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FirmhandKY -> RE: This Was a Great Election for Conservatives... (11/9/2006 9:29:40 AM)
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quote:
ORIGINAL: philosophy
"I did not start this thread as an invitation to debate, but as a wish to inject a positive note at a time when some are feeling less than encouraged. However, I accept that there are those who may want to argue or share their own perceptions."
.....is an appropriate paraphrase of that paragraph, 'i don't care to hear opposing views, but would rather make those of us who have lost the argument feel as if we didn't......but i can't stop people answering a public thread so i suppose i have to put up with you damn commie pinkos'?
This is a set of fora for debate, if you simply want to engage in polemics you may be disappointed.
Interesting thought, but I've got a few observations of my own.
First, while some members of this forum think that the majority of Americans are left of center, the truth is that the majority of Americans are right of center.
You can break that down a lot of ways, if you wish. In some issues, most are left of center (social beliefs primarily) but still right of center in other areas. The entire left/right paradigm is a little shallow, but useful in common conversation.
And common perception by many of the "left of center" members of this forum is that they are the overwhelming majority. This is a false perception (shades of Marx!). [:D]
The truth is, that most "right of center" members of CollarMe simply stay out of the discussions, and rarely call the "left of center" posters on their behavior. I choose to interpret this in two ways:
1. Most of them have lives and jobs, and better things to do than engage in rhetoric just for the shake of arguing (some of us don't mind, and have jobs that allows us to engage when we so choose).
2. Most right of center posters seem to have better manners, in that name calling and juvenile displays of frustration and sarcasm isn't something that they like to get involved in for the most part.
Because of this, the left of center posters pretty much have the run of the forums, and their self-congratulatory posts about the election, and their petty name calling and juvenile displays of both hubris and pettiness pretty much dominate here. It's an example of mob psychology and dynamics. They get a lot of reinforcement from each other, because they are so active.
Nothing wrong with that. That's just the way things are (conservatives tend to be pragmatic as well).
But it does blind them sometimes to how narrow-minded and petty they appear to others.
This thread wasn't started as a challenge. I think the OP was quite calm and non-challenging in fact. Decorum and it's appreciation isn't always a strong point of many left of center people (exceptions noted), however they really do seem to really hate opposing viewpoints, so when they come into a thread like this, where they see things they disagree with, they have a tendency to want to (for the lack of a better phase) muck things up a bit and act like they often get away with because of the group reinforcement dynamic.
When a mirror is held up to their behavior, they see it as an attack (authority and rules - like manners - are bad), get all emotional and attempt to counter-attack to the preceived "injustice" done them, failing to see how their own behavior is offensive to the greater portion of others.
In this particular case, there are several threads gloating about the possible impeachment of Bush, about instant withdrawal from Iraq, about all the investigations that they hope will happen, and a lot of other joyous noises.
So, when someone like treasure post something that is less than a jump for joy over the recent election .... target time.
Welcome to the piling on.
Could be wrong, just me, yada, yada, yada ....
FirmKY
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