Is anybody interested in listening to points of view different from one's own?

[Saint_Ann]

You made up that statistic. See what I mean about conservatives not being able to defend their positions in open debate.

Prove me wrong or stfu.

 

[Rightguide]

How so? I think you don’t know the difference between a “trained seal” and a sea lion.

You're too small to be a lion honey.

 

[HisArpy]

You're too small to be a lion honey.

Sea Lion is her word of the day.

 

[TastySuckToy]

I'm curious. I don't see any point in participating in a politics forum without genuine curiosity and open-mindedness toward people who think differently from the way I do. But I see no evidence of that at all in this forum.

Generally speaking, when you engage in a debate (especially public ones), you're not going to sway or convince your opponent. Most people are quite stubborn about their beliefs, and will dig in their heels even if they start suspecting their position is no longer tenable, especially in the metaphorical 'fight' during a debate.

The purpose of such a debate is more for the audience and letting them hear two sides (or more) of a particular argument. While the audience is certainly filled with bias and prejudiced conclusions as well, they're not burdened with the idea of they themselves "winning" or "losing" the argument in front of an audience. So they have a bit more wiggle room for digesting new perspectives and arguments about any particular issue.

This forum, like most others, is going to have a significant amount of quiet readers; people who won't engage directly themselves, but observe and judge a lot from those who do.

Especially since, as you noted, the forum is filled with a lot of nasty name calling, insults, dishonesty, even threats, etc.

 

[Rightguide]

Kamala Harris is the Democratic candidate for President, and she’s echoed these positions in her speeches, explicitly calling out her support for Israel and her intent to push for the reinstatement of national abortion rights for women.

There never was a "national abortion right' in the first place. All we had was a flawed SCOTUS decision. It's a state issue that needs to be handled democratically in the states. So there is nothing to reinstate. If a Democrat Congress passes such a law it will wind up in the same place and get the same answer.

 

[Rightguide]

Sea Lion is her word of the day.

Oh, is that some new CA inner-city political jargon?

 

[Rightguide]

Prove me wrong or stfu.

So far it looks like she chose to stfu.

 

[HisArpy]

Oh, is that some new CA inner-city political jargon?

Nope, it's a ninnyism. I think. My ninnygirl translator is acting kinda weird today. It keeps repeating something about it's handout check being too small and the bus always being late.

 

[ChloeTzang]

Regardless of what you say about me, I will continue to support Israel's right to exist. I want the October 7th hostages released and the stranglehold that Hamas has on Gaza broken so the people there can live in freedom and safety.

A bit moderate there. Gazans voted Hamas in and would likely do so again under just about any scenario. Short of killing them all, which personally I have no issue with, there's no real solution that will work here short of just fencing them in, isolating them and doing what the Chinese are doing quite effectively in Xinjang. So far, the Chinese are the only ones to have come up with a solution that works for integrating Muslims into a society that is not Muslim.

 

[domroger]

I'm curious. I don't see any point in participating in a politics forum without genuine curiosity and open-mindedness toward people who think differently from the way I do. But I see no evidence of that at all in this forum. It's boring, and the nastiness and one-sidedness is dispiriting.

Most online political forums I've seen are like this, but this one is worse than most.

There used to be a few Republicans who could make a reasoned argument,but they are long gone and sorely missed,the ones left are mostly on my ignore list.

 

[Lazaran]

I’m not playing your sea lion game.

The OP is also a sea lion.

This OP’s question has been asked and answered ad nauseam here on the PB:

The Democratic contingent on the PB has consistently demonstrated faaaaaar more openness to civil, constructive debate than the RWCJ.

The Democratic contingent often disagrees with each other on the issues, but they bring receipts to support their arguments and can be persuaded to a degree: The MAGAts and the far left radicals??? Not so much.

The Israel-Gaza issue is a prime example.

And that ^ is a debate worth having.

There really is no debate over gross economic and social disparities, the climate crisis, the unconstitutional intrusion of privacy that the overturning of Roe exemplifies, the threat posed by the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction in the hands of the public, the threat posed by white-nationalist Christo-fascists and other radical religious / political elements, the threat posed by anti-democracy, pro-authoritarian elements in society, and the threat posed by the unified corporate media

 

[jaF0]

Why does this jump from post 52 to post 61?

 

[HisArpy]

Why does this jump from post 52 to post 61?

Probably because someone from the upper management office decided that some posts aren't to be tolerated.

nb; all of mine are still here.

 

[SimonDoom]

The OP is also a sea lion.

I learned something, at least, from this thread. I've never heard this term before, and now I know what it means.

It's interesting to be called a name and not to know what it even means.

As far as the good-faith of my opening post, I'll just note that BOTH sides have given ample evidence over the course of this thread of the problem I'm talking about.

