Why It Is So Important To Be Nice And Cordial In Your Posting

[Adolf_Twitler]

The Republican Senate could declare that it's not a recount, it's cheating, and that will be the beginning of the end of your democracy. Those who are paying attention will know that Trump has already suggested cheating to set the stage. Better that it happens sooner than later, while the people still have a little bit of will to rise up and fight.

But once it starts it's going to go quickly now that Trump has the highest court in the land in his pocket.

What a show America is putting on for the world, and it's free too.

The world loves the Our Cartoon President show!

 

[PoliTalker]

Hello Nordberg,

The Repubs figured out how they could change peoples views by inculcation. They use terms like "death tax" for an estate tax. They call programs that help lots of people, programs they paid for "entitlements. Then repeat it over and over until it is part of our lexicon. That is why people now hate Pelosi and Hillary. They demonized them on TV , newspaper and speeches over and over. Ever hear of "crooked Hillary' That is what happened to Pelosi making her a devil in many peoples eyes. So the term Liberal was treated like a curse by the right for decades. It stuck. Norquist was the latest practioner of that. I think liberal will be salvaged. There are proud liberals now. I have always been one.

That's part of why so many conservatives have such a difficult time being nice on chat boards. Even if it is a strongly moderated one that doesn't matter. They have no problem showing their hatred while staying within the rules. They are seething with either out and out hatred, or disgust and disrespect. Even if a board has a 'no personal attacks' rule, they will constantly challenge it, some of them being banned for it. Sure there is plenty of hatred on the liberal side, but I see that as mostly reactionary to what is originating on the right. The left doesn't have hate radio, conservative pundits talking 24-7 about how horrible liberals are, making up and spreading conspiracy theories, droning on and on about the lack of liberal morals, etc. It really is a sad joke - far more conservatives are caught in scandals than liberals.

The Right Wing Spin Machine is all about spreading hatred, and it has worked. Now that the Republican Party is so hate filled, it's boiling over. It's about to melt down from the inside out. That's why well-principled conservative [NeverTrump] Max Boot, who supported Republicans for years, is now rooting for Democrats to decimate Republicans in the 2020 election. He hopes to see the Republican Party implode so it can be rebuilt on the values he has believed in all along.

Boot said of Trump, “His henchman has just been appointed acting attorney general, and even though he has not shut down the Mueller investigation, the odds are that Whitaker has access to Mueller’s files. That’s why I thought it was very ominous today when Donald Trump tweeted about the inner workings of the Mueller investigation. He’s never referred to the inner workings before. It raises the question, in my mind: does he have access to those inner workings? Does he know what Mueller has? If so, this is really a code red situation for the rule of law.”

Outgoing Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake has introduced a bill to protect Mueller’s investigation, and Boot told Baldwin it was “disgraceful” that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell won’t even bring Flake’s bill to the Senate floor.

“It’s just tragic how Republicans who claim to be invested in the Constitution are allowing Donald Trump to attack the rule of law in plain sight,” Boot told Baldwin.

RawStory

 

[stoned]

Geez, we are talking about a message board here not a debating society. I have been on a few and they are all the same being filled mostly with fanatics. Relax, have fun and let the rhetoric fly.

 

[Robo]

Because meanness is contagious!

When you're mean to somebody, it makes them feel bad. When people feel bad, they tend to be mean to somebody else.

If you're mean to somebody, they are very likely to go and be mean to somebody else.

And around and around it goes, feeling bad, being mean, until most people think: 'That's just the way it is.'

But it doesn't have to be that way. And it shouldn't. Why are we letting mean people set the tone? We don't have to.

Part of the problem with internet posting is you don't get to look people in the eye. There's no expression. Nothing about the way you say something. You don't get to add a smile or a look.

It's all about what is written. The written word conveys it all. Nothing is softened with a smile, a wink or a glint in the eye. The written word is the only thing there, so the written word carries more weight than the spoken word. Everything is about what is written. Mean words become meaner.

Your words carry more weight here. Mean words hit harder. We have to be more careful. It's a big responsibility, taking care of other people's feelings. And it's important. What goes around comes around.

If we really want to help our nation, work out issues, solve problems, share information, communicate effectively, cause people to ponder our own creative ideas; we need to be nicer.

Mean words cause many to simply stay away from this site. Others may return, but use the Ignore Feature. The fact that mean words cause so many to stop or reduce their participation tells us the effect. The consequences of using mean words result in people not talking. And not listening, not communicating. Did we come here to participate in communication or shut it down?

We came here to talk about politics, talk about the business of our nation; learn, share, understand.

All of that is impacted by being mean. Impacted negatively. It hurts. Yes, mean words hurt people, hurt conversations, hurt good communication.

