I do, even though I must confess that I seem to be in a minority when it comes to my political opinions about the United States. Although I have to admit that I wonder why these folks get so angry with an opinion that differs from their own. Heck, if it wasn't for differing opinions, the U.S. national anthem would be God Save The Queen.
I have survived every President since Truman and hopefully will survive a few more before I go. My advice is If you don't like someone's opinion, ignore them. Don't try battling them, as that's just a waste of their time and yours. So tell me, my friends (and others) do you enjoy the political discussions on mylot? Do you ever find yourself trying to defend yourself for simply having an opinion?
[question posted by fwidman]responses and comments:
Yes, I do like political discussions on myLot; and yes, I do find myself trying to defend myself for having an opinion. Especially since I am a liberal. I've just been called "the crusty scum of a** of the filthy mongrel that is the secular progressive movement," by one of the newer conservatives at myLot. I think that was going waaaaay overboard since the subject was Rush Limbaugh, but hey, what the heck. I do like discussing and debating, but when it Resorts to name calling, that is a bit much. [CherylsPearls]
I agree, there really is no need for name calling. That is just so childish sad There is nothing wrong with being liberal, to this old hippie anyways. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion and their right to think for themselves. Don't let the name calling ever get you down happy Give 'em hell! [fwidman]
I enjoy it. Actually I am quite use to discussing politics as I do it on another site.People usually get quite passionate about their beliefs and political opinions. I've seen lots and lots of name calling. I've gotten quite a thick old skin by now and it doesn't bother me. [piasabird]
Name calling, at least to me, is just a childish act usually brought on by the fact that the name caller cannot think of any better way to try to defend their own opinions lol [fwidman]
I admit it, I'm a junkie. In fact it's almost exclusively where I post. Now, to clarify a few things, since I think I know where some of your post here came from. I have no problem with someone havign an opinion. Nor do I have a problem with someone expressing it. But, that doesn't mean if I don't agree with said opinion I'm not going to call someone on it or refute it. especialy if I consider the opinion to be a hateful one or damaging. You have the right to express it, but I also have the right to refute it. It's what we do here. I generaly try not to get nastuy or insulting no matter how upset an opinion may make me. I get passionate, I get hot under the collar and I get pretty wound up. Some things are a deeply sensative issue for me. [xfahctor]
I didn't say I thought it was a great idea, just that I didn't think it was a bad idea. *shrug* seemed kind of a mountain made out of a mole hill to me was all. [xfahctor]
I like the political discussions on Mylot. I love politics more than air generally, but that's just me. I even like answering discussion posted by people who I differ from politically. It gives me good practice for having political arguments in reality. I can try different perspectives and see which one works better. [cripfemme]
Practice, they say, makes perfect happy [fwidman]
Some of the discussion are really deep. They do make good points, but one thing about it they effect everyone. I don't think I have had a bad one yet. There was one that I didn't like that much but the points made were good. And they had a back up to prove what they were talking about. But I let them know how I felt and at the same time didn't try to know them for what they said. [twallace]
It can be nice when opposing views are presented in a calm, rational way happy When things resort to schoolyard behavior, then we are just wasting everyones time. [fwidman]
Honestly I don't like discussing politics at all because it gets really heated and people get really angry. I have read things on here and other social sites like this one that made me really angry, but I just bite my tongue and my typing fingers and keep my thoughts to my self. There are times I would just like to scream at people for being so stupid, but I usually do the right hting and keep my mouth shut. [ladym33]
I don't mind jumping into the fray, although I am more likely to be very sarcastic or have my tongue in cheek while I am typing happy [fwidman]
I don't really like discussing polotics, I am negative about it and always tend to piss people off...lol I just stay in my own happy little realm and be very quiet about that subject. [heatherfeather80]
Nope, I see no need to try you lol Yep politics can be loads of sh!t lol [fwidman]
I don't mind reading them when I am bored, just to know what other people's opinions but involved in the discussions I am not going to be. I don't know much about political parties etc and I don't see anything honest or clear about it. People will say this and that in their campaigns but after being voted they will change sooner or later. I just don't see anything interesting in politics although reading what others think about it is a good way to pass time [LittleMel]
True, politicians will say just about anything to get elected then change their minds once they are in office. It is a good way to pass the time and you can always learn something from them happy [fwidman]
Truth is i don't. That is why i don't respond to any such discussion about my country or anywhere else. I do not like to defend my beliefs and opinions when it comes to politics. I am just not up for it. Debating about such issues,I can get involved in other topics but not politics. Though i work in the government, i do not enjoy discussing politics. Maybe i just don't like to be defending myself for my political opinions. Politics here in our country is different from yours, so i would rather keep my opinions for myself and let them be heard when really needed. [sweetie1026]
lumzy007, I am all for helping my neighbor, but not at the cost of harming myself happy True, nobody knows what will come in a later point of time. [fwidman]
I'm afraid I must confess I do also, although I must really be a glutton for punishment! Being a liberal on myLot can be risky business but I never seem to learn my lesson. I don't know if I'd call what I do "battling" them but sometimes I just can't sit by and not give my opinion. I don't mind a bit if someone disagree with my opinion, if they tell me I'm wrong or tell me what they think it right but being called a moron or accused of being the one who picks fights and hurls insults when it's not true or being told not to respond to someone's posts because they don't care to know my view, now that frosts me! Annie [anniepa]
