Out of the cesspool time - taking a break

[leonid]

Well, I seem to have reached my limit of tolerance for extreme conservative values: you know, threats of revolution, righteousness, meanness, generalizations, and propaganda.  I swear, you guys would've made great Bolsheviks.  

Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against conservatives in general.  In fact, many of them are quite willing to find compromise with their liberal bretheren, and view the antics of the extreme right with embarassment.  Just as I find leftists like those who egged the President's limo on his inauguration as deplorable.

Dowding, Fd-ski, and the rest of the crew, carry on.  I'm on R&R  

[mietla]

Huh?

[Toad]

Mietla,

I think he means the liberals are still unable to present convincing arguments for their pet causes so he's taking a break.

Note the last gun thread, the school voucher thread, etc. Check to see who is proposing compromise and who isn't. Check to see who is making the bigoted statements and who isn't.

 

[-towd_]

you are so full of crap you sting over 23 jumps in my internet connection . how can any human try to present the conservatives , on this bbs or anywhere in the universe as the voice of comprimise . or non bigoted . still got some of the coke bushes dady imported socked away? sheesh

sorry fellos dmocrats just cant let um get away with beeing all for everyone even in their own little standard issue minds.

[1776]

Hmmmm,let me see, towd doesn't address the issue but starts personal attacks.  Name calling seems to be the maggot infested, dope smoking, FM types favorite tactic, hehe ya gotta love em though.  They make everyone appear as mental giants  

[Toad]

So true 1776.

Towd, thanks for proving my point.  

[Dowding]

Aye Leonid. I've been asked by fellow Brits why I post here. They can't stand it. And I can't give them an answer.

I think I miss my uni. debating, and I was used to getting entangled with right-wing, Christian fundamentalists. Maybe the conservatives on this board remind me (only in a small way, you understand  ) of them.

To many on this board a socialist will always be a communist, and a liberal a liberty threatening Stalinist. Dope-smoking will always be a filthy, sordid affair, whereas alcohol is quite all right (it makes you a man, right?).

And then there are those who are surprised when they are attacked for expressing overtly racist opinions (a minority, thank god).

I have to say, that my opinions of Americans has been coloured since posting here. I used to think they were pretty liberal and not that much different from us (except for the spelling thing  ).

That has been pretty much turned on its head, especially in relation to the gun control issue. But I guess this community is far from a representative sample of the American population.

It's been... interesting.

[Toad]

I think the basic difference is that those that are labeled "conservative" are more likely NOT to interfere in the affairs of others.

The guiding principle, for me at least, is that if what you are doing is not a danger to another person or the environment and is not illegal in your government/society then what you do is your business and your business alone.

What possible business could it be of mine?

OTOH, those that are labeled "liberal" seem to be the most likely to interfere with a person's right to do as he pleases under the same above stated conditions.

I now feel that "liberals" are more likely to try to force conformation to their way of thinking. These threads have reinforced that feeling to an incredible level.

While you feel uncomfortable, I do as well.

With my outlook, I thought everyone would just have their own views and accept the other person's views as just that: personal views. As long as the above conditions were met, no harm done, no freedom lost...just animated discussions.

Now I'm beginning to feel that I will eventually be the target of a "holy war". I don't think I'm going to be left alone to live my life as I see fit, within the above mentioned constraints. This is not a good thing.

For the first time ever, I'm beginning to wonder if it's all going to work out.

While I don't care WHAT you do as long as it's legal, many people seem deeply interested in stopping ME from doing things that are legal within the above constraints.

 

Basically, believe what you like and allow others the same privilege. Is that so hard?

[Kieren]

Here is the line I found interesting:

 

Well, I seem to have reached my limit of tolerance for extreme conservative values: you know, threats of revolution, righteousness, meanness, generalizations, and propaganda. I swear, you guys would've made great Bolsheviks.

I totally agree a lot of that happened, but it happened both ways; witness the last eight words of the quote.  

I have been as guilty of any of venting my spleen, but that hasn't been intended to be directed at anyone but my own government. I have tried to respect the opinions of those who have posted in the same threads. So what if people disagreed with me? I didn't call their discussion "banal", now did I?

Fundamentally it seems many of us are intolerant, but don't for a second think that is only the conservatives. Leonid, I like you as much as I can like anyone I've never met, but your posts have been as combative as anything I've read. None of us have been entirely right or wrong, IMHO.

[Toad]

Well, Kiren...maybe there is hope.  

[MrBill]

Just curious? Since Bush won, does anyone know what country Alec Baldwin moved to

------------------
OhNooo
smile awhile

[Dux]

Are you guys talking about politics?

 

[Toad]

I won't be wronged,
I won't be insulted,
I won't be laid a hand on.
I don't do these things to other people,
and I require the same from them.
- --John Wayne, from "The Shootist

Pretty simple, eh?  

Have the .wav file but don't know how to make it work here. Always eager to learn tho...

[This message has been edited by Toad (edited 01-29-2001).]

[leonid]

Hey, I'm not pissed, so much as burned-out.  I've gotten used to this forum's 'style' for awhile now, and I don't really take it as a place of meshing ideas anymore.  Not my choice, but others appear set on using this forum as their own verbal bludgeoning tool.  Hey, whatever.  I think the only reason I post here is to let people who visit this forum know that not everyone thinks alike in the USA.

And it looks like Bush won't let me go on R&R, not with talk of funding 'faith-based' organizations with federal money.  Why are religious groups now being referred to as 'faith-based'?  To get a better shot at dancing around the 1st Amendment of the Bill of Rights?

[Karnak]

 

Originally posted by Toad:
I think the basic difference is that those that are labeled "conservative" are more likely NOT to interfere in the affairs of others.

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!!

You're joking, right?  Please tell me you're joking.

That is too funny.  That has got to be the biggest joke I've seen posted on this board.

Let me see, things that I've seen stated by Conservatives as things they would like to enforce on others personal lives:

You MUST speak english.
You MUST pray in school.
You MUST NOT have an abortion.
You MUST NOT use contraceptives.
You MUST NOT read things that are outside of the community's standards.
You MUST NOT view things that are outside of the community's standards.

Things that I've seen stated by Liberals as things they would like to enforce on others personal lives:

You MUST submit to a background check when buying a firearm.
You MAY NOT own certain kinds of firearms.  (I have problems with this one).
Your children MUST be educated in such a way that modern science is included in their curriculum.

Conservatives are way, WAY more interested in intruding in our personal lives.

------------------
We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
For he to-day that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother

Sisu
-Karnak