I come to the political forums mostly to read what you guys are fighting about! I generally have no interest in the topic being discussed so I just lurk.
I have noticed that members of both crowds are more than willing to hurl insults.
JW adds almost nothing to any of the discussions other than some sort of cheerleading role.
Vroom seems to be caught up with his percieved internet image and how others characterize him and as a result adds nothing to the discussions.
Any post by BB is worth reading.
Pookie’s knowledge of physics scares me.
Sasquatch insulted my intelligence on another thread for no apparent reason other than telling little Al that he finally posted something worth reading.
Thunder is a good read.
JTF is a good read.
Jeffr starts out promising and then delves off the deep end with personal attacks.
Due to my general lack of interest in politics and middle of the road stance on most subjects I offer very little or nothing to most discussions. I dont generally post my opinion since I have no way of defending it other than citing that it is just my perception of the issue. Often times I have never even heard of the issue until reading it here. I dont watch or read the news.
[quote]Professor X wrote:
Joe Weider wrote:
Most of the personal attacks flow from him and his little friends, who can’t go even one post without saying something hateful about someone.
Why do my friends have to be “little”? That sounds like an attack to me. I cry foul. Foul! Hypocrite.[/quote]
You’re quite correct, I stand corrected and I apologize.
Totally wrong of me.
What I should’ve said is: next to Professor X’s hard won extreme mass, anyone who stands within 4 feet of him automatically looks little.
I just like to get out my “Clue-By Four” and whap folks on the head with it from time to time. I’ve said it once, and I’ll say it again … neither the left or the right has all the answers, its about logic. Most people on the extreme of either political side are so busy drinking that position’s Kool-Aid that they could not find a clue in a clue-field with a clue finding dog. That folks is so often why this turns into nothing but bickering rather than honest political discourse. Everyone put the Kool-Aid down and slowly back way…
I explained my reason quite clearly. You may not have liked it, but I explained it.
As for insulting your intelligence–now I cry foul. I stated you might belong to a cult like group that listens to Al, but unless you think that means your dumb, that is not what I said. I di imply that a 17 yr old kid who doesn’t leave his house and who plays video games all day can’t really have the life experience to quantify and qualify his characterizations of the President and others 3 times his age. I stand by that.
I would like to think that I’m pretty fair, so if you were offended, I apologize. I will go back and reread and see exactly my wording, but it does get going fairly quickly sometimes and a bad word here or there can completely change the context of a post.
[quote]rainjack wrote:
hedo wrote:
So if we all agree that nobody likes the personal attacks it stands to reason…
…We’ll probably just keep on making them because it pisses the other side off.[/quote]
well, it would be nice if the personal attacks could be tempered with respect.
I mean, I know I’ve said stuff about say…Professor X, some of which I believe, some which were over the top heat of the moment stuff.
But underlying it is the basic fact that I respect what he’s done in his life–from building his body to becoming a doctor yada yada.
Lately it seems like the personal attacks really are…well, personal.
Designed to be hurtful.
And sometimes that’s okay…but not usually.
And now that I’ve given Elky something else to accuse me of whining about, I think I’ll go pick up something heavy.
I post here occasionally because I enjoy the debate. I must admit I have lost a lot of interest since the election and have been frequenting other areas of the site generally.
A few of you may know me as a liberal but, believe it or not, I can be swayed by intelligent exposition. My opinions are not set in stone. I wish that could be said for some of the rest of you, who turn a complete blind eye to other viewpoints. Perhaps I’m a moderate-liberal.
As for the personal attacks- well, I’m usually against them, but sometimes someone needs a kick in the ass. If you see bullshit, and smell bullshit, call it so. But if you’re going to do it, do it with humor if possible! For example, instead of saying
‘JeffR is a retarded goon who failed high school English’, say
‘Come on Jeff!!! Don’t be so narrow-minded!!! Turn off Fox News for just one little second and try to see the other side!!!’ or something like that.
For Christ’s sake, guys. It’s one thing to talk shit on a forum, but it’s quite another to talk shit on a thread on a forum about talking shit. (Did that make any sense??) RLTW
Why post here? It’s fun - behind most of the hardbitten fights there are people who are interested in debate, who have fun in rethorics and an interest in the topics debated. If I want proper journalism and professional analysis, I read newspapers or listen to the BBC.
