Let's Get Rid of the Politics Forum

[glatt]

One thing I love about this place is that people in the Cellar have sometimes changed my long held political beliefs with their thoughtful posts. Unfortunately, it hasn't happened in about 3 years or so. The politics forum is a big pile of shit now, and it's because the handful of the most prolific posters there have no apparent desire to learn. Who knows? Maybe I'm looking at the past with rose colored glasses. All I know is that I mostly scroll past the posts of the regulars in the politics forums, looking for anything anyone else has to say.

I don't want to be Hubris Boy, and I apologize if I come off that way.

[tw]

Originally Posted by glatt

The politics forum is a big pile of shit now, and it's because the handful of the most prolific posters there have no apparent desire to learn.

Appreciate all through history, you post demonstrates why extremists are so successful. By making things nasty, those who learn from intelligent thought zone out. And those inspired mostly by the hype of the attack are empowered.

Limbaugh taking constant cheap shots at Hilary only inspired his disciples. Others zoned out leaving the field dominated by those disciples. And made so many others emotionally dislike Hilary. How to above the nastiness? Avoid Hilary. Emotionally associate Hilary with the nastiness. Cheap shots and insults (unfortunately) tend to get many or most to believe the attacker.

For example, why did Saddam have WMDs? Because cheap shots, lies, and emotional diatribes *proved* he was evil. Fact that Saddam was desperately trying to restore his “American ally” standing somehow got completely buried in hype, hate, and overt lies. Therefore Saddam must have attacked the WTC. Even when numbers said Saddam’s WMDs should not exist, still, 70% believed the myth anyway. Because hype and hate combined with overt lies work when others (ie you) do not challenge that 'hate agenda' with rational thought and damning questions.

Why did the KKK have so much sympathy in the old South? Hate, emotion, and popular myths were enough, even among otherwise intelligent people, to sympathize with the KKK.

A perfect example of how easy emotions can inspire lies: surge protectors. Did you assume that protector on your computer power cord does any protection? Why? Or did you ask those damning questions? Did you ask for ‘whys’? No facts say so. No numbers say so. Well proven science says otherwise. And yet an overwhelming majority will buy that protector only because they were told what to believe. Entertained their emotions rather than think logically. Blindly empower liars by simply not learning the difference between emotional hype and logical thought.

Emotion can easily subvert logical thought – especially when one does not always demand/learn fundamental facts. Especially when feeling rather than analyze numbers. Especially when one does not ask and demand answers to damning questions. Especially when conclusions are in black and white rather than based in perspectives.