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Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 1,864
Merriwether
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Merriwether
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 1,864 |
You didn't mention in the poll where the politics were located. I don't mind politics in the OT folder where I can ignore their existence or in a signature which is concise. But I hate politics that masquerades as feedback.
I suppose that means that I'm voting for the status quo in which people are generally respectful but diverse.
Elisabeth
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Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 5,797
Nobel Peace Prize Winner
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Nobel Peace Prize Winner
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 5,797 |
I haven't commented here, but I am probably the person posting most frequently in the Off Topic folder, so I really should weigh in with an opinion.
Personally I think that politics is extremely interesting to discuss. I also think that as far as possible, ideas and principles should be discussed rather than persons. Of course, that is just my opinion.
I think it is extremely important to try to stay respectful during these discussions. It is absolutely okay - indeed, it is pretty much necessary - to discuss what people have said, and to agree or disagree with the statements of other persons. As far as possible, however, I think we should avoid discussing what other people are. After all, how can we know what they are? We can only judge them by what they have said in public, and what they do in public. Sometimes, admittedly, things are revealed about people that they didn't want to make public themselves. It is certainly okay to discuss such things too, but I think we should be careful when it comes to jumping to conclusions, certainly regarding the behaviour of individual people. What do we really know about these things that they are accused of?
Personally, I felt that I was unfairly accused in an ongoing thread in the Off Topic forum. Somebody made an extremely generalized accusation against me, without backing this claim up with any quotes or any other evidence. That is the sort of thing I don't want to see on the boards.
Ann
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Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 3,166
Pulitzer
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Pulitzer
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 3,166 |
I haven't been following the discussions much. But I wanted to say that I thought this was extremely well said, Ann: I think it is extremely important to try to stay respectful during these discussions. It is absolutely okay - indeed, it is pretty much necessary - to discuss what people have said, and to agree or disagree with the statements of other persons. As far as possible, however, I think we should avoid discussing what other people are. After all, how can we know what they are? We can only judge them by what they have said in public, and what they do in public. Sometimes, admittedly, things are revealed about people that they didn't want to make public themselves. It is certainly okay to discuss such things too, but I think we should be careful when it comes to jumping to conclusions, certainly regarding the behaviour of individual people. What do we really know about these things that they are accused of? Even though I haven't been following the political threads (I may start), I think they are fine in the OT folder as long as no flaming occurs. I. too, have learned more in some of the OT threads than I would have otherwise.
~~Even heroes have the right to dream.~~
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Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 2,823
Pulitzer
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Pulitzer
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 2,823 |
The funny thing is that a surprising amount of current law (and often the most sensible bits) can be traced back to old manifestos of the Monster Raving Loony Party, who put up joke candidates at many elections. Please tell me more about the Monster Raving Loony Party. Is this for real?
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Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 9,362
Boards Chief Administrator Emeritus Nobel Peace Prize Winner
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Boards Chief Administrator Emeritus Nobel Peace Prize Winner
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 9,362 |
Sure, they are. Wiki has a fairly extensive segment on them: Monster Raving Looney Party
Athos: If you'd told us what you were doing, we might have been able to plan this properly.
Aramis: Yes, sorry.
Athos: No, no, by all means, let's keep things suicidal.
The Musketeers
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Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 1,437
Top Banana
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Top Banana
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 1,437 |
Personally, I can take or leave politics discussions, usually on a thread-by-thread basis. I might read the more interesting ones (like the current one about Obama bowing to that one king--which I judge by the subject lines) whenever they pop up, but mostly I just wait until election time. That is the time when I go to them the most, because they help me to slog through all of the information out there about the different candidates, and make it easier for me to decide who has the better ideas about how to go about running the country.
Other than that, I just avoid the political threads.
"You take turns, advise and protect one another, even heal or be healed when the going gets too tough. I know! That's not a game--that's friendship!" ~Shelly Mezzanoble, Confessions of a Part-Time Sorceress: A Girl's Guide to the Dungeons & Dragons Game Darcy\'s Place
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