Sfdebris.net

The Romulan Republic wrote:Its difficult for people to discuss politics without getting hostile, because the issues are of such significance, and the sides have become so polarized. I get that, even if I wish it weren't so (while also acknowledging I am not without guilt).

But I really don't get nastiness over media (unless the discussion of said media goes in a direction that has serious political implications), even if I've gotten caught up in it at times. I mean- why try to viciously attack another person just because they have a different opinion of a fictional universe?

Debating SF is supposed to be my escape from the stress of debating politics, damn it!

People get mad and break stuff over sports, so when it comes to pertinent issues that affect daily life, well.

Tribalism and the need for an enemy. It is just a natural tendexy of projecting oneself to one side, regardless of how banal it really is.

It is hard to find common ground especially when we all have things we're very adamant about. I would like to believe we can all work together better or at least be more open minded, myself included and not get emotional about it to the point of spewing crap

Archon_Wing wrote:

The Romulan Republic wrote:Its difficult for people to discuss politics without getting hostile, because the issues are of such significance, and the sides have become so polarized. I get that, even if I wish it weren't so (while also acknowledging I am not without guilt).

But I really don't get nastiness over media (unless the discussion of said media goes in a direction that has serious political implications), even if I've gotten caught up in it at times. I mean- why try to viciously attack another person just because they have a different opinion of a fictional universe?

Debating SF is supposed to be my escape from the stress of debating politics, damn it!

People get mad and break stuff over sports, so when it comes to pertinent issues that affect daily life, well.

Tribalism and the need for an enemy. It is just a natural tendexy of projecting oneself to one side, regardless of how banal it really is.

What do you mean? You wanna see a wild fan culture go to Europe and better bring a nbaseball bat.

excalibur wrote:It is hard to find common ground especially when we all have things we're very adamant about. I would like to believe we can all work together better or at least be more open minded, myself included and not get emotional about it to the point of spewing crap

At least i am usually not the first one to get emotional about it.

Belief may be misplaced. I've been so tempted to start a new threat in News, "President Trump Announces that Balrogs Had Wings"

It's funny - I avoid the 'News' forum specifically because of the kinds of things that Chuck mentions, and generally stay the heck away from any kind of political discussion for the exact same reasons; I only saw this because I noted that it was posted by Chuck. My avoiding it is arguably part of the problem, but I simply don't have the patience to deal with it anymore.

I come here to talk about the things I love, and don't see the point of wasting time arguing about politics. I'd rather argue about important stuff like Squirrel Girl vs Darkseid.

...why?

Why do you have faith in us, Chuck? I don't have faith in me.

Fuzzy Necromancer wrote:...why?

Why do you have faith in us, Chuck? I don't have faith in me.

Because Chuck is that kind of guy. He seeks the good in people despite all of his experiences with the bad.

I am a fairly active online debater, been doing it for years now on different sites, but recently I've started to slowly step back from that. It seems to me that politics have become so much more polarized recently, something I think due in part to Trump's rise. It appears to me you can't have any political debate without someone accusing someone else of being a "lazy, entitled, communist SJW" or a "Putin-loving, hatemongering, facist Alt-Righter". Not saying that it is ignorant to trust people to have reasonable political discussion, it's good to look for the good in people, but my own trust in people having respect and control during debates is waning.

That's basically why I came to the SFDebris forums, as to get away from those toxic debate forums. So far, you can see how well that is going.

PlasmaHam wrote:I am a fairly active online debater, been doing it for years now on different sites, but recently I've started to slowly step back from that. It seems to me that politics have become so much more polarized recently, something I think due in part to Trump's rise. It appears to me you can't have any political debate without someone accusing someone else of being a "lazy, entitled, communist SJW" or a "Putin-loving, hatemongering, facist Alt-Righter". Not saying that it is ignorant to trust people to have reasonable political discussion, it's good to look for the good in people, but my own trust in people having respect and control during debates is waning.

That's basically why I came to the SFDebris forums, as to get away from those toxic debate forums. So far, you can see how well that is going.

Trump is the result of this shift in agressiveness. Also, it's not true that the debate got more vicious over the years. It may have been a bit more subdued in the recent past, but just have a look at editorials and all kinds of pamphlets from the past. People always hated people who do not agree with them. Your "problem" (for lack of a better word) simply is, that you are tyring of this cycle, because you've seen it all already, read it all and it just keeps repeating because either side doesn't learn from it's failings, not in the least helped by "newcomers" coming in and picking up discussions and arguements that were settled, debunked or left barren years ago already. Grats for becoming old.

LittleRaven wrote:I share your faith, SFDebris.

Same here. I think people are by nature good, but there are always individuals unbelievably skilled at behaving badly.