You just concluded your last post with the statement that "there is no debate" over a host of issues, and obviously that's false. There's a great deal of debate over all of them--their causes, their importance, and, especially, what to do about them.

One can criticize what I say (that's fine with me) but calling me a "sea lion" is pretty silly. I like to dig into the evidence and am happy to do it with you or anyone else anytime. If you present evidence to me I'll engage with it rather than deflecting.

 

[Lazaran]

I learned something, at least, from this thread. I've never heard this term before, and now I know what it means.

It's interesting to be called a name and not to know what it even means.

As far as the good-faith of my opening post, I'll just note that BOTH sides have given ample evidence over the course of this thread of the problem I'm talking about.

You just concluded your last post with the statement that "there is no debate" over a host of issues, and obviously that's false. There's a great deal of debate over all of them--their causes, their importance, and, especially, what to do about them.

One can criticize what I say (that's fine with me) but calling me a "sea lion" is pretty silly. I like to dig into the evidence and am happy to do it with you or anyone else anytime. If you present evidence to me I'll engage with it rather than deflecting.

SimonDumb clearly doesn’t understand the term ”Sea lion” nor the purpose / intent of the post they responded to. (Hint: There really is NO ACTUAL DEBATE over the items mentioned.)



Side note:

SimonDumb probably won’t understand the purpose / intent of the childish name calling in this post either. (Hint: DonOld Dump).

 

[jaF0]

As far as the good-faith of my opening post, I'll just note that BOTH sides have given ample evidence over the course of this thread of the problem I'm talking about.

There is NO legitimate, valid 'debate' in support of the Orange Cult. Not a one. They are fascists in search of a Dictator to destroy the United States as we know it.

 

[Lazaran]

There is NO legitimate, valid 'debate' in support of the Orange Cult. Not a one. They are fascists in search of a Dictator to destroy the United States as we know it.

JaF0 gets it, even if SimonDumb doesn’t.

 

[SimonDoom]

SimonDumb clearly doesn’t understand the term ”Sea lion” nor the purpose / intent of the post they responded to. (Hint: There really is NO ACTUAL DEBATE over the items mentioned.)



Side note:

SimonDumb probably won’t understand the purpose / intent of the childish name calling in this post either. (Hint: DonOld Dump).

That pretty much rests my case. I know the answer.

 

[SimonDoom]

There is NO legitimate, valid 'debate' in support of the Orange Cult. Not a one. They are fascists in search of a Dictator to destroy the United States as we know it.

I don't support Donald Trump. Let's get that straight.

But over 74 million people voted for him in 2020. The vast majority are not fascists. Donald Trump is not a fascist, if one wants to be historically accurate about the use of the term. The term "fascist" is hyperbole.

I know people who voted for Donald Trump, and I've heard their reasons. I didn't agree with them, but it's not true that there's no debate. I know that they are not racists and fascists.

This is what I mean. If one thinks this way, there is no possibility of reasoned debate. You are every bit as unreasonable on this point as the people you disagree with.

 

[Lazaran]

That pretty much rests my case. I know the answer.

No: Simon Dumb does NOT “know the answer”.



If they did, they never would have asked the question in the first place (the OP).

 

[SimonDoom]

When I have people from both the left and the right coming after me with name-calling and cliches I figure I must have done something right.

 

[Lazaran]

I don't support Donald Trump. Let's get that straight.

But over 74 million people voted for him in 2020. The vast majority are not fascists. Donald Trump is not a fascist, if one wants to be historically accurate about the use of the term. The term "fascist" is hyperbole.

I know people who voted for Donald Trump, and I've heard their reasons. I didn't agree with them, but it's not true that there's no debate. I know that they are not racists and fascists.

This is what I mean. If one thinks this way, there is no possibility of reasoned debate. You are every bit as unreasonable on this point as the people you disagree with.

W.O.W.

 

[jaF0]

The vast majority are not fascists.

False. They are my neighbors. I hear the propaganda first hand.

Donald Trump is not a fascist, if one wants to be historically accurate about the use of the term.

False. He openly idolizes monsters like Putin, Xi, Un, Orban, Lukashenko and others.

 

[Lazaran]

When I have people from both the left and the right coming after me with name-calling and cliches I figure I must have done something right.

SimonDumb omitted centrist Democrats like myself in their “persecutor list”.

If SimonDumb is going to play the sea lion victim, then SimonDumb should accurately identify the political ideologies of ALL of their "persecutors".

 

[SimonDoom]

SimonDumb omitted centrist Democrats like myself in their “persecutor list”.

If SimonDumb is going to play the sea lion victim, then SimonDumb should accurately identify the political ideologies of ALL of their "persecutors".

You're not a persecutor. You're just an example of someone uninterested in reasoned and civil discussion. You prefer name-calling.