Nice people are driven away. This becomes a place for mean people and mean conversations. And that is exactly what we see, what others see, what turns off people who wander in here, sends them away, keeps this place limited; held back; less than it can be.

Most people don't want to talk about politics. We are unusual. We are willing to come here and talk about politics. That makes us special, rare. We all know people in real life that we can't talk politics with. We save our comments and bring them here because political comments are welcome here. We are the ones who care enough about what is going on in our country to come here and talk about it all. That makes it even more important that our conversations accomplish something beneficial. Being mean, turning people off, driving away positive contributions to the conversations is counteractive to helping our nation.

Standard anti-troll thread thief disclaimer:

If we care so much about what is going on in our country to come here and discuss politics, why do we allow ourselves to be so mean that it shuts down good discussions and instead turns into stupid flame wars with strangers over the internet? Ridiculous. Just ridiculous.

And helping our nation improve is why we are all here. We can all think of ideas to help our nation. We come here to share them, talk about what we can do.

Being mean undoes the good we accomplish by coming here and sharing.

Some people around here need to give their attitude a tune up.

Why are you here? To share bad feelings? If so, why? What does it do for you to make other people feel bad? If there is ANY benefit to being mean, how long does that feeling last? Is it truly rewarding? Does it make you feel content? That fleeting little endorphin rush from being able to let loose with your anger. Does that really do any good? Maybe you should just stop and think about the big picture of what you are doing.

Maybe you need to examine just why you act mean. What are you trying to accomplish? Sounds like a cry for help from a messed up mind to me.

The we/they thing is real strong here. WE are the good guys; and THEY are the bad guys. We have to fight the bad guys so our goodness can reign. Right? Is that it?

Well if that's the motivation then the next logical question is if you are the good guys, how does being mean make you good?

Mean people suck. No part of being good involves being mean. Being mean is being bad. Be good. Be nice!

Don't be mean.

Respect other people as you would like to be respected yourself.

It's the golden rule.

And it makes sense.

For the good of humankind.

Being nice is the right thing to do.

But this is the "IDIOT" forum. This is where idiots come to reveal their juvenile brain power and nasty sandbox disposition. It's actually fun here a humorous laugh a minute.

 

[PoliTalker]

Hello stoned,

Geez, we are talking about a message board here not a debating society. I have been on a few and they are all the same being filled mostly with fanatics. Relax, have fun and let the rhetoric fly.

No probLEM, mon.

Just using what's available to make the most of it. A message board is a place to share ideas. This thread is an idea that turned into a popular subject. It's all good.

 

[Nomad]

I disagree with the OP.

Spitting verbal bile at people on an internet forum who you consider to be assholes who deserve it, is a good way to blow off steam and get it out of your system. Much better than getting involved in a road rage incident or a shoving match in the supermarket checkout line or, worse yet... shooting someone.

I'm all in favor of vicariously bitch-smacking douchebags on my computer screen.

AND FUCK ANYONE WHO DOESN'T AGREE WITH ME, DAMMIT!!!!!!

 

[PoliTalker]

Hello Nomad,

I disagree with the OP.

Spitting verbal bile at people on an internet forum who you consider to be assholes who deserve it, is a good way to blow off steam and get it out of your system. Much better than getting involved in a road rage incident or a shoving match in the supermarket checkout line or, worse yet... shooting someone.

I'm all in favor of vicariously bitch-smacking douchebags on my computer screen.

I would contend that chat room flame wars actually contribute more to hatred and frustration. Sure, one gets to 'get it all off one's chest,' but the flip side is, in order to dish it out, it is also necessary to take it. Most flamers say it doesn't bother them, but the reality is they have merely become desensitized to it. In order to engage in online flame wars, it is inherent that one will internalize a lot of hatred directed at them as well. That doesn't just go away. It gets wired into the synapses.

And it can be rewired by simply immersing oneself in something else.

If it is perceived that writing caustic things directed at willing adversarial flamers online is the only thing preventing one from going physical with a road rage incident, or possible manslaughter charge, the indication is that this describes a psychological issue which should be dealt with by moving away from vitriol, not fighting fire with fire, or getting more deeply immersed in stress.

Part of the problem is: The endorphin rush associated with 'vicariously bitch-smacking douchebags' is very short-lived. Lasts about as long as it takes to read the next come-back. Then the cycle of internalized rage repeats, somebody else has to be told off, etc. Each participant in the flame war is feeding off the other, and ramping up internalized frustrations.

