open-minded strut? (Politics related)
Guzzo
8,611 Posts
So I've noticed a change in the way politics are discussed on soulstrut over the last couple of years. We've gone from a mostly supportive liberal group of peoples to a biting and attacking anti-republican group.
I'm wondering why this is. Are republicans seen as inherently bad? is this "the streets" saying they ain't down with any bi-partisanship?
There are conservatives on this board that I think are shying away from participating as much as they'd like to because of the angrier sentiments of those that call themselves liberal, and IMO, take away from what could be some really great political discussions but not adding their perspective.
I don't even know if this should be a thread with a question as much as I just think someone needs to speak up and say that although we all didn't agree with some of the perspectives of Vitamin, 3rdstream, etc. they were appreciated and allowed us to be challenged on our views. It was a much better world than this like-minded society we seem to have as of late.
I'm wondering why this is. Are republicans seen as inherently bad? is this "the streets" saying they ain't down with any bi-partisanship?
There are conservatives on this board that I think are shying away from participating as much as they'd like to because of the angrier sentiments of those that call themselves liberal, and IMO, take away from what could be some really great political discussions but not adding their perspective.
I don't even know if this should be a thread with a question as much as I just think someone needs to speak up and say that although we all didn't agree with some of the perspectives of Vitamin, 3rdstream, etc. they were appreciated and allowed us to be challenged on our views. It was a much better world than this like-minded society we seem to have as of late.
Comments
best to take away the idea of thinking differntly before one can understand what it is.
"the more we agree, the more we are right"
Why the fuck would anyone on this forum have anything positive to contribute as far as opinion FOR the right wing?
Of course we're all liberals here. At least most of us....
You're way out of line with that jpeg.
Nobody's "silencing" the board's more conservative members. What you seem to be arguing for is a subsidy of ideas: that these peoples' viewpoints should be exempt from criticism.
Uh, yeah.
However a giant liberal circle jerk can be annoying as well.
I don't think I am too far off with the idea that people simply don't want to hear another viewpoint. I think its sad for people who seem to preach for alternatives to closed-minded ways to gang up and attack those that speak thier mind. It's no wonder that any of the conservatives on here are seldom heard from. I've seen a great deal of people telling conservatives/republicans on here to "shut up".
So you tell me is it really that offbase to say we are not allowing alternative ideals to be heard?
Again, dude, nobody's ever been banned for their politics.
Allowing ideas to be heard is not at all the same thing as refraining from critiquing them.
If your politics are at odds with those of the rest of the community, then you can reasonably expect that you will have to defend them if you voice them. As somebody considerably to the left of most people on SoulStrut, I know this from experience and accept it.
I fully agree with this. We need to have honest and respectful dialogs. People that won't hear the arguments lose credibility to me.
I don't care about it here. This is a record forum. If it was political-strut then I would champion this cause. You need to know how your enemies think to defeat them.
never said anyone was banned for thier politics jsut saying the gang up mentality seems to epsecially biting towards those to the right as of late.
I am not calling you out for this, if anything your smugness has never crossed over into the hateful realm I'm referring to. Just putting this out there as something to chew on for those that are making attempts to silence those with different views
If so, when did you become a millionaire?
shit I'm so far off the left I scare my hippie sister sometimes. I'm just saying that I think its well worth it to hear all sides of an argument as opposed to silencing those that disagree with you.