I come here because I’m interested in politics and I like to hear what people with other views have to say. Yes, there is a lot of namecalling and SHOUTING - but most of the time, I don’t get worked up by it, even find it funnny (where would I be without JeffR’s whacky humour?); sometimes it angers me, then I try to be better by using a more sniding rethoric and abstain from pure insults. And that’s fun, too. I like debate.
I don’t have much to say on the training threads - there, I just listen and learn. In politics and world issues, I have something to contribute. And that I enjoy.
Many of you may not believe this…but because of all of you, this Forum has some of the best Political discussion on the Net.
Let me expain.
For a few years, I was looking for a “Testosterone-Like” Website for political discussion. The problem is that most Political Websites will have a particular “slant” or “agenda”. That didn’t work for me for two reasons:
I didn’t want regugitated to me political feelings that I already had and
I want my views challenged, debated and even “called out” because like deanosumo, my Political views are not “set in stone”. If someone gives me compelling argument, I may in fact change those views.
I’m here to learn, not to be either ignorant or close-minded.
I’m a registered Independent.
I’m Fiscally Conservative, and Socially have Liberal “leanings”. (Make of that what you may…).
Another thing to consider is that this is a Forum heavily mixed with Religion. Recent postings have reaffirmed my desire to stay out of Religious discussions, due to their “no-win/no debate/my-way-or-the-highway/judgemental” tones…but hey…that’s me. They are very popular for many people.
Obviously I’m one of the fish swimming in the political pool.
While some heat and friction is cool, it would be nice from time to time to actually discuss crap.
It’s frustrating when people quote factoids without really considering the underlying issues. It’s all speaking points. Why bother? We could just watch a channel of choice and get them ourselves if we wanted to.
However, while that is annoying, I really hate it when people go out of their way to twist your words and make you out to be something you aren’t.
Hell, beat on me, call me a shithead, complain because I think too much, whatever the hell you want, just don’t resort to bullshit tactics meant to unfairly descredit someone.
Perhaps we can let the professional politicians stick to that game?
So, Rainjack is a pain in the ass, but he calls them like he see them. I can live with that. Joe excels a being silly and looking for cheap laughs, I can live with that. Jerffy, is usually just plain useless and contributes nothing, though he’s actually taken the time to write a thought from time to time, I hope I get to see more of that.
[quote]makkun wrote:
I don’t have much to say on the training threads - there, I just listen and learn. In politics and world issues, I have something to contribute. And that I enjoy.
[/quote]
Great point, makkun. I’ll jump into a discussion sometimes on training and nutrition, or more recently, the steroid forum.
[quote]rangertab75 wrote:
For Christ’s sake, guys. It’s one thing to talk shit on a forum, but it’s quite another to talk shit on a thread on a forum about talking shit. (Did that make any sense??) RLTW
i love debate, but hate it when i get strawmaned or my opponents views are set in stone.
not a single one of my views are set in stone. sometimes i act like it, but that’s just my way of presenting the best argument i can so i wont change my mind due to a “weaker” opponent.
i dont care about name calling. i can dish it at least as good as those serving it, so i will if i have to. i don’t see the point of getting upset because someone is treating me like they’re a child.
that being said, i don’t really post much on politics, so my opinion doesn’t really matter. if this were a forum about philosophy and science theory i’d be around a bit more…
[quote]wufwugy wrote:
that being said, i don’t really post much on politics, so my opinion doesn’t really matter. if this were a forum about philosophy and science theory i’d be around a bit more…[/quote]
But it IS philosophical, wufu. It’s philosophical as hell.
[quote]vroom wrote:
Obviously I’m one of the fish swimming in the Hell, beat on me, call me a shithead, complain because I think too much, whatever the hell you want, just don’t resort to bullshit tactics meant to unfairly descredit someone.
[/quote]
how about if I complain because you THINK you think too much?
BTW, that wasn’t me going for a cheap laugh. That was me being serious.
All love, bro, but you do tend to get a little carried away with yourself.
I like to be able to take part in discussions without making unecessary ripples in the work place – lawyers like to argue, but you don’t want people you work with getting pissed and taking things way too seriously in political discussions. And it’s a lot easier to laugh off insults typed on an internet forum than it is when you’ve got two people with opposite views getting heated face to face.
My office is two doors down from that of Lanny Davis…
Seriously.
So anyway, I appreciate the opportunity to engage in discussion on topics of current interest.
Also, I don’t have the scientific knowledge to be able to contribute on a high level on some of the other forums – I read them for info, but I don’t think most people care what a guy who majored in econ/finance and history thinks about the biophysics of shoulder movements or the biochemistry of carbohydrate utilization.
