Posted by zeugma on April 15, 2006, at 13:35:15
In reply to Two separate issues, posted by Dinah on April 15, 2006, at 8:10:20
> For me at least.
>
> First is whether the post can be considered something that was putting down people of left/centrist (though centrist is usually defined differently by different people I've found) persuasion. I seriously doubt that given the posting history of this poster.>>agreed.
>
> Second, is whether politics can and should be discussed with civility and caritas on this site, in the world at large, and in diplomatic circles. And to that issue I am greatly disillusioned. I see no reason why politics shouldn't be discussed with the same civility (by any definition) and caritas as any other topic. I agree with 10der that there are two separate issues, the topic and the method of discussion. And I feel saddened and disheartened and alienated when people assume that feeling passionately about a subject somehow equates with how they express that their feelings about that subject.>>well, I feel passionately about music, and yet I have never expressed myself uncivilly about the subject.
But I disagree that politics can be made a matter of taste like music. Saying that politician x brought us into an "invented war that is unwinnable" is very different from saying that politician x is fat and stupid. It seems to me a different set of conventions should regulate what we say to sokeone who has bought an unflattering dress and someone who may have violated the public trust.
and caritas- little evident in politics these days, should we pretend it's there when it's MIA?
>
> I wish Dr. Bob would simply outlaw politics as a topic, as is done on other boards. I value his position that all topics are ok topics as long as they are discussed civilly. But the topic has the potential to change one's feelings about other posters. And that doesn't seem conducive to the overall mission of this site.
>
> Not that I think outlawing it would have any positive effect. People would just then argue over Please Do Not Discuss Politics, and the importance of politics to mental health, and draconian censorship, and those arguments may not show a lot of civility either.
>i am inclined to agree that politics not be discussed here. But politics can be more easily declared off limits to everyone than given a narrow range to squirm around in.
-z
poster:zeugma
thread:633260
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/admin/20060412/msgs/633509.html