Why must this forum speak in absolutes about conservatives and liberals?

[Billy000]

So often I will see generalizations like "liberals are hypocrites", or "conservatives are dumb", etc.

I feel like this lack of critical thinking only creates further polarization rather than middle ground and compromise. I think people do it because it makes it easy to reinforce their beliefs. They would rather avoid the cognitive dissonance and remain uninformed about the ideas of the other side. To say that there are not intelligent ideas in both ideologies is patently false. There is a reason why millions of people subscribe to both. Are we to believe that millions of people are stupid and misinformed?

I am not conservative, but that does not mean that there are not conservative ideas that i favor. It's just for the most part, I believe in the liberal philosophy. I think many conservatives are intelligent people (the moderates anyway).

There is a gray area in everything. Politics especially. If people would just accept that, maybe we can actually things accomplished in our government. Fox News and MSNBC are irresponsible news networks. I advise anyone not to watch them.

I will be the first to admit that I sometimes word my threads unfairly, but that is really just to get your attention. It's tongue in cheek.

 

[KGB]

So often I will see generalizations like "liberals are hypocrites", or "conservatives are dumb", etc.

I feel like this lack of critical thinking only creates further polarization rather than middle ground and compromise. I think people do it because it makes it easy to reinforce their beliefs. They would rather avoid the cognitive dissonance and remain uninformed about the ideas of the other side. To say that there are not intelligent ideas in both ideologies is patently false. There is a reason why millions of people subscribe to both. Are we to believe that millions of people are stupid and misinformed?

I am not conservative, but that does not mean that there are not conservative ideas that i favor. It's just for the most part, I believe in the liberal philosophy. I think many conservatives are intelligent people (the moderates anyway).

There is a gray area in everything. Politics especially. If people would just accept that, maybe we can actually things accomplished in our government. Fox News and MSNBC are irresponsible news networks. I advise anyone not to watch them.

I will be the first to admit that I sometimes word my threads unfairly, but that is really just to get your attention. It's tongue in cheek.

a fair thread & question to ponder. I applaud you. The childishness inside the Beltway & a the lack of informed populace are what creates this situation. I personally find both parties to be morally & ethically bankrupt which is why I am a registered Independent. That said, I do believe there are good ideas on both sides that have nothing to do with party affiliation. For example, why I oppose ObamaCare, I do support the idea of no pre-existing conditions. Both parties have corrupted the system they swore to uphold. It's too much my way or the high way.

 

[Mr. Shaman]

Why must this forum speak in absolutes about conservatives and liberals?

There is a gray area in everything.

Well....you've just lost all the "conservatives"/moralists.

"conservatives"/moralists THRIVE on "absolutes". It's their process of floating thru Life, unchallenged & unhindered....because of those situations that will ALWAYS be the same....and, those that will NEVER change.

They refer to it as a matter o' Faith.

Others recognize it for what it is.....SHEER LAZINESS, and a preference for IGNORANCE.

Change, to them, suggests there just might be some WORK, involved

....not-to-mention the possibility of questioning some o' their "absolutes"....and, they're convinced THEY AIN'T GETTIN' THRU THE PEARLY GATES, THAT WAY!!!!​

 

[jwoodie]

So often I will see generalizations like "liberals are hypocrites", or "conservatives are dumb", etc.

I feel like this lack of critical thinking only creates further polarization rather than middle ground and compromise. I think people do it because it makes it easy to reinforce their beliefs. They would rather avoid the cognitive dissonance and remain uninformed about the ideas of the other side. To say that there are not intelligent ideas in both ideologies is patently false. There is a reason why millions of people subscribe to both. Are we to believe that millions of people are stupid and misinformed?

Yes, and that is the main reason our political system is so flawed. Why do you think used car salesmen behave the way they do? Because it sells cars. The Framers knew what they were doing when they restricted popular election to the House of Representatives.

 

[FJO]

I will not quote post #3, because I am reluctant to spread generalities and absolutes.

Of course, Mr. Shaman NEVER speaks in absolutes.

 

[Darkwind]

So often I will see generalizations like "liberals are hypocrites", or "conservatives are dumb", etc.

