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SOTU Address:[W: 378; 1310; 1451]

Moderator's Warning:
You all need to knock off the personal attacks and the sniping or infractions will be issued.
 
Moderator's Warning:
Do NOT play moderator. If you think a post violates rules, report it.

Noted. I can report approximately 3 to 4 posts by Adagio. Im a tad tired of being insulted by the philosopher.
 
So he didn't say what he said, and his being dead changes that? This response strikes me as a desperate, no...make that pathetic attempt at plausable deniability.
Nah, just an admission that we dont know his intent. Nor can we get it from him. We have liberal reading of worst intent. Which is rarely how people speak.




Because its what I agree with most often. Who are you to label me and decide what I can and can't believe? Lets make this plain. Next time you whine, crab and bitch about my lean, I will report your post as off topic. Because your distortions and circular reasoning dont apply when you accept the fact that 90% of people dont agree with everything conservative or liberal, they agree with some of each. Your pigeon holing philosophical sophistry completely ignores that, and frankly the way you approach political discussion is pretty annoying, shallow and vapid. You want everything in black and white---either or, and the world and people just aren't like that.


You're projecting your own belief of your infallibility.


Lets try this. Electrical behavior is a lot more logical than electoral behavior. Politics is not always logical. Making conclusions about politics are often not rooted in logic but in confirmation bias, experiences and party positions. Your inability to criticize only the positions opposite your own is telling that your confirmation bias is alive and well. Ill give you time to dissent from liberal ideas, so far I'm not seeing it. Your critical thinking and analysis seems to flow one way politically. That's ok, just be honest about it.


LOL pathetic. Liberals make plenty of absolute statements. I dont make it a practice of linking board members to those statements unless and until they voice support for them. To do otherwise would be a dishonest debating technique. You have engaged in it how many times now?


So. Bolded are arguments I havent made, italics are concern trolls. Nearly an entire paragraph of phony assertions.


I didn't assume anything. I asked a question: "Are you saying that you accept liberalism?"

Are you saying that you accept Jesus Christ and your lord and savior? LOL You are couching your statements in the same language as religious belief. Ironic.
 
QUOTE=OpportunityCost;1061524260]Nah, just an admission that we dont know his intent. Nor can we get it from him. We have liberal reading of worst intent. Which is rarely how people speak.

His actions are consistant with his words. If his words don't indicate his intent, his actions do.

Who are you to label me and decide what I can and can't believe?

I didn't create your profile. You did.

Next time you whine, crab and bitch about my lean, I will report your post as off topic.

You're saying that on a poltical forum, in a debate between a liberal and a conservative, I have no right to question conservatism which is at the very core of your argument? How is it off topic to question conservatism on a political forum?

Because your distortions and circular reasoning dont apply when you accept the fact that 90% of people dont agree with everything conservative or liberal, they agree with some of each.

I have distorted nothing, nor have I engaged in circular reasoning. I asked you for an example of that, and you couldn't present it. So don't accuse me of things that I haven't done, unless you can support that accusation. Ok? So...what you're saying is that you're a "nominal conservative". That's a bit different from the description of conservatism according to the people that defined it. That would mean that you reject at least some of the Canon of Conservatism as presented by Russell Kirk, the guy that gave the movement its name, and the guy that Reagan accepted as the voice of conservatism. Fine. Which parts do you reject. I'd like to know since a conservative is usually a person that subscribes to, you know....conservatism. Just clarify your position.


No doubt I annoy conservatives, but theres nothing shallow going on here. In fact it's a lot deeper than the usual fare of ad hominem attacks and insults that you find on poltiical forums. It's not an insult to ask you to explain your position on things OC. It appears that you aren't used to having to tell anybody why you believe the things you do. That makes it easy to utter a bunch of nonsense without having to justify anything. But that won't work with me. The black and white, Either/Or is called Bifurcation. That's what happens to ideologues. Those that live by a doctrine find themselves in a black and white world that they can't justify. I'm very aware of that, and the fact that it makes them uncomfortable. But I didn't come here to make life comfortable for conservatives. It's a debate forum and the topic is the SOTU address. I've seen a lot of attacks directed toward that, and of course it comes from conservatives. My question is what justifies conservatism in the first place. They love to attack. How good are they at defending their ideology?

