TheHeretic
Posts: 19100
Joined: 3/25/2007
From: California, USA
Status: offline
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Nice to see that this was opened back up, but I may have forgotten what I was going to say, originally.
Vince;
Perhaps the reason the question came from an irregular participant was because he sees enough of the shit that is the norm, and is a bit leery of jumping in? Hell, we get a few who come in stupid, have their little snark handed back to them, as a side to their ass on a platter, and never venture down again.
I did run across the post I've quoted below, and that seems like a good place to pick up.
quote:
ORIGINAL: DesFIP
The problem of course is that no one agrees on what is the right thing to do.
I think this is about half right. When people are willing to communicate honestly, I think we can very often agree on what the right thing to do is, but we may fundamentally disagree on the right way to it. Those disagreements can run very deep, and get into core beliefs of human nature, and the proper role of government or spiritual belief, which aren't going to change overnight, if at all.
Let's take poverty in the US, for an example. I can only think of one person in this section who would (privately) cheer the prospect of increasing numbers of people living in abject poverty, and that would be based solely on a belief that they would vote for Democrats. We can very nearly all be be in perfect agreement that reducing poverty is the right thing to do. The initial break is going to be over the right way to address it. I think the answer lies in a short term safety net, genuine education, opportunity, and personal freedom. Others believe it lies in providing a bare subsistence income, and lots of little programs, and reject the notion of predictable negative consequences in that approach. I think I'm right. It's pretty rare to find a conversation where that difference of core belief is even going to be acknowledged, much less become the theme.
There is a good book called, "The Righteous Mind," by Jonathan Haidt which delves into the topic at hand. At one point, the author discusses internet political forums exactly like what we have here, and says the chances of getting anywhere in such a format are essentially nil. I say it still beats anything in the realm of reality TV, and here I am.
_____________________________
If you lose one sense, your other senses are enhanced.
That's why people with no sense of humor have such an inflated sense of self-importance.
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RE: I'm right and everybody else is wrong. - 
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