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preussisch_blau) wrote2008-10-15 09:41 pm
preussisch_blau) wrote2008-10-15 09:41 pm
Entry tags:
Hey, flist?
Can we be reasonable, rational human beings when it comes to politics?
I think we can. No, scratch that. I know we can.
Right now, there's a big election coming up for us Americans. And honestly? I have a lot of questions I'd like answered. So, hopefully we can be civilised while I get these questions answered.
Here's how it goes. I'll be making a public post every couple of days, with one of my questions. Anyone can participate. You can even send your friends over here to participate. However, there will be ground rules.
1./ There will be no insults thrown. This applies to your fellow commenters AND to the politicians. For those of you who need specific examples, there is to be no mention of "kool-aid" in reference to either party (unless we're actually discussing kool-aid), there will be no comments like "Grumpy McSame" or "Osama bin Biden", and there will definitely be NO calling anyone a cunt. We're going to be respectful here.
2./ Please make ONE point per comment. You may have a lot of answers. However, I like things organised. So, if I ask a question you can give a lot of different responses to, please leave each point as a separate comment. For example, if I were to ask "What do you like about chicken noodle soup and why?" and your answer is "the chicken and the noodles", you would leave two separate comments; one about the chicken, and one about the noodles.
3./ If someone's already made the point you wanted to make, please just continue in the thread they started. I think this one explains itself.
4./ Anyone is free to express their opinion in any thread they desire. Please keep opinions/comments related to the thread at hand, however. The corollary to this being that if you don't like someone's opinion about a candidate, calling them racist or misogynist is not the way to go. I don't tolerate pointless bandying about of the race or sex card. That, and it falls under Rule 1.
5./ Opinions are opinions, not facts. If it's your opinion, you don't need to back it up. Just realise I will ask WHY you think that way. Also realise someone may have facts that run contrary to your opinion. If you tout something as fact, I will demand proof. Take as long as you need to find proof. I won't rush you, so long as you don't rush me. Same applies to everyone else.
6./ Celebrities are neither political nor legal experts. So I'd be very careful bringing any actors or musicians into this.
Breaking these rules will result in frozen threads, banned users, and possible deleted comments if the comment is THAT offensive. Also, this is my personal blog, so if I say the discussion is over, it is over. You can carry it on in your blog, you can IM eachother about it, knock yourselves out, but don't let it continue in my blog.
THAT business out of the way, I have my first question.
Why should I vote for Obama?
I think we can. No, scratch that. I know we can.
Right now, there's a big election coming up for us Americans. And honestly? I have a lot of questions I'd like answered. So, hopefully we can be civilised while I get these questions answered.
Here's how it goes. I'll be making a public post every couple of days, with one of my questions. Anyone can participate. You can even send your friends over here to participate. However, there will be ground rules.
1./ There will be no insults thrown. This applies to your fellow commenters AND to the politicians. For those of you who need specific examples, there is to be no mention of "kool-aid" in reference to either party (unless we're actually discussing kool-aid), there will be no comments like "Grumpy McSame" or "Osama bin Biden", and there will definitely be NO calling anyone a cunt. We're going to be respectful here.
2./ Please make ONE point per comment. You may have a lot of answers. However, I like things organised. So, if I ask a question you can give a lot of different responses to, please leave each point as a separate comment. For example, if I were to ask "What do you like about chicken noodle soup and why?" and your answer is "the chicken and the noodles", you would leave two separate comments; one about the chicken, and one about the noodles.
3./ If someone's already made the point you wanted to make, please just continue in the thread they started. I think this one explains itself.
4./ Anyone is free to express their opinion in any thread they desire. Please keep opinions/comments related to the thread at hand, however. The corollary to this being that if you don't like someone's opinion about a candidate, calling them racist or misogynist is not the way to go. I don't tolerate pointless bandying about of the race or sex card. That, and it falls under Rule 1.
5./ Opinions are opinions, not facts. If it's your opinion, you don't need to back it up. Just realise I will ask WHY you think that way. Also realise someone may have facts that run contrary to your opinion. If you tout something as fact, I will demand proof. Take as long as you need to find proof. I won't rush you, so long as you don't rush me. Same applies to everyone else.
6./ Celebrities are neither political nor legal experts. So I'd be very careful bringing any actors or musicians into this.
Breaking these rules will result in frozen threads, banned users, and possible deleted comments if the comment is THAT offensive. Also, this is my personal blog, so if I say the discussion is over, it is over. You can carry it on in your blog, you can IM eachother about it, knock yourselves out, but don't let it continue in my blog.
THAT business out of the way, I have my first question.
Why should I vote for Obama?
no subject
The Iraq withdrawal thing, though, hmm. Didn't McCain also say he'd be willing to stay in there for a hundred years if it got the job done?
I hear you on how long it could take, though. The UK's meant to be hauling ass out of there soon but they're taking their sweet time - you can't get out of a country overnight.
Still. It seems just natural to me that a Republican president is likely to be more gung-ho than a Democratic one. Ideology, again.
The links, though, I ain't too sure. The NY Post is a reasonable source, but it's an op-ed. And I'd as soon believe World Net Daily as believe a tramp yelling at me in the street that aliens are beaming signals into his brain. Same other way round, of course - I'd hardly expect you to be at all swayed if I tried to back up an argument using a blog post from Daily Kos or Pandagon. Not that I'm writing it off entirely, just taking it all with a pinch of salt.
(And I find it hard to believe that negative stuff about Obama is underreported given how conservative the US television news networks are. But then, I imagine you think it's got a liberal bias. Grass is always greener, isn't it? It's about like how nobody here can decide if the purportedly impartial BBC are actually reactionary tools of the establishment or raving communists.)
Um, anyway. That went on kind of long. But points accepted and taken on board, if not agreed with. I wasn't expecting to convince you of anything, after all.
no subject
Is the Washington Times neutral enough for you? (http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2008/oct/10/obama-sought-to-sway-iraqis-on-bush-deal/)
(The U.S. news is CONSERVATIVE? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA et all. I am DYING of laughter here. DY. ING. I'll get back to you on this when I'm not about to break something with laughter.)
no subject