You're projecting your own belief of your infallibility.

Now what is there in what I said that would lead you to say such a thing? Probably this: "I asked you about your own falliblity. Knowing the answer to that means that I know the answer to the other.You already agreed that it's possible that you and the conservative ideology could be wrong. Are you now reversing that position? What am I projecting here?" That's not a projection of infallibility OC. That's recognizing a logical conclusion. If you are willing to admit that you are a fallible human being, and recognize that all humans are fallible, then it's logical to conclude that a fallible human being cannot create an infallible idea. Therefore, you have to conclude that conservatism is inherently flawed and prone to error.
1. All humans are fallible
2. Conservatism is a human idea
therefore:
conclusion: Conservatism is fallible.

Is there something in that syllogism that you find false? If the premises are true ( and they are)then the conclusion MUST be true. Thats no projection of my infallibility. Saying so is either a misunderstanding of everything that I said, or a refusal to recognize a logical conclusion. OR....it could simply be unwillingness on your part to agree with anything that I have to say, regardless of the logic used to support it. Only you know the answer to that.

Politics is not always logical.

No. It isn't. Very often its emotional. And looks to emotionalism to make it's case. It feeds off of long held beliefs with no basis and attempts to legislate those beliefs. It's often operating off the Gut. The "Gut" is the repository of dark and ancient fears. It knows what it knows because it knows how it feels. Intellect is pitted against feeling, on the ground that itis somehow inconsistant with warm emotion. It is pitted agasint character because it is widely believed that intellect stands for cleverness, which transmutes easily into the sly, or the diabolical. If something feels right, it must be treated with the same respect given something that actually IS right. If something isfelt deeply, it must carry the same weight as something that is true. If there are two sides to every argument - or more to the point, if there are people willing to take up two sides to every argument - then both must be right, or at least, equally valid. Dress it up and the Gut is "common sense" which is rarely common, and even more rarely makes sense. It often comes down to assessing what Everybody Knows, even though Everybody might be as false as pink Unicorns to the truth of things.

Your inability to criticize only the positions opposite your own is telling that your confirmation bias is alive and well.

The positions opposite my own are easy targets. Those in line with mine, aren't rooted in ideological committments rooted in foundationalism. They require a base to rationally justify themselves.Do you expect me to take up a position that is illogical for the sake of being fair and balenced? My interest is in the truth. Since when is truth either fair OR balanced? I subject my own views to the same criticism I direct toward others. The truth has no bias. The framework that I come from permits a rationalist to be characterized as one who is willing to entertain any position and holds all his positions, including his most fundamental standards, goals, and decisions, and his basic philosophical position itself, open to criticism; one who never cuts off an argument by resorting to faith, or irrational commitment to justify some belief that has been under severe critical fire; one who is committed, attached, addicted, to no position. Since I have no position, I have nothing to defend irrationally. I ask questions. Then I examine the answers I get to see if they withstand criticism. If they can't, they're dumped and exposed as bull****. If they can, I accept them.


Give me an example: Dont just say it. That means nothing. So you don't link people here to the statements made by other liberals unless they voice support for them? Well...we wouldnt want you to stick your neck out and actually say, "thats a stupid ridiculous statement by an ignoramous, and I don't subscribe to that crap at all." would we? I can remember hearing a lot of people complaining that Muslims weren't being vocal enough to direct any criticism at the outrageous acts of terrorists acting in the name of their religion. Their own silence spoke volumes. When Mitt Romney was asked to comment on the words of Rush Limbaugh calling a woman a slut and a prostitute, he didn't distance himself at all. He said, "those aren't the words I would have used". Stuff like that doesn't fly with people, and that stench is now attached to him. You have to call out stupidity when you see it or run the risk of being painted in the same light. If you call yourself a conservative and one of them makes a completely absurd racist, or simply dumb statement, it would serve you and your conservatism to come out and reject those comments. So far the only person I say from the conservatives willing to do that is Joe Scarborough.

