Are you an ally of peace, civility and reason in politics, or are you an opponent?

[alang1216]

When you talk about politics is your intent to burn bridges or build them? Are you weaponizing words or using them to provoke calm and good dialogue? Are you furious at the ones you disagree with or are you trying your best to understand them? Be honest with yourself. Most of you do nothing but provoke tension and vitriol. Most of you dehumanize the other side to the extent that you actually believe they are evil and not just people that see things differently. Most of you don't actually care about the truth of any given situation and automatically take a defensive position against the other side. If you actually cared about being right you would welcome criticism of your own beliefs and examine it honestly, changing your opinions when necessary, because obviously nobody it right about everything, right? You think in extremes in a grey reality. It doesn't work. The problem isn't left or right; the problem is left and right. If you're filled with anger and hate, if you lose it when your views are questioned, then you are the problem.

There are some truly evil people on this site, mainly the white supremacists, but I don't think true conservatives or people I disagree with are evil, they just don't share my values.

 

[Confounding]

There are some truly evil people on this site

What is evil? Can a human really be that through and through? I think ignorance can cause evil things to happen. Maybe they're just very angry, very scared and very ignorant people.

 

[alang1216]

There are some truly evil people on this site

What is evil? Can a human really be that through and through? I think ignorance can cause evil things to happen. Maybe they're just very angry, very scared and very ignorant people.

They are all that but what makes someone 'evil' is the wish to harm others to better themselves.

 

[Confounding]

harm others to better themselves.

In what way do the ones on this forum you're referring to want to see others harmed to better themselves? Can you show some examples? What I see looks more like extreme selfishness rather than a desire to do harm. And these desires make them evil people? Not just shitty, not just selfish, but evil? Evil is a pretty strong word. I find it hard to call even psychopath murderers evil. We are all victims of circumstance. There is always grey in my opinion.

 

[alang1216]

harm others to better themselves.

In what way do the ones on this forum you're referring to want to see others harmed to better themselves? Can you show some examples? What I see looks more like extreme selfishness rather than a desire to do harm. And these desires make them evil people? Not just shitty, not just selfish, but evil? Evil is a pretty strong word. I find it hard to call even psychopath murderers evil. We are all victims of circumstance. There is always grey in my opinion.

No one is all good or all bad, even Hitler loved his dog. When the bad is so bad it can't be balanced by the good you have an evil person. Very subjective of course but that is my judgement call.

People on this forum say evil things but I have no idea what they actually do. Denying someone's humanity or rights you reserve for yourself is evil.

 

[Gdjjr]

In what way do the ones on this forum you're referring to want to see others harmed to better themselves? Can you show some examples? What I see looks more like extreme selfishness rather than a desire to do harm. And these desires make them evil people? Not just shitty, not just selfish, but evil? Evil is a pretty strong word. I find it hard to call even psychopath murderers evil. We are all victims of circumstance. There is always grey in my opinion.

To intentionally abuse trust, like the sociopaths in DC, is evil. There is nothing gray about it. It is evil to force gray in a black or white situation. Ambiguity can be seen as evil determined by the results the ambiguity brings about. The "circumstances" are immaterial but introduce ambiguity- at some point there has to be a reckoning. Victimizing sociopaths is allowing/inviting ambiguity. They are all adult age. They know right from wrong. Most are lawyers or have lawyers serving them as interns.

 

[anynameyouwish]

I want socialism destroyed, and I will never apologize for that. Capitalism is the best.

I don't want fascism, white supremacy or a christian theocracy.

