Lucienne
Posts: 1175
Joined: 9/5/2009
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ORIGINAL: Sanity
I can't respond to julia in the original thread due to the mod's intervention in designating that thread "a protected thread" so here's a new thread where hopefully we're free to discuss whatever aggravates us about other's posts, and specifically poster's insults.
I would like to discuss my aggravation with thin-skinned posters.
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Musicmystery began that thread as an attempted insult, then insulted me further in that thread by calling me simplistic, etc, and then got all pissy when I called him on it. juliaoceania took a swipe at me in that same thread then became indignant in a similar manner that Musicmystery did when I responded to her in kind.
Only skimmed the beginning of that thread, don't care to follow the drama, none of my remarks should be taken as commentary on whatever the hell dull pissing match you people managed to have there.
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So what gives. Are Conservatives and Tea Partiers etc. really expected to take insult after insult here without giving any of it back? Or why do the Libs here get all indignant and whiny when you let them have a mouth full of their very own medicine.
As a matter of fact, I fully expect that Conservative and Tea Partiers are incapable of directing equally effective insults at most of their critics but I don't realistically expect them not to try.
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I wouldn't mind doing away with all of the insults entirely, but on a voluntary basis,
I don't think it is possible to have an honest and thorough discussion about politics amongst people who disagree without someone saying something that someone else will take as an insult. My rejection of large portions of the Republican agenda is based not only on the idea that republican programs are ineffective at achieving their stated goals but that the programs actually serve unstated goals that I violently disagree with. The world is full of plenty of opportunities to bite my tongue about politics, I'll be damned if I let an internet message board be one of them.
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and thats a part of why I am as insulting here as I am. I am deliberately trying to drive home a point, anyone can do it so just drop it and lets have some sensible discussions.
Is there a way to express my opinion that yours is an uncompelling argument without you feeling insulted? What, are you trying some insult version of Mutually Assured Destruction? Dare I point out that your missiles rarely make it out of the silo? I'll defend the use of insults as appropriate. But if I were to contend that insults were always inappropriate, I'd think the strongest way to demonstrate that would be to lead by example, not with your silly (alleged) gambit to demonstrate that anyone can do it. And, as a person who values sharp expression, I must point out that while anyone can insult, much like anyone can play golf, it's the sort of thing that most people aren't very good at it no matter how much they enjoy the activity.
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we're all supposed to be adults here and we should each be fully capable of defending ourselves, and I'm pretty sure that given time and enough rope the worst of the insulting behavior will clear itself out of the system for the most part.
Again, I disagree. I think that as long as people are having honest and thorough discussions that insults will occur. My personal wish is that the insults be either on-point ("your position on torture is immoral" vs. "you have a fat ass") or funny (<insert domiguy>). I hate it when people try to play the "they did it first!" card to justify their own insulting behavior. If you're going to insult someone or something, own it. Lastly, I really dislike it when people say/write/think things like "he used an insult so he lost the argument" because {draws deep breath to express in non-insulting terms} it's simply not true, rationally. As a matter of effective communication and persuasion, yes, insults are a special tool to be used very carefully. More often than not, insulting someone will result in that person and others no longer listening to the rest of your comments. And it's difficult to communicate or persuade if people aren't listening. But the soundness of an argument is not compromised by the loss of style points. It's perfectly possible for a person to be a raging asshole spewing venom in all directions and still have at the heart of their comments a sound argument. In my experience, there is more advantage to learning how to tolerate rough edges in order to see a decent argument rather than subjecting oneself to an endless stream of nonsense just because it's expressed politely. Of course, those aren't the only two choices. But I wish some of the disapproval for the former would be redirected at the latter.
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RE: Insults and other aggravations here - 
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