One could have a much more peaceful life by rising above that. I know it doesn't mean much, but I know firsthand how much more peaceful and content a life can be after a decision to cease partaking in flame wars. I used to dish it out and swallowed my share. It's funny I should end up here, kind of like a sober alcoholic hanging out in a bar, but my transcendence is so complete I am never even tempted to engage. My mind is so much more at ease. Tolerance for diversity has returned.

The reason I'm here is the activity level. I can filter out all the comments from anybody on my IgList and still find way more conversations that I can keep up with. I'm like a gold prospector in here. I don't want all the dirt. I'm in it for the nuggets. The tools allow me to sift through the dirt and find 'em. Part of why I endorse restraint is I feel so at ease I want to share this secret for dealing with the stress of being so well informed. When you are informed, you will be internalizing a lot of horror in the first place. A method of dealing with that mentally is essential if one doesn't want to devolve into a hammer looking for a nail. Thinking of the opposition in a different way helps greatly. Instead of thinking that somebody is a 'douchebag,' for instance, try thinking of them as a person who has some issues just like most of us.

Abstaining from flames leaves one with a higher quality of online discussion experience. I skip right past all the trash talk and get right to actual ideas and discussions that interest me. I do find the traditional left/right debates fascinating when it comes down to conceptualizing policy. I want what's right for the USA, I want to be well informed, and I like to know what motivates people to take their positions. I'm not trying to change anybody's mind, but if that happens, great. I just think our nation is more functional if we stay politically engaged and talk about what's going on.

I think conservative voices are just as important as liberal voices. I want to hear why the two sides take their positions, so I can sort it out logically. I could do very well without the sandbox fights. We should have more respect for one another, and our self-government would work a lot better. Now who doesn't want our government to work better?

 

[PoliTalker]

Another thought about using online flame wars as a way to avoid road rage:

I figured out years ago that if I am getting angry at other drivers the fault is mine for letting them get to me.

There is, of course, nothing we can do to change the traffic we encounter. But what we can do is control how we react to it. I know if I am starting to get angry at other drivers, that something is bothering me and I need to do something to de-stress. Something is troubling me. I need to go to a concert, commune with nature, do some gardening, whatever. Getting angry because drivers are doing what is really very expected, is like a psychological barometer.

Most people don't listen to it, but it is a good indicator of the true answer to the common question: 'How are you?'

 

[PoliTalker]

If you find yourself getting angry and frustrated with other drivers, it is an indicator that you've got some mental house-cleaning to do.

Going online to chew out a stranger who doesn't deserve it is not the answer.

That will not lead to peace of mind.

 

[Nordberg]

Why do people get angry at other drivers or even other people? When I see a shitty or aggressive driver, I give them lots of room and stay away. There are some insane people on the road. No reason to confront them, since there is no profit in it anyway,

 

[PoliTalker]

Hello Nordberg,

Why do people get angry at other drivers or even other people? When I see a shitty or aggressive driver, I give them lots of room and stay away. There are some insane people on the road. No reason to confront them, since there is no profit in it anyway,

Same here. When you drive the limit you have to watch your rear as much as where you are going. I have changed lanes, even pulled off the road to let crazy aggressive drivers by. Not that it always helps them. Sometimes they are buried in a tight pack of other aggressive drivers at the next light when I come rolling up just about the time it turns green. If there's an open lane, I just roll right on by. I have even pulled over for the same stupid driver more than once. Several times for the same driver in some bizarre cases. Really, how fast one gets to the next red light does not control how long your trip takes. It's how many lights you have to wait for.

I'm constantly amused at the ones who ride my bumper as I am slowing for a red light up ahead. I've got a simple habit. Light ahead red, foot off gas. Just let it coast. So I get these people who ride my bumper as I am slowing down. Like I'm not flying up to the pack of waiting cars up ahead fast enough. So they get a chance, they pass, hit the gas for a moment, then they too have to hit the brakes. So they go zooming up there and stop, I am still rolling, slowing down, coasting. Light flips green, off they go, I am right with them. I never had to stop. Too funny. They must be in a real hurry to buy more tires and brakes, because they are going to need them sooner. Mine last forever. And they burn way more gas than me, too. Oh darn. I'll just pocket the savings and enjoy the peace of mind.

And the screwy thing is it really doesn't take much longer to drive somewhere safely. The only way to shorten your drive time is to get into the next light cycle ahead, and that takes such dangerous speeds it's a totally unsafe trade-off for a few minutes of time. Occasionally you do miss a sequence if you end up too far back. It's not the end of the world. Again, few minutes of time is a wise trade-off for safety and possibly, the rest of your life. Over 30,000 people a year die in USA traffic deaths. If we had that many deaths in a war there would be protests and demonstrations. But since it's on the highway we just don't talk about it.