"and it IS a very combative - oops, I meant competitive" I think you were right with the first term, lol. I have always said politics is bloodsport. As far as the balance of liberal/conservative, it's hard to tell. Especially in an international forum. Each has differences from country to country. For example, the Canadian conservative party is not anything resembling the republican party of the U.S. the Liberal party up there is more like our green party in where it leans....waaaaaaaaay left, would make even some of our democrats cringe when they look at the details. It also depends what the topic and interest area the discussion is started in. If you only respond to certain genre's than you will see certain types of people. It seems to me the U.S. balance here is pretty split. I don't ever feel out numbered at least, except when your hurling pebbles at me, lol. [xfahctor]
Well they can certainly be some of the most interesting discussions on here sometimes! And they do tend to bring out some very intelligent people as well. Unfortunately in parallel they can bring out some pretty rigid people also! I never cease to be amazed by how fired up some people can get in regards to politics. It can be a very entertaining time watching some of these political discussions unfold. [James72]
They can indeed be entertaining James72. And yes, some folks do get their dander up and often rather quickly. happy [fwidman]
I like all type of discussion ....if they are not boaring ....and have some good idea or information or something nice to discuss..... Thanku Ganesh [Ganesh44]
Political discussions are rarely boring Ganesh happy Silly at times, but not boring! [fwidman]
"If you don't like someone's opinion,ignore them. Don't try battling them,as that's just a waste of their time and yours." That's a great idea,and I'm agree with you totally. But I don't like discuss political things,I think sometimes it make me unhappy coz most of political things we can't change or decide,but we really want to,lol. [tivonshi]
I think the nice thing about discussing politics is that it is a great way to get your opinions out. No, we can't really change most things, but we definitely would like too. Talking about them seems to be a good stress relief unless someone comes and attacks our personality sad [fwidman]
Most of the political discussions on MyLot have degenerated into partisan bashing contests recently. Conservatives take shots at liberals, democrats take shots at republicans, etc. It gets boring after a while. I don't like participating in mud slinging contests(usually), so I'm beginning to just ignore political discussions. Part of expressing an opinion is being able to defend it if challenged. When I have an opinion I wish to express, I'm not at all deterred by the possibility of having to defend it. Of course, with some people on these boards, when they can't intellectually rebut your opinion, they turn to attacking you character, which I don't tolerate. I have found myself in such situations before. [Latrivia]
Character assassins are, unfortunately, part of politics these days. sad It is easier to attack someone's personality than to defend your own ideas. [fwidman]
hello fwidman I do like the political discussions here on mylot too.in my life.Even though i am a populace.But i also would like to express my opinions in the politics of our country.Maybe my voice is too small to hear by the leader.but I think many people maybe have the same ideas to mine. I have the fun enough. so on mylot,If i have seen some interested political discussions,i will write something.lol. good luck happy happy [successlog]
Thank you, success! One small voice cannot be heard by any government, but put that small voice together with other small voices and sometimes the government will listen happy [fwidman]
I do like political discussions and I always invite differing opinions. I think if everybody agrees with you, it can make for a very boring conversation. I also have a pretty open mind and like to hear others' opinion. Doesn't mean I will change my mind, but it is always good to get various sides to each story. [laglen]
If everybody agrees with you, there isn't much of a discussion happy [fwidman]
I do like them & i dont Mr T.I hate it when people associate that stupid God Save The Queen rubbish with Scotland,that in my opinion is for the English & has nothing to do with me.Actually i hate the blinkin royal family,show me one scottish person who does & i will give you $10. I dont do the name calling,i say what i think & if someone wants to respond back with their opinion then fine.I have been in many could be debate situations,what i do is just say..have a nice day,that annoys people,they hate being ignored & have someone be sarcastic to them,which is what i was doing. America ? Na i dont get into them discussions,i aint Amercian so i will all that to the people who are ! I am so behind today with discussions..geeeeeeee whizzzzzz lol [LoudnProud]
It is always a pleasure pestering, I mean talking, to you my friend happy [fwidman]
I relish the political give-and-take here on MyLot so much that it is where I post almost all the time. I never resort to name calling. If I disagree with someone and can't think of a reasonable reply for their discussion, I just keep my ideas to myself and move on to something else. [clrumfelt]
Wise decision, to move on. Sometimes it is wiser to keep one's mouth closed then to get into something you know you cannot win nor change happy [fwidman]
Ahh, no I must confess I do not like the political discussions on the lot. I am not a great follower of it and I am not the best at a discussion in these types of discussions! I would much rather leave those to them that know what they are talking about, they get way too heated for me! [gemini_rose]
If we left political discussions to those who knew what exactly they were talking about, there would be very few discussions lol [fwidman]
Yes I agree with you! Nowadays we are concern citizen of this world. We are the one who choose our leader who my drive us to be a good mankind. Lets have some argumentation or discussion here about political issues today! [reybolivar]
Yes, we are the ones to choose our leaders. Hopefully, when election time comes we shall all make a great choice happy [fwidman]
yes sometimes we need talk some things about politicality .political things are important to all of us [iambaiyunlvshui]
Except during an election, politics are not very important to me. I worry more about life around me as opposed to what the idiots in charge are doing happy [fwidman]
Politics always annoys people. They are always sensitive issues that people feel strongly about and when someone disagrees with them they react badly sometimes or get turned off that person. So its sometimes best not to approach the subject for