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Civility

R

reaganburch

Was curious....

What would it take to get back to having civil & healthy debate without demonizing people with other viewpoints?

Currently, people in both parties(not all, but more than a few), whenever they make their argument, have to resort to calling names and hence, demonizing that person instead of debating the argument. I read it here, I read it online, I read it in the papers, I hear it on the news.

Over the last few decades, members of Congress, Presidents, campaigners have implemented the scorched earth theory in which if you disagree with me and my political viewpoints, you are Satan, you are evil, you deserve to die, you're less than human and less of an American.

Let's forget about the childish arguments that the other side started it. Most of all of this is childish. I hear Democrats calling Bush Satan and an arrogant imbecile. I hear Republicans calling Kennedy a drunk murderer. How does all of that advance agendas? Can we not stipulate that 90+% of us love our country and want what's best for it; however, we might disagree with how that needs to happen and then argue the points on merit alone without demonizing your opponent?

Members of congress have long stopped caring about the American people. They are all whores of some special interest or another... They no longer care about their constituents.. not really... they are all beholden to their party and that's it. And because of that, all they care about is power and holding onto it whatever means necessary.

I think that there should be term limits of no more than 2 terms, in the House & in the Senate. Once you've been there that long, you're probably bought and paid for by someone not having America's best interest at heart... just their own.

It's amazing that anyone would really want to run for office at all in todays environment. Who could stand up under the scrutiny that the people who are so power hungry brings to bear upon them? Who would want to be attacked or their families attacked for someones else personal, political gain?

What would it take for us to stop feeding upon each other and work together to do the things necessary to make this country stronger?

Just like someone I works with says in every piece of correspondence(sp?) he sends.... Let's discuss... I'll be interested in seeing the first person justify calling someone else Satan, an idiot, a drunk or something else like that...
 
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I totally agree; couldn't have said it better myself. People definitely need to focus on promoting policies rather than trying to instill fear in the voters by saying that if your opponent wins, Satan will inherit the earth. People calling people who disagree with them anti-american or bigots is not going to get anywhere, it will only deepen the schism that exists in contemporary politics.
 
I agree with most of your points except for the following:

Members of congress have long stopped caring about the American people. They are all whores of some special interest or another... They no longer care about their constituents.. not really... they are all beholden to their party and that's it. And because of that, all they care about is power and holding onto it whatever means necessary.

Ever heard of Ron Paul?
http://www.house.gov/paul/

To quote from his web site (which is *very* accurate in this case).
"Dr. Paul never votes for legislation unless the proposed measure is expressly authorized by the Constitution."

He is indeed for the people by the people and very strict with his votes. He doesn't have many friends up there.
 
Oh lord, I would love to see this!
I like to argue. I don't always do it very well, and got introduced to political debate forums right after 9/11. I thought Bush did a good job handling the crisis. Then I went to a site and disagreed with someone's assessment of Howard Dean. That's when I saw real nastiness from both sides. Unfortunately, I have dealt some out myself. I've never really liked that side of me.
Thank you for letting me explain that.

By the by;
reaganburch said:
...Over the last few decades, members of Congress, Presidents, campaigners have implemented the scorched earth theory in which if you disagree with me and my political viewpoints, you are Satan, you are evil, you deserve to die, you're less than human and less of an American.

...Members of congress have long stopped caring about the American people. They are all whores of some special interest or another... They no longer care about their constituents.. not really... they are all beholden to their party and that's it. And because of that, all they care about is power and holding onto it whatever means necessary.

I am quite fond of my two Senators. Grassley and Harkin. Except for a few recent things by Harkin, these guys run clean, honest, decent campaigns. No name-calling, no mean-spiritedness. I think they know that doing so, would cost them in Iowa. :D
ted
 
reaganburch said:
They are all whores

Don't insult whores like that. A whore gives an honest return for the money.
 
vauge said:
Ever heard of Ron Paul?


A.K.A. "Dr No" ?

He's almost a legend.
 
Paladin said:
Oh lord, I would love to see this!
I like to argue. I don't always do it very well, and got introduced to political debate forums right after 9/11. I thought Bush did a good job handling the crisis. Then I went to a site and disagreed with someone's assessment of Howard Dean. That's when I saw real nastiness from both sides. Unfortunately, I have dealt some out myself. I've never really liked that side of me.
Thank you for letting me explain that.

