Goose wrote:

Let's try this again.

Thanks to Lager for his patience.
Thanks to Fred for his kind words.
Thanks to Bradybunch for his thoughtful comments. I have heard both those  complimentary and those critical.

I can assure Lager that I will be unfailingly polite here. I am outspoken, but I will also attempt to be more diplomatic.
I have a much different style than do many who visit here. I am a contrarian by nature. I tend to question the prevailing winds of opinion. I am also very interested in understanding how people think and how they come to believe the things that they believe - how I came to believe the things I believe. I like to look at an argument from a different viewpoint and see how it holds up. I like to kick the tires and look under the hood. So, because of this I challenge arguments. I ask for data. I speak frankly when I don't think that the reasoning holds up.

Don't take it personally. It's just who I am. I've seen the morsel in peace proverb tossed around here, and come to the conclusion that I'm just not a morsel kind of guy. I'd like to do more than pass time in a discussion group, and to learn what I can. I want the feast. Sometimes it's messy. And it isn't for everyone. But I am not trying to be disruptive.

"When I was 19 grandpa took me on a roller coaster. Up, down, what a ride!
I always wanted to go again. It was just so interesting to me that a ride could make me so frightened, so excited, and so thrilled all together.
Some didn't like it. They went on the merry-go-round. That just goes around. Nothing. I like the roller coaster. You get more out of it."

 But, I will be more diplomatic in the future.

 


http://youtu.be/UPw-3e_pzqU

Goose a.k.a. Mike,

Good to have you back.

I truly missed your contributions, especially the fine arts discussions you initiated and the many tempting recipes of Italian cuisine.

The timing of all of this is very interesting, and incredibly appropriate.   PM me for details.

I have a request.

I would like to hear any ideas about how we can keep the political threads from degenerating into a shouting match.

I'm not referring to ideas about what other people should do.  I mean what can we do ourselves. 

 

J

Conspiracy Theory wrote:

I have a request.

I would like to hear any ideas about how we can keep the political threads from degenerating into a shouting match.

I'm not referring to ideas about what other people should do.  I mean what can we do ourselves. 

 

 
Suggestions:
1 Be scrupulously honest when describing the other guy's position while stating your argument.
People get angry when their positions are intentionally misrepresented to facilitate derision.
Avoid straw man arguments at all costs.

I want to talk about the actual ideas and positions posited by posters and public figures, not the caricatures of the positions that are being thrown up all too often.

2. Avoid sweeping generalizations about those with whom you disagree.

3. Avoid answering a post with labels, such as " Typical tactic of the Left". I'm a person, not a movement.

4. Avoid cheap shot innuendos. For example, "you seem to belittle your country. Hmm, I wonder why"

5. Stay on topic. If the topic of a thread is, for example, Donald trump's position on climate change, confine your remarks to trump's position on climate change. Don't interject Hilary's emails onto that thread

6. Be respectful of others and their point of view.

7. Set as a goal understanding, rather than winning.

8 don't fear ideas.

9. Don't start threads for the sole purpose of taunting people.

Last edited by Goose (7/01/2016 9:09 am)

Goose wrote:

J

Conspiracy Theory wrote:

I have a request.

I would like to hear any ideas about how we can keep the political threads from degenerating into a shouting match.

I'm not referring to ideas about what other people should do.  I mean what can we do ourselves. 

 

 
Suggestions:
1 Be scrupulously honest when describing the other guy's position while stating your argument.
People get angry when their positions are intentionally misrepresented to facilitate derision.
Avoid straw man arguments at all costs.

I want to talk about the actual ideas and positions posited by posters and public figures, not the caricatures of the positions that are being thrown up all too often.

2. Avoid sweeping generalizations about those with whom you disagree.

3. Avoid answering a post with labels, such as " Typical tactic of the Left". I'm a person, not a movement.

4. Avoid cheap shot innuendos. For example, "you seem to belittle your country. Hmm, I wonder why"

5. Stay on topic. If the topic of a thread is, for example, Donald trump's position on climate change, confine your remarks to trump's position on climate change. Don't interject Hilary's emails onto that thread

6. Be respectful of others and their point of view.

7. Set as a goal understanding, rather than winning.

8 don't fear ideas.

9. Don't start threads for the sole purpose of taunting people.

Maybe I am not reading right what CT asked for. "I'm not referring to ideas about what other people should do.  I mean what can we do ourselves."

What am I missing here?

We had about a 6 to 8 week period recently where there were zero problems (Other than a few intrusions which CT quickly cleaned them up.)!  Now we are heading right back to the same old stuff. Seems like that movie Ground Hog Day.