The Rise of the Political Post

[TimmyBoston]

I'd love to see political discussion done away with. Trust me, they always lead to problems. I know, I watch them all.

[Stubblefield]

I'd love to see political discussion done away with. Trust me, they always lead to problems. I know, I watch them all.

So why not do away with them? I know of a few lsites that have either forbidden them or else done away with them entirely (crossfit.com, mtbr.com), and the sites were better for it.

Just a thought.

[Shane]

i'd love to see political discussion done away with. Trust me, they always lead to problems. I know, i watch them all.

+1

[Tom C]

Within one week of being a member here I posted a remark to a political thread. I've regretted it ever since and have made a vow to never comment on (or even open) another one. The civility of this forum simply amazes me, and I don't want to get involved in any topic that may tarnish that reputation or polarize the membership.

[suuperbus]

As a newcomer here I'm opened to speak about any issue in general including politics but only in a gentle way. My problem with politics that this thing is just boring.

[ouch]

Within one week of being a member here I posted a remark to a political thread. I've regretted it ever since and have made a vow to never comment on (or even open) another one. The civility of this forum simply amazes me, and I don't want to get involved in any topic that may tarnish that reputation or polarize the membership.

Somebody buy this man a cigar.

[LocalYokel]

Gentlemen, thanks for all your comments.

OP here. I have noticed an interesting phenomenon: the members who post remarks of what would generally be considered an inflammatory nature haven't said a word in this thread.

How interesting.

[Shane]

Gentlemen, thanks for all your comments.

OP here. I have noticed an interesting phenomenon: the members who post remarks of what would generally be considered an inflammatory nature haven't said a word in this thread.

How interesting.

If you think about it...is it really?

[LocalYokel]

As a newcomer here I'm opened to speak about any issue in general including politics but only in a gentle way. My problem with politics that this thing is just boring.

Suuperbus, I noticed you are across the pond. During my travels in Europe I have had the opportunity to discuss politics with many people from different countries. In each case, the word discuss applied. We could share ideas, listen, agree and disagree - but always the conversation would be civil, honorable, and thoughtful.

Not so in the States. Here, it's a bloodbath, with the intention of killing the argument of the other person. Or, as the case may be, sometimes even killing the person.

I seriously question what sort of a nation we are evolving into, what sort of people we are becoming. And I don't like what I see.

[Fnord5]

I'd love to see political discussion done away with. Trust me, they always lead to problems. I know, I watch them all.

hey! i thought this was the breakfast deathmatch thread?

pancakes, crepes, waffles, bacon, or full Japanese breakfast?

[philamac]

Just googled 'grits'.

Are you guys serious when you say they are really good?

Looked a bit bland to me..........no offence meant

[richmondesi]

Just googled 'grits'.

Are you guys serious when you say they are really good?

Looked a bit bland to me..........no offence meant

Grits aren't very good when made by most people. But when they are good, they are GREAT.

[davecmu]

I have a particular opinion on the death of public discourse on politics and other polarizing topics (religion, abortion, insert anything "controversial" here), and it goes like this:

Water coolers used to be in every office. They were in a public place, typically a main room with desks or a hallway. There was no privacy at the water cooler. As a result, there was accountabilty at the water cooler.

During breaks, people used to gather around the water cooler and talk. Often, they'd discuss mundane topics like the previous night's dinner, or the latest sporting event. But every so often, the topic would turn to politics. Right there, at the water cooler, each person would be heard staking his claim or position on a controversial topic. There, in public, the conversations would evolve.

After the break was over, everyone would go back to work, where they'd have to rely on one another to get the company's work done, to keep the company in business, and keep their own jobs. This meant they had to still respect and trust one another. In order to accomplish this and still discuss politics in a public setting, each person was socially required to LISTEN to others' opinions, and try to find COMMON GROUND. This created a world of MODERATES, of people who could find the middle ground or compromise position. It developed critical listening skills, tact of delivery, and the ability to careful analyze another's point of view without offending them.

At some point, we took away water coolers, and it became uncouth to discuss controversial topics in public. This meant we no longer practiced finding the common ground or coming to a shared understanding of a difficult topic. It became the norm that each side of a particular topic would retreat to their own forum for discussion (first in person, now on the Internet) where they were "free" to say what they wanted because everyone there agreed with them.

As a result of this change, we have devloved into a nation of polarized opinion, where we no longer have the skills, emotional maturity, or intellectual ability to understand the other side(s) of our own beliefs, much less discuss them intelligently in public. Isn't this evident in the venemous discourse between the two political parties, which tends to focus entirely on their differences and not on the common ground each must share?

I think the suggestion that we stop talking about these types things in public is entirely backwards. Forcing public discourse (and thus ACCOUNTABILITY) is the only thing that can help us relearn the necessary skills to have these conversations at the national level. It's the same thing we do with our own children; we have them talk about their feelings, discuss the process they used to reach a decision, and then have them do their own analysis of why something didn't work out the way they wanted. If it's good enough for them, why have we abandoned it as adults?

The question, then, is whether B&B is the place for this discussion to take place. I am not a moderator or owner of this site, so I'll leave that decision for them. I can only advocate for more public discourse, with appropriate accountability, of these types of topics.

[Gruder]

Just googled 'grits'.

Are you guys serious when you say they are really good?

Looked a bit bland to me..........no offence meant

Google "cheese grits." Enjoy the dawning of a new day for breakfast satisfaction.

[richmondesi]

davecmu,

With all due respect, it is totally wrong to imply that the political discourse now is somehow less civil than at other times in history. If you spend any time studying politics, you'll find that the venom has been there for centuries. In fact, the physical violence stemming from politics is actually down in our country. The biggest difference is that we live in a 24 hr news cycle, and we have so many media outlets that show all of the ugliness (and make entertainment out of it).

I also feel that there are more moderates now as well. Like many things in life, I feel that the "good old days" are highly overrated.

[Ru4scuba?]

Heresy is correct! Pancakes with maple syrup are the best. And it has to be Michigan maple syrup, none of that Vermont crap. I still can't forgive them for that whole Lake Champlain is a Great Lake debacle in the late 90's.

I think we're about to start a "syrup wars" thread....my shelves are stocked with what you classify as "Vermont crap..." My nephew is going to VT and he keeps sending me the stuff.

Put up your syrup laced gloves you scallywag!

[mretzloff]

I also feel that there are more moderates now as well.

There actually are. Most Americans are moderates.

[thirdeye]

I prefer crepes, but would gladly eat waffles over pancakes any day. True Belgian waffles (not the ones Americans call Belgian) are awesome. Catch is, they are not a breakfast food.

Don't even get me started about those fellows who prefer to eat crepes....

[blackfoot]

Bacon beats all!

[ClubmanRob]

Baconnaise beats all. Except chrome. Chrome wins.