I feel like this lack of critical thinking only creates further polarization rather than middle ground and compromise. I think people do it because it makes it easy to reinforce their beliefs. They would rather avoid the cognitive dissonance and remain uninformed about the ideas of the other side. To say that there are not intelligent ideas in both ideologies is patently false. There is a reason why millions of people subscribe to both. Are we to believe that millions of people are stupid and misinformed?

I am not conservative, but that does not mean that there are not conservative ideas that i favor. It's just for the most part, I believe in the liberal philosophy. I think many conservatives are intelligent people (the moderates anyway). <-- Premise failure --> Epic

There is a gray area in everything. Politics especially. If people would just accept that, maybe we can actually things accomplished in our government. Fox News and MSNBC are irresponsible news networks. I advise anyone not to watch them.

I will be the first to admit that I sometimes word my threads unfairly, but that is really just to get your attention. It's tongue in cheek.

 

[Mr. Shaman]

I will not quote post #3, because I am reluctant to spread generalities and absolutes.

Of course, Mr. Shaman NEVER speaks in absolutes.

It's a waste-of-time.

I always figure....if ROCKS are capable of Change....we should be able to expect the same, from "conservatives".

To-date....they (still) prefer the convenience of "absolutes".​

 

[Truthmatters]

The right in this country right now adheres to LIES.

they refuse sceince

they refuse dictionary definitions of words


they deny decades of court records which clearly show the republican party cheats in elections to keep Americans from voting.

The current republican party is run by sociopaths who will lie straight into the face of facts.


They only way to deal with that is the SHAME them back into accepting facts

 

[Mr. Shaman]

So often I will see generalizations like "liberals are hypocrites", or "conservatives are dumb", etc.

I feel like this lack of critical thinking only creates further polarization rather than middle ground and compromise. I think people do it because it makes it easy to reinforce their beliefs. They would rather avoid the cognitive dissonance and remain uninformed about the ideas of the other side. To say that there are not intelligent ideas in both ideologies is patently false. There is a reason why millions of people subscribe to both. Are we to believe that millions of people are stupid and misinformed?

I am not conservative, but that does not mean that there are not conservative ideas that i favor. It's just for the most part, I believe in the liberal philosophy. I think many conservatives are intelligent people (the moderates anyway).

There is a gray area in everything. Politics especially. If people would just accept that, maybe we can actually things accomplished in our government. Fox News and MSNBC are irresponsible news networks. I advise anyone not to watch them.

I will be the first to admit that I sometimes word my threads unfairly, but that is really just to get your attention. It's tongue in cheek.

a fair thread & question to ponder. I applaud you. The childishness inside the Beltway & a the lack of informed populace are what creates this situation.

No doubt!!!

Let's HEAR IT!! for the.....

CLASS O' 2010!!!!!

​

 

[ClosedCaption]

Well you have to look at who the offenders are. Most of them are purposefully trolling or trolling by accident by not knowing anything more about a subject than what their party tells them

While its not an absolute, it's widely known that Cons usually vote lock step on issues much more than Dems. Dems have more differing opinions on topics.

 

[Harry Dresden]

Why must this forum speak in absolutes about conservatives and liberals?

There is a gray area in everything.

Well....you've just lost all the "conservatives"/moralists.

"conservatives"/moralists THRIVE on "absolutes". It's their process of floating thru Life, unchallenged & unhindered....because of those situations that will ALWAYS be the same....and, those that will NEVER change.

They refer to it as a matter o' Faith.

Others recognize it for what it is.....SHEER LAZINESS, and a preference for IGNORANCE.

Change, to them, suggests there just might be some WORK, involved

....not-to-mention the possibility of questioning some o' their "absolutes"....and, they're convinced THEY AIN'T GETTIN' THRU THE PEARLY GATES, THAT WAY!!!!​

you notice how Sheman had nothing to say about Liberals?.....talk about absolutes....

 

[Harry Dresden]

The right in this country right now adheres to LIES.

they refuse sceince

they refuse dictionary definitions of words


they deny decades of court records which clearly show the republican party cheats in elections to keep Americans from voting.

