Is this forum dying?

[Jen]

I've learned a lot being here too. I backed away for a few months myself. Guess I missed you all.
Please accept my condolences on the loss of your child.

You are always welcome as far as I am concerned. I don't agree with you on a lot of things, but as long as a person is civil to me......... I will offer that in return. It's always been that way and it always will be.

Please know and believe this: I have never had a sock puppet here. Never. That really was upsetting that you kept talking about it. It's just not true. You were wrong about that.

 

[Days]

That goes both ways. But I agree. I've tried at times to have civil conversations with some here, and the only response I get is hate or ridicule. Or, it gets completely ignored. Gives me a feeling some don't want civil conversations, if it comes from some of us. They're only interested if they can turn it into a fight.

You know, the forum is all about politics and politics is no holds barred... and just now, politics are as nasty as ever in this old republic... and politics was always rough and tumble stuff. So, fighting - dealing with fighting - it kind of comes with the territory.

What we have is too much history; and too much history of too many fights between us.

I really think the regulars on these boards have all reached a point where they have a posting discipline that pulls up short of going full board flame war; there's no hope of stopping the little stuff, but on a whole, the heavy hitters around here have come a long way. Maybe it is too little too late, but it is remarkable when you realize it is all online behavior, so it is happening in a completely different part of the human brain.

and the beat goes on... I need to find that song.

Sonny&Cher - The Beat Goes On (live)

 

[Caroljo]

You know, the forum is all about politics and politics is no holds barred... and just now, politics are as nasty as ever in this old republic... and politics was always rough and tumble stuff. So, fighting - dealing with fighting - it kind of comes with the territory.

What we have is too much history; and too much history of too many fights between us.

I really think the regulars on these boards have all reached a point where they have a posting discipline that pulls up short of going full board flame war; there's no hope of stopping the little stuff, but on a whole, the heavy hitters around here have come a long way. Maybe it is too little too late, but it is remarkable when you realize it is all online behavior, so it is happening in a completely different part of the human brain.

and the beat goes on... I need to find that song.

Sonny&Cher - The Beat Goes On (live)

The most difficult subjects to discuss are Politics and Religion. The most hateful threads are on these 2 subjects. And that's really sad....we could all really learn from each other. Instead, it's all out bickering.

 

[Days]

The most difficult subjects to discuss are Politics and Religion. The most hateful threads are on these 2 subjects. And that's really sad....we could all really learn from each other. Instead, it's all out bickering.

every generation, the battle starts all over again. When you finally grow up - if you finally grow up - you die, and the next generation makes the same mistakes you did...

and the beat goes on.


“The children now love luxury. They have bad manners, contempt for authority; they show disrespect for elders and love chatter in place of exercise.”
― Socrates

 

[Sunset Rose]

The most difficult subjects to discuss are Politics and Religion. The most hateful threads are on these 2 subjects. And that's really sad....we could all really learn from each other. Instead, it's all out bickering.

May I add race to that list? Politics, religion and race.

 

[Caroljo]

May I add race to that list? Politics, religion and race.

I suppose race could be added....for some. Myself, I have no problem with race. Although I was called racist because I didn't like Obama. But it had nothing to do with his race. I'm really sick of the ones that bring that up every time Obama is talked about. I know some didn't vote for him because of his color, that's a given. I didn't vote for him because I really didn't know him and just had a feeling about him I didn't like (1st election)....I didn't vote for him the 2nd time because I DID know him, and didn't like what I knew.

 

[Days]

I suppose race could be added....for some. Myself, I have no problem with race. Although I was called racist because I didn't like Obama. But it had nothing to do with his race. I'm really sick of the ones that bring that up every time Obama is talked about. I know some didn't vote for him because of his color, that's a given. I didn't vote for him because I really didn't know him and just had a feeling about him I didn't like (1st election)....I didn't vote for him the 2nd time because I DID know him, and didn't like what I knew.

I didn't vote for him after talking with a magazine stand entrepreneur - black man - who lived in his state district (Chicago south side)... I was like, "Do you think he will change anything?" And the man was like, "he's just another politician" ... which is funny because that's what his own pastor said about him.

Never trust a Chicagoland pol.

Obama and Clinton were both Chicago style politicians. Direct from the land of Lie cheat and steal. Is it any wonder they destroyed Sanders when Sanders had 10x the votes? This is the land of voter fraud, it has a strong tradition here. When Mayor Daley's wife - Maggie Daley - died, I made the comment, "it won't stop her from voting or receiving a paycheck for the next 10 years" .... no one argued with that for one moment. Even Chicago is getting sick of their pols, but there's no way to fix the machine; the machine rules.

