Originally Posted by perotista
Originally Posted by logtroll
Thanks, perotista. Sounds like a pretty sane set of principles that can play well in any discussion.

Seems like the main problem today with political discussions is the destructive use of lying, incivility, hyperbole, dishonesty, and intentional obtuseness. Clear those things away and we could likely solve some problems in this world.

RR is far better at honest discussion than any other political site I have visited, largely due to a set of rules designed for civility and honesty. I think the rules have slipped a bit in the past few years, partly due to the passing of some of our chief enforcers, and partly due to a general erosion of public discourse.

I appreciate your interest in discussing, and not just looking for a fight.

To butcher an old saying, "Books are for learnin', and the internet's for fightin'!"
Over the last 20-30 years it seems our election campaigns have become name calling and mud slinging. No room for new ideas, possible solutions to our problems or visions on where the candidates want to take our country. It's negative personal attack after negative personal attack.

I sick and tired of Republicans automatically opposing anything put forward by Democrats and vice versa, Democrat automatically opposing anything suggested by Republicans. The merits of the proposals or legislation are never considered anymore, just who proposed them.

This era of polarization and ultra high partisanship very well could be the beginning of our downfall. I've been interested in politics since watching the Democratic and Republican conventions on TV way back in 1956. I never seen the likes or the hateful politics of today before.
It was worse. In 1798 the Federalists passed the Alien and Sedition Acts which made it a crime to criticize anyone in the government, with the exception of VP Jefferson, who was a Democrat-Republican. (Even our Founding Fathers ignored the Constitution they wrote.) That law even got a member of Congress Timothy Lyons of Vermont put in jail. During the Wilson administration over 1,200 people went to jail for being "disloyal" to our government. Compared to Wilson's "Red Scare" the Communist witch hunt of Sen. McCarthy (R-WI) was tame. While the level of animosity between people of different political views has gotten worse lately it is nowhere near as bad as it once was.

The state can never straighten the crooked timber of humanity.
I'm a conservative because I question authority.
Conservative Revolutionary