The current republican party is run by sociopaths who will lie straight into the face of facts.


They only way to deal with that is the SHAME them back into accepting facts

here is another one who will never speak about the flaws in her own party....

 

[ClosedCaption]

The right in this country right now adheres to LIES.

they refuse sceince

they refuse dictionary definitions of words


they deny decades of court records which clearly show the republican party cheats in elections to keep Americans from voting.

The current republican party is run by sociopaths who will lie straight into the face of facts.


They only way to deal with that is the SHAME them back into accepting facts

here is another one who will never speak about the flaws in her own party....

Don't you find it ironic that you're demanding self reflection from others?

 

[Interpol]

We can't ignore absolutism being real.

What fascinates me is that moderate, progressive people think for themselves and are arguing about real things happening in the real world while conservative folks tend to be repeating fairytale narratives repeated to them ad nauseum by the same old familiar places.

I find that to be the most troubling aspect of America's democracy at the moment because we really do need two voices on an equal playing field debating real things, but in the last few years or the last decade now, you've got moderates like me who used to vote Republican running to the progressive camp, because at least those people are dealing in reality, while the other voice is completely lost in a bubble of dangerous groupthink, sitting around and creating a narrative and then just sticking with it no matter what, like Alex Jones' site continuing even today to single out the wrong people in the crowd in Boston as suspects. It doesn't matter to them that those guys voluntarily went to the police and that the authorities cleared them, because they don't accept reality. They only accept their own invention, which is dangerous.

It's always hard for a moderate voice to come through, but if you're at all a moderate on any number of issues, it precludes you today from being a member of the Republican party, because they simply will not allow you to disagree with them on anything. Disagree with them on one thing and they call you names. It's what has driven people like me from that once great party.

 

[candycorn]

So often I will see generalizations like "liberals are hypocrites", or "conservatives are dumb", etc.

I feel like this lack of critical thinking only creates further polarization rather than middle ground and compromise. I think people do it because it makes it easy to reinforce their beliefs. They would rather avoid the cognitive dissonance and remain uninformed about the ideas of the other side. To say that there are not intelligent ideas in both ideologies is patently false. There is a reason why millions of people subscribe to both. Are we to believe that millions of people are stupid and misinformed?

I am not conservative, but that does not mean that there are not conservative ideas that i favor. It's just for the most part, I believe in the liberal philosophy. I think many conservatives are intelligent people (the moderates anyway).

There is a gray area in everything. Politics especially. If people would just accept that, maybe we can actually things accomplished in our government. Fox News and MSNBC are irresponsible news networks. I advise anyone not to watch them.

I will be the first to admit that I sometimes word my threads unfairly, but that is really just to get your attention. It's tongue in cheek.

The goal is to get a reaction; you don't do that with timidity and moderation.

 

[ClosedCaption]

We can't ignore absolutism being real.

What fascinates me is that moderate, progressive people think for themselves and are arguing about real things happening in the real world while conservative folks tend to be repeating fairytale narratives repeated to them ad nauseum by the same old familiar places.

I find that to be the most troubling aspect of America's democracy at the moment because we really do need two voices on an equal playing field debating real things, but in the last few years or the last decade now, you've got moderates like me who used to vote Republican running to the progressive camp, because at least those people are dealing in reality, while the other voice is completely lost in a bubble of dangerous groupthink, sitting around and creating a narrative and then just sticking with it no matter what, like Alex Jones' site continuing even today to single out the wrong people in the crowd in Boston as suspects. It doesn't matter to them that those guys voluntarily went to the police and that the authorities cleared them, because they don't accept reality. They only accept their own invention, which is dangerous.

It's always hard for a moderate voice to come through, but if you're at all a moderate on any number of issues, it precludes you today from being a member of the Republican party, because they simply will not allow you to disagree with them on anything. Disagree with them on one thing and they call you names. It's what has driven people like me from that once great party.

Perfect example of that is how often Republicans ostracize their own by claiming any thought that doesn't follow theirs is that of a RINO.

 

[Interpol]

So often I will see generalizations like "liberals are hypocrites", or "conservatives are dumb", etc.