 

[Emily]

May I add race to that list? Politics, religion and race.

Agreed, but may I add that PJ is among the best general forums in allowing civil discussion related to race. A few here do get shrill and accusatory, making it difficult to discuss. I sometimes feel constrained, being one for whom race is an important matter and who prefers to maintain civility. Still, compared to other forums, the rules and the posters are among the most tolerant.

It's great to see you back Sunset!

 

[Sunset Rose]

I suppose race could be added....for some. Myself, I have no problem with race. Although I was called racist because I didn't like Obama. But it had nothing to do with his race. I'm really sick of the ones that bring that up every time Obama is talked about. I know some didn't vote for him because of his color, that's a given. I didn't vote for him because I really didn't know him and just had a feeling about him I didn't like (1st election)....I didn't vote for him the 2nd time because I DID know him, and didn't like what I knew.

It's OK. Neither one of my children voted for Obama either. My son doesn't like him at all because of his drone strike policies in Syria, Libya and Yemen.
I became disappointed in Obama after he broke a few of his campaign promises i.e. closing Guatonamo Bay, ending the wars in Iraq and Afganistan. I guess all the Presidents let us down one way or another.

 

[Sunset Rose]

I didn't vote for him after talking with a magazine stand entrepreneur - black man - who lived in his state district (Chicago south side)... I was like, "Do you think he will change anything?" And the man was like, "he's just another politician" ... which is funny because that's what his own pastor said about him.

Never trust a Chicagoland pol.

Obama and Clinton were both Chicago style politicians. Direct from the land of Lie cheat and steal. Is it any wonder they destroyed Sanders when Sanders had 10x the votes? This is the land of voter fraud, it has a strong tradition here. When Mayor Daley's wife - Maggie Daley - died, I made the comment, "it won't stop her from voting or receiving a paycheck for the next 10 years" .... no one argued with that for one moment. Even Chicago is getting sick of their pols, but there's no way to fix the machine; the machine rules.

Days, have you noticed that all the new Presidents choose investment bankers from Goldman Saks to be their Treasury Secretaries? It never fails. I've been paying attention to this.

 

[Sunset Rose]

Agreed, but may I add that PJ is among the best general forums in allowing civil discussion related to race. A few here do get shrill and accusatory, making it difficult to discuss. I sometimes feel constrained, being one for whom race is an important matter and who prefers to maintain civility. Still, compared to other forums, the rules and the posters are among the most tolerant.

It's great to see you back Sunset!

Thank you. It's good to be back. Yes, the PJ forum does have civil discussions and I appreciate that. I can be kind of opinionated at times, but I try to remain courteous and respectful.
I've visited several other political forums and I like PJ the best. Looking forward to conversing with you, Emily.

 

[Caroljo]

It's OK. Neither one of my children voted for Obama either. My son doesn't like him at all because of his drone strike policies in Syria, Libya and Yemen.
I became disappointed in Obama after he broke a few of his campaign promises i.e. closing Guatonamo Bay, ending the wars in Iraq and Afganistan. I guess all the Presidents let us down one way or another.

True.....There's never been one President that hasn't failed in some way. We will never elect a President that makes everyone happy.

 

[Days]

Days, have you noticed that all the new Presidents choose investment bankers from Goldman Saks to be their Treasury Secretaries? It never fails. I've been paying attention to this.

The Treasury has been run by bankers the whole history of the Republic. For the past 100 years, the large Wall Street banks that built the Federal Reserve have been running the Treasury also. The bankers tend to run the Treasury according to whatever benefits the banks... no real surprise there. So, our Treasury never does what is in its own best interest, or the best interest of the nation, it only does what serves the Wall Street banks... IOW, the Federal Reserve is running the Treasury.

As a consequence, we retire the debt with income taxes instead of using the same mechanisms of currency that created the debt. This is a pattern that is repeated throughout the planet. It is financial slavery of the masses to the banks, and it results in a distribution model that concentrates all the wealth of the planet in the top 1%.

yeah, I noticed.

 

[RickWA]

Ahhh........ but we do need some sort of trust here. It's not the same thing as what we have in our lives, but some posters can be trusted to be consistent.... others cannot. Some posters can be trusted with relative honesty..... some demand it but don't give it in return. Other posters are simply here for the purpose of attack or gotcha. They cannot be trusted. Forums have their own sort of trust system and that was the trust to which I referred.