So. Bolded are arguments I havent made, italics are concern trolls. Nearly an entire paragraph of phony assertions.

Bolded are the arguments that you are dodging. I asked if you were fallible. You admitted that you could make a mistake. I said Fine, I'll take that as a yes. Then you said I'm putting words into your mouth. You seem to be hung up on the phrase "sacred ground" How about Sacred Cows? It's a metaphore for holding to long held beliefs that you won't give up. But we both know that you could be wrong about things. You could be wrong about liberals. You could be wrong about conservatism. You know that it's fallible. You'd agree with that right? Logically you'd have to, or face the uncomfortable position of dealing with a contradiction. So when I ask if you know that, if you have any interest in the truth, then you know that could involve compromising the long held beliefs or "sacred cows" that you held. Then you object. So you aren't willing to compromise the "sacred ground of your beliefs" after all. Even though they can't be demonstrated as true. Do you see them now as infallible? Based on what? Again I ask you a question: "Are you saying that you are unwilling to challenge those beliefs, by turning your own critical eye toward your own beliefs? That is not an assertion. It ends with a question mark. It's called a question. You say this:"Nearly an entire paragraph of phony assertions." I say, look at that paragraph and point to a single assertion. Everything is a question. I haven't asserted anything. I'm asking you to explain your nominal conservatism to me. I'd like to know what parts of it that you reject. Why is that such a problem?

Are you saying that you accept Jesus Christ and your lord and savior? LOL You are couching your statements in the same language as religious belief. Ironic.

The answer is no. I don't. That was pretty easy. No dancing. No dodging. I don't hold any religious beliefs. Do you? Questions to a believer, don't indicate a religious belief in the person asking the question OC. Maybe you aren't a believer. I haven't asked you about your religious inclinations. Only your political ones. Apparently you don't subscribe to the Canon of Conservatism as presented by the voice of the Conservative Movement. Or the Manifesto from a Conservative radio personality. I'd like to know what parts you reject. So, you aren't a true believer in conservatism as described by conservatives. Yet you call yourself a conservative and defend somebody like Lee Atwater. :roll:
 
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Noted. I can report approximately 3 to 4 posts by Adagio. Im a tad tired of being insulted by the philosopher.

You really need to cry to the Moderator on the thread? I think if you want to complain to them about me, a private message would be better.
 
His actions are consistant with his words. If his words don't indicate his intent, his actions do.
You do not have actions where Lee Atwater acted as a racist other than dogwhistle statements that you placed out of context. We disagree.

I didn't create your profile. You did.
Leans are not the topic of this thread.

You're saying that on a poltical forum, in a debate between a liberal and a conservative, I have no right to question conservatism which is at the very core of your argument? How is it off topic to question conservatism on a political forum?
Im saying that this forum is very specific on content.

LOL. Where did I say I agreed with everything Reagan said? As I said you present arguments not made. Also, you present Kirk as the only authority on Conservatism? Also faulty logic as he cant be.

Remind me...whats the thread title again?

The reverse is also true. You also assume my beliefs before testing them, conclusion reached without foundation. You argue like a ideologue.


blah blah blah, make a point.

You have nothing to defend because you offer nothing relating to this thread. Try that first and we can see what you have to defend.


The question would be if I, myself offered up such comments. You seem to decide what others do and dont believe a lot. That doesnt appear to be so logical and rational.

You havent bothered to find out what I think on any issue, you have pre-supposed my beliefs and ran with your preconcieved notions. Then when backtracked you frame the argument with limitations rather than open ended issues. Thats not wanting to find out, thats setting verbal traps. How about you try this: address the issues and observe the answers of other instead of jumping in and stereotyping others because you aren't open minded enough to view the beliefs of others before attributing a belief system to them because your opinion is already made.



The question was rhetorical. Nah, what I did was listened to the entire taped conversation in its entirety and drew conclusions. They were just different from yours, which you ridiculed, how open minded and logical of you.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Moderator's Warning:
Fewer people can now post in this thread. More are walking the edge. Get on topic and stop the personal comments.
 
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