By the by;


I am quite fond of my two Senators. Grassley and Harkin. Except for a few recent things by Harkin, these guys run clean, honest, decent campaigns. No name-calling, no mean-spiritedness. I think they know that doing so, would cost them in Iowa. :D
ted

I know that there are a few Senators & Congressmen who ARE honest and actually do care and have honor, but those are really in the minority. One of our Senators, Blanche Lincoln, is a complete mindless shill(is that repetitive?) for the Democrat Party. She sounds more like Ted Kennedy, John Kerry, Hillary Clinton, Chuck Schumer than a Senator that comes from the south.
 
I came to this site looking for civil debate where people know better than to resort to personal insults in order to 'get their point across.' I haven't found it. I have already been insulted just because my views are different than most others.
 
Baxter said:
I came to this site looking for civil debate where people know better than to resort to personal insults in order to 'get their point across.' I haven't found it. I have already been insulted just because my views are different than most others.

I know I've won a debate whenever someone starts using personal insults. Whenever personal insults are brought into a debate, it means that their argument doesn't hold anymore weight and they have to resort to bringing me down to their level, as opposed of bringing themselves up to mine.

I don't even get really mad at someone insulting me personally in a debate because it just means that my argument is stronger and/or I'm their intellectual superior.

However, politics & hence society would be better off if we could all stay civil; however, some people just don't have that capacity.
 
As much as I agree, you're only digging your (and my) hole deeper with that comment.:doh
 
Baxter said:
As much as I agree, you're only digging your (and my) hole deeper with that comment.:doh

The only people who would have a beef or be insulted with what I said would be the people who have to use insults and character assassination in their arguments/debates.

At any rate, I was replying specifically to your prior message and relating my debating history.

Was there arrogance in my statement? Perhaps... I consider it self-confidence, nothing wrong with that.
 
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On the contrary, your post was very brave. Not at all arogant in my opinion. I was just responding to you saying that you were superior. I find that to be a no-no.
 
Baxter said:
On the contrary, your post was very brave. Not at all arogant in my opinion. I was just responding to you saying that you were superior. I find that to be a no-no.

<nodding my head> Thanks for the heads up...

I certainly don't want to put across that I'm intellectually superior to everyone, just to those people who have to use personals attacks in their arguments... I think I feel safe saying that... If someone wants to flame me? Well, they'd flame me eventually over something I said anyways down the line and since I'm relatively new to this board... well, I gotta learn to swim in the deep water sometime, right?
 
You are smart. Maybe you have the right to declare that.
 
reaganburch said:
Was curious....

What would it take to get back to having civil & healthy debate without demonizing people with other viewpoints?

Currently, people in both parties(not all, but more than a few), whenever they make their argument, have to resort to calling names and hence, demonizing that person instead of debating the argument. I read it here, I read it online, I read it in the papers, I hear it on the news.

Over the last few decades, members of Congress, Presidents, campaigners have implemented the scorched earth theory in which if you disagree with me and my political viewpoints, you are Satan, you are evil, you deserve to die, you're less than human and less of an American.

Let's forget about the childish arguments that the other side started it. Most of all of this is childish. I hear Democrats calling Bush Satan and an arrogant imbecile. I hear Republicans calling Kennedy a drunk murderer. How does all of that advance agendas? Can we not stipulate that 90+% of us love our country and want what's best for it; however, we might disagree with how that needs to happen and then argue the points on merit alone without demonizing your opponent?

Members of congress have long stopped caring about the American people. They are all whores of some special interest or another... They no longer care about their constituents.. not really... they are all beholden to their party and that's it. And because of that, all they care about is power and holding onto it whatever means necessary.

I think that there should be term limits of no more than 2 terms, in the House & in the Senate. Once you've been there that long, you're probably bought and paid for by someone not having America's best interest at heart... just their own.

It's amazing that anyone would really want to run for office at all in todays environment. Who could stand up under the scrutiny that the people who are so power hungry brings to bear upon them? Who would want to be attacked or their families attacked for someones else personal, political gain?

What would it take for us to stop feeding upon each other and work together to do the things necessary to make this country stronger?

Just like someone I works with says in every piece of correspondence(sp?) he sends.... Let's discuss... I'll be interested in seeing the first person justify calling someone else Satan, an idiot, a drunk or something else like that...

You know if you add up all the letters of Ronald Wilson Reagan they each have 6 letters 666 the mark of the beast.

:mrgreen:
 
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