I feel like this lack of critical thinking only creates further polarization rather than middle ground and compromise. I think people do it because it makes it easy to reinforce their beliefs. They would rather avoid the cognitive dissonance and remain uninformed about the ideas of the other side. To say that there are not intelligent ideas in both ideologies is patently false. There is a reason why millions of people subscribe to both. Are we to believe that millions of people are stupid and misinformed?

I am not conservative, but that does not mean that there are not conservative ideas that i favor. It's just for the most part, I believe in the liberal philosophy. I think many conservatives are intelligent people (the moderates anyway).

There is a gray area in everything. Politics especially. If people would just accept that, maybe we can actually things accomplished in our government. Fox News and MSNBC are irresponsible news networks. I advise anyone not to watch them.

I will be the first to admit that I sometimes word my threads unfairly, but that is really just to get your attention. It's tongue in cheek.

Now, if there's a flaw in the OP's thinking, it's that you're putting out a "false equivalency".

Progressives, liberals, moderate people, they're not absolute about any number of things. They wish to balance the budget with an equal mix of smart spending cuts and modest tax increases. Their math checks out.

But we keep running into a "fiscal cliff" every few months because of the absolutism by our friends in the Republican party who will only accept spending cuts that almost entirely ask the middle class and the working poor to shoulder our entire nation's burden.

Now, when they try to make an absolute statement about a moderate thinking person, it only reveals their own absolutism.

It's a false equivalency the OP makes because the cemented minds belong in one party at the moment.

 

[Interpol]

We can't ignore absolutism being real.

What fascinates me is that moderate, progressive people think for themselves and are arguing about real things happening in the real world while conservative folks tend to be repeating fairytale narratives repeated to them ad nauseum by the same old familiar places.

I find that to be the most troubling aspect of America's democracy at the moment because we really do need two voices on an equal playing field debating real things, but in the last few years or the last decade now, you've got moderates like me who used to vote Republican running to the progressive camp, because at least those people are dealing in reality, while the other voice is completely lost in a bubble of dangerous groupthink, sitting around and creating a narrative and then just sticking with it no matter what, like Alex Jones' site continuing even today to single out the wrong people in the crowd in Boston as suspects. It doesn't matter to them that those guys voluntarily went to the police and that the authorities cleared them, because they don't accept reality. They only accept their own invention, which is dangerous.

It's always hard for a moderate voice to come through, but if you're at all a moderate on any number of issues, it precludes you today from being a member of the Republican party, because they simply will not allow you to disagree with them on anything. Disagree with them on one thing and they call you names. It's what has driven people like me from that once great party.

Perfect example of that is how often Republicans ostracize their own by claiming any thought that doesn't follow theirs is that of a RINO.

That's exactly right. You can only get called so many names by your own group until you just figure out where the door is and leave.

 

[Harry Dresden]

The right in this country right now adheres to LIES.

they refuse sceince

they refuse dictionary definitions of words


they deny decades of court records which clearly show the republican party cheats in elections to keep Americans from voting.

The current republican party is run by sociopaths who will lie straight into the face of facts.


They only way to deal with that is the SHAME them back into accepting facts

here is another one who will never speak about the flaws in her own party....

Don't you find it ironic that you're demanding self reflection from others?

no.....i have said things about both parties.....i have said they both should go to hell....have you?.....

 

[buckeye45_73]

Why must this forum speak in absolutes about conservatives and liberals?

There is a gray area in everything.

Well....you've just lost all the "conservatives"/moralists.​

"conservatives"/moralists THRIVE on "absolutes". It's their process of floating thru Life, unchallenged & unhindered....because of those situations that will ALWAYS be the same....and, those that will NEVER change.​

They refer to it as a matter o' Faith.​

Others recognize it for what it is.....SHEER LAZINESS, and a preference for IGNORANCE.​

Change, to them, suggests there just might be some WORK, involved

....not-to-mention the possibility of questioning some o' their "absolutes"....and, they're convinced THEY AIN'T GETTIN' THRU THE PEARLY GATES, THAT WAY!!!!​

exhibit a.....this guy crave attention more than Liberace.....