No, I think he likes being the fly in the ointment.
sometimes the pot needs to be stitted
ya but i've also seen people telling others to "shut up" in regards to having different musical choices...some people just dont know how to debate...
anyhow in terms of race discussion, this forum can be surprisingly weak sometimes. something i'd like to bring up, is that if you've personally never been a victim of racism, you should pretty much shut the phuck up about telling a person who has, how to feel about it.[/b] please, just shut the phuck up. its something you've haven't experienced so u dont "know" what it is. i've seen a couple of threads where i made a comment about how racism isn't treated as serious if its against a non-black person, ie, if a south asian is called a "paki" or asian person called a "chink" etc. all of a sudden people are commenting on how i have the nerve to make such a comparison, as i wasn't subjected to systematic slavery etc etc. for fuck's sake my comment was just on some minorities being ignored in terms of the subject of racism, i didnt make a comment to get lectured by someone that read a history book. i thought i escaped that "its not racism if its not against a black person" mentality in elementary school. its phucking scary that 20/30 somethings have that mentality. and if you're offended by what i just said, maybe something is wrong with you, because i also know "minorities" can be/are just as racist and im not trying to hide that.
now i do roll my eyes when i see people playing the race card, however i think too often people are making valid point while others(who never experienced racism) just brush it off as the race card.
thats my two cents.
peace
WORD THE FUCK UP!
REAL SPEAK TO THE FULLEST!
and how do you determine who's experienced racism and who hasn't?
embedded
by someone telling me "its not as bad."
you wouldnt hear someone that's been a victim or racism say sheit like that. that's like saying "oh you got shot? that's not as bad as being shot 3 times!"
anyhow i dont feel like reading the same sheit over and over again, i said my piece, im out, and i'l only scroll through the 6 pages this thread will become if there's some interesting jpgs and gifs.
peace.
that kinda sounds like a stereotype to me.
Word.
However, I would never discourage someone from getting into the dialog, whether they've experienced it or not. It's all of our problem.
now things like voting on referendums and all that--i can get with.
but overall, i think change comes from the grassroots. think the civil rights movement. if we aren't speaking--they won't be pushed. the politicians only do things when put in the position where they have to.
No, but I do wish principled, reasonable conservatives would recapture the Republican party as the current crop of Republicans we have suck major donkey dick. Fortunately, a lot of people on the right are realizing that Bush is neither compassionate nor conservative, so there is hope for a return to rationality.
I enjoy talking to the aforementioned principled, reasonable conservatives. My own political views weren't formed in a vacuum; they were formed in large part from conversations with people across the political spectrum, and I found that while no belief system is perfect, just about each one has its merits, including, yes, conservatism.
Unfortunately, such conversations are damn near impossible to have with conservatives these days because most comments or explanations conservatives give these days are followed by something along the lines of, "...and if you don't agree with/believe this, then you must be stupid/traitorous/un-American." After five years of being called stupid/traitorous/un-American for not cosigning the Bush agenda (which I refuse to cosign for a great many reasons, most of which can be summed up by the fact that I have no taste or patience for extremism), I've decided to start saying, "No, fuck YOU!" in response. That's all it is.
every so-called republican/right-winger that was here when I started looking at the Board is still here and some others have come along and stayed.
i find it over-simplification to even speak in terms of right and left, republican and democratic, so on and so on because I don't think there are too many people here who are all one or the other. it depends on the issue.
I endorse this statement. But I can't vote anywhere anyway.
Currently reading: Neoliberalism by David Harvey
Perhaps you're not clear on what "racism" is.
true but also oversimplifying.
after my parents were divorced and we moved to a new school i was relentlessly bullied by a group of kids... the head of which would call me Paki constantly and it was basically my nickname for a couple years from this bunch.
the fact that im of french / brittish descent didnt seem to matter one iota to these dudes..
i've been mistaken for micmac (native aerican) innumerable times, my best friends in high school thought i was chinese for a number of years.
anyhow im rambling on here.. in the first incident you could say i was a victim of racism.. but the fact is it was just a bunch of stoopid kids... in no way was i a victim of wide spread societal or institutionalised forms of racism...
there's degrees of racism and even though im sure almost everyone has been exposed / put on some racist shit in their lives there's a big differance when it comes down to long term generational institutionalised forms of that shit.
In defense of that quote, racists are experiencing it from the other side. Also, we could get into the touchy subject of "white privilege" That's an experience based in racism.
Our society is built in racism. We all experience it in some form or other.