Anyone who comes here whether they are coming back after a long absence or they are new has to run the gauntlet of "attack". Apparently some believe that if they were here years ago they are immune to that. That immunity is not always offered. Many can attest to that.

What's the common expression? "Integrity is what you do when no one is looking".

I get the correct notion that Internet forums are not the place for "binding" relationships. However, humanity demands that we OWN what we say and write. Any of us who have daughters in social media understand clearly that indecent behavior is an evil no matter the venue (apologies to cyber-gender-equity warriors who take exception...I have two sons and I would not like them internet-bludgeoned either).

I'm all too often flippant in my address of issues here - but base, cathartic, cyber-scratching-post this place shouldn't be. Admittedly, I don't always measure up - but crapping on folks and never casting a glance back is not ok in any environment.

 

[Jen]

What's the common expression? "Integrity is what you do when no one is looking".

I get the correct notion that Internet forums are not the place for "binding" relationships. However, humanity demands that we OWN what we say and write. Any of us who have daughters in social media understand clearly that indecent behavior is an evil no matter the venue (apologies to cyber-gender-equity warriors who take exception...I have two sons and I would not like them internet-bludgeoned either).

I'm all too often flippant in my address of issues here - but base, cathartic, cyber-scratching-post this place shouldn't be. Admittedly, I don't always measure up - but crapping on folks and never casting a glance back is not ok in any environment.

Internet bludgeoning is a terrible thing. We have all probably engaged in it at one time or another. Some of us don't feel good after doing that sort of thing and have tried to back off from it.

It's not easy to walk away instead of fighting back... especially when, as we walk away we are taunted about "running away". But you're right. It is not okay for a person who considers himself/ herself to be a decent person.

Sometimes it's difficult to see whether or not there is a good person behind that typed facade. When someone comes here to pick fights and (seemingly) nothing else, we get the feeling that it's not a good person in there. That is probably the time to walk away from a fight.

Thanks, @RickWA for bringing us back to earth with some wisdom.

 

[Queen Titania]

JPCusack, Bitter Pill, Bo_4, and a few others whose names I can't recall were all nice people. I don't see any of them anymore.

That is true. I was merely making a suggestion that maybe we could be nicer to the people already here, rather than trying to find new ones.

Bo was naughty ( not as sweet as he seems) and went under a cloud BP pops back now and again - they were the remnants of the Lefty mass walk out -

Asking some to be nicer to each other has been tried and tried and tried - lol - but where would be the fun in that? Lol - 'dinosaurs' don't change

 

[Queen Titania]

It's OK. Neither one of my children voted for Obama either. My son doesn't like him at all because of his drone strike policies in Syria, Libya and Yemen.
I became disappointed in Obama after he broke a few of his campaign promises i.e. closing Guatonamo Bay, ending the wars in Iraq and Afganistan. I guess all the Presidents let us down one way or another.

None have been able to control the war machine - I am sure when they come in they intend to change things - and then - as Putin says 'the men in suits' visit the new Prez and tell him how it really is. And the war goes on and on and on ............... only we can stop it but the natural protesters have been distracted by trivia and so the war goes .................... on.

 

[Queen Titania]

What's the common expression? "Integrity is what you do when no one is looking".

I get the correct notion that Internet forums are not the place for "binding" relationships. However, humanity demands that we OWN what we say and write. Any of us who have daughters in social media understand clearly that indecent behavior is an evil no matter the venue (apologies to cyber-gender-equity warriors who take exception...I have two sons and I would not like them internet-bludgeoned either).

I'm all too often flippant in my address of issues here - but base, cathartic, cyber-scratching-post this place shouldn't be. Admittedly, I don't always measure up - but crapping on folks and never casting a glance back is not ok in any environment.

But people do cast a backward glance on PJ - that is why we stay - we know each other well enough for insults etc to slid off our backs - unlike places like fb were strangers hurl abuse across the divide in a terribly careless manner. I wouldn't change us in PJ for the world and compared to when we first entered this watering hole - everyone behaves like an angel

 

[PhilFish]

Bo was naughty ( not as sweet as he seems) and went under a cloud BP pops back now and again - they were the remnants of the Lefty mass walk out -

Asking some to be nicer to each other has been tried and tried and tried - lol - but where would be the fun in that? Lol - 'dinosaurs' don't change

They're always welcome back

 

[Queen Titania]

They're always welcome back

Of course but are they brave enough?