster. The facts are that I told that person IF I were doing that (what he did) in a face to face encounter, I'd be bucking for a fight. That way, if he were challenging me, I understood what he meant and was willing to accommodate him. Your interpretation is that my acknowledgment of what the guy was doing constituted a threat.

    Maybe that is not what he wanted, yet keeps up the lies, misrepresentations, name calling, etc. which I have no problem with, provided I'm extended the same luxury. When you have multiple posters doing the same thing, however, those who would disagree with the powers that be are intimidated into exiting threads. And, those with an identifiable agenda, are allowed to run the board with a one sided view.

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  9. #37

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    Quote Originally Posted by Chris View Post
    Here we're member-driven. We run the forum based on member input and reports. Every idea for the forum ad every criticism is considered. We don't roam the threads looking for violations but work off members reporting them--when you do, please refer to specific rule component you think violated.
    If you only act on member complaints, you should list the member who lodged the complaint that led to any action you take.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Scrounger View Post
    Again, my criticisms are not just about this board. It's the nature of the boards along with the efforts by groups to dominate the discussions.

    In the instant case, one poster here wanted to call me names, badger me, etc. I reported him. No action was taken. So, he gave me an insulting board name and I returned the favor. There is no problem. If you can respond equally, across the board, then it is what it is.

    OTOH, I have been lied about here and when I point out that what I'm being accused of is a lie, I'm reprimanded to calling lies what they are. Those promoting the lies are allowed to do so without being reprimanded.

    And... since you brought it up. You were the moderator who reprimanded me for explaining my position to another poster. The facts are that I told that person IF I were doing that (what he did) in a face to face encounter, I'd be bucking for a fight. That way, if he were challenging me, I understood what he meant and was willing to accommodate him. Your interpretation is that my acknowledgment of what the guy was doing constituted a threat.

    Maybe that is not what he wanted, yet keeps up the lies, misrepresentations, name calling, etc. which I have no problem with, provided I'm extended the same luxury. When you have multiple posters doing the same thing, however, those who would disagree with the powers that be are intimidated into exiting threads. And, those with an identifiable agenda, are allowed to run the board with a one sided view.

    Attachment 17543
    Wearing a mask with your nose sticking out is like wearing a condom on your testicles.

    When out walking, look out for PROBlems. You know: maskless Plague Rats On Bicycles who blow past you without giving you time to get out of the way.

    Ah, CONServatives, the Masters of Projection (MOPs). With CONServatives, every accusation is a confession. Weird, that.

    ............Oh, what fresh hell is this?
    ,,,........¯¯\_(ツ)_/¯¯
    ....... Not my circus, not my monkeys

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    Quote Originally Posted by Subdermal View Post
    Because the oil of rabid Progressivism is utterly incompatible with the water of traditional American values.
    And there you go...^
    "Treat the earth well: it was not given to you by your parents, it was loaned to you by your children. We do not inherit the Earth from our Ancestors, we borrow it from our Children."
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    Nattering naybob

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    Quote Originally Posted by Cletus View Post
    If you only act on member complaints, you should list the member who lodged the complaint that led to any action you take.
    Start your own forum, cletus, one that has no rules and no reports and no moderators. It won't last a week.

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