 

[Gdjjr]

If one can employ critical thinking skills ,and can absorb , one can learn , as well as view things differently than in one's past

i have personally many times changed my views , over time

one thing i have learned, there are no simple answers to complex issues

The issues, typically, are made complex by pseudo intellectual bologna pretending the constitution is an esoteric endeavor.
A true intellectual makes the complicated seem simple. A pseudo intellectual makes the simple seem complicated.
I too have changed my views- politically. I once was a red eyed, died in the wool, red neck Republican- but, introspection and retrospection showed me I am libertarian and always have been.
I've see very few, left or right, employ critical thinking- which is a term used to describe what used to be arriving at a logical conclusion- absorption is a problem as most prefer not to because it requires thinking. Thinking is a learned trait. Most are *trained* to react to a situation. Training too is a learned trait- most animals are great examples. A few people are examples of "thinking".

the world is not black / white

A lot of it is- especially political. Forcing gray (ambiguity) is intentional. I try hard to live black and white. (can or can't, will or won't, did or didn't, have or haven't, etc) but I am forced to operate in a gray are of maybe, might have, should have, just like except < [a personal per peeve] etc. etc. due to politics- and being a monkey see monkey do world when the head monkeys act a fool it's a pretty safe bet the follower monkeys will emulate them.

 

[Gdjjr]

I don't want fascism, white supremacy or a christian theocracy.

Not many do. But, how do you propose to combat it?

 

[bendog]

When you talk about politics is your intent to burn bridges or build them? Are you weaponizing words or using them to provoke calm and good dialogue? Are you furious at the ones you disagree with or are you trying your best to understand them? Be honest with yourself. Most of you do nothing but provoke tension and vitriol. Most of you dehumanize the other side to the extent that you actually believe they are evil and not just people that see things differently. Most of you don't actually care about the truth of any given situation and automatically take a defensive position against the other side. If you actually cared about being right you would welcome criticism of your own beliefs and examine it honestly, changing your opinions when necessary, because obviously nobody it right about everything, right? You think in extremes in a grey reality. It doesn't work. The problem isn't left or right; the problem is left and right. If you're filled with anger and hate, if you lose it when your views are questioned, then you are the problem.

Nice of you to raise the civility bar now. LOL

 

[sparky]

pseudo intellectual bologna

I'll spare you my google jaunt on that one Gdjjr....

I too have changed my views- politically. I once was a red eyed, died in the wool, red neck Republican- but, introspection and retrospection showed me I am libertarian and always have been

I'm a bluecollar redneck , just one glance is usually convincing enough

and then there's the whole reclusive 'Mr Green Jeans' gig to hammer it home

but asking me what side i'm on concerning 'peace, civility & reason' is like asking me if i'd like pepper spray for impending nuclear conflict....

In my broader overview of humanity , we're completely off our leash lumbering towards a self inflicted armageddon , raft w/ the specter of mammon's 7 deadlies

The conundrum being i meet so many good people , hearts of gold , minds of firey inspiration , all sadly existing in a race not worthy of them

~S~

 

[BS Filter]

I want socialism destroyed, and I will never apologize for that. Capitalism is the best.

I don't want fascism, white supremacy or a christian theocracy.

No one does. The only theocracies in this world are muslim. Idiot.

 

[ABikerSailor]

If one can employ critical thinking skills ,and can absorb , one can learn , as well as view things differently than in one's past

i have personally many times changed my views , over time

one thing i have learned, there are no simple answers to complex issues

the world is not black / white

~S~

Exactly. The things I thought were okay as a kid growing up in Montana turned out to not be quite the truth I had been told it was when I finally started to travel and learn new things while in the Navy. I have changed my views several times over the years as I had changing life situations, or decided to see if I was capable of doing something that I would have considered impossible as a kid. One of those things that I did that I thought would be impossible was to ride a bicycle from Memphis TN to Jacksonville FL, from Jacksonville FL to Newport RI and from Newport RI to Norfolk VA.

One of the things that I had grown up with as a kid in Montana was bias against anyone who wasn't white. Matter of fact, my family thought that way, which is why I was taught that. When I got into boot camp, and subsequent commands later on, I learned that a person's skin color has zero bearing on whether or not they are competent at their job.

And no...................no matter how much people would like things to be broken down into black and white, as well as be only 1 or 2 sentences long to be explained, it ain't gonna happen. Life is much more complex and nuanced than that.

 

[ABikerSailor]

There are some truly evil people on this site

What is evil? Can a human really be that through and through? I think ignorance can cause evil things to happen. Maybe they're just very angry, very scared and very ignorant people.

You might have something there. One of my favorite quotes I learned growing up was "people tend to fear most, what they understand the least". And, fear is one of those emotions that can cause people to do stupid, or in some cases, evil things. Scare someone badly enough, and they can get totally irrational and lash out in some violent ways.

But...................if you understand something, you tend to fear it a lot less, because you know the abilities and weaknesses of that thing. One of those places I can think of people being irrationally afraid of something is a straight person who has never met a gay person. The straight person will have all sorts of ideas about what gays are or aren't, based on what they see during the Pride Parades and the like, but they won't know much about what they are truly like unless they hang out with them. For 2 years, I rented a room from a lesbian couple, and they were the nicest people you would ever want to meet. And, they had gay friends that showed up on a regular basis to their house, but nobody ever tried to "convert" or date me. Everyone knew I was straight and respected that. And I have to tell you, gay people can sure throw a hell of a party. Went to several they invited me to, and had a great time each time.

 

[sparky]

The things I thought were okay as a kid growing up in Montana turned out to not be quite the truth I had been told it was when I finally started to travel and learn new things while in the Navy.

somewhat similar tale....

My first venture to Montana was in '75 in a '66 econoline , thought it was great...

In fact my partner and i toured the entire country, sea to freakin shining sea

We were right outta HS, rebels w/out a clue..... if i have any point it's how influenced we were by all the varied cultures we washed up on.

We're a diverse nation, not just people, geography .....deserts, mountains, deep forests, canyons, etc etc...

The impressions of youth juxtaposed to the disillusion of age Biker.....

I do try and be sanguine about it....

~S~

 

[impuretrash]

When you talk about politics is your intent to burn bridges or build them? Are you weaponizing words or using them to provoke calm and good dialogue? Are you furious at the ones you disagree with or are you trying your best to understand them? Be honest with yourself. Most of you do nothing but provoke tension and vitriol. Most of you dehumanize the other side to the extent that you actually believe they are evil and not just people that see things differently. Most of you don't actually care about the truth of any given situation and automatically take a defensive position against the other side. If you actually cared about being right you would welcome criticism of your own beliefs and examine it honestly, changing your opinions when necessary, because obviously nobody it right about everything, right? You think in extremes in a grey reality. It doesn't work. The problem isn't left or right; the problem is left and right. If you're filled with anger and hate, if you lose it when your views are questioned, then you are the problem.

There are some truly evil people on this site, mainly the white supremacists, but I don't think true conservatives or people I disagree with are evil, they just don't share my values.

Not surprised that you site "white supremacists" as pure evil.

"Anti-racism" is, after all, the new age secular religion of the western world.

 

[Theowl32]

When you talk about politics is your intent to burn bridges or build them? Are you weaponizing words or using them to provoke calm and good dialogue? Are you furious at the ones you disagree with or are you trying your best to understand them? Be honest with yourself. Most of you do nothing but provoke tension and vitriol. Most of you dehumanize the other side to the extent that you actually believe they are evil and not just people that see things differently. Most of you don't actually care about the truth of any given situation and automatically take a defensive position against the other side. If you actually cared about being right you would welcome criticism of your own beliefs and examine it honestly, changing your opinions when necessary, because obviously nobody it right about everything, right? You think in extremes in a grey reality. It doesn't work. The problem isn't left or right; the problem is left and right. If you're filled with anger and hate, if you lose it when your views are questioned, then you are the problem.

Matthew 10:34-35
Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.

For I have come to turn "'a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law--

-------------

Do not fall for the left's call for "peace and love."

It's a perverted love.
It's a perverted peace.

The left's version means you must capitulate and accept any and all of their beliefs and if you are not in lock step then it is you who are the wicked one.

Get that?

Do not follow the ways of the world. It will lead to your condemnation.

Don't take my word for it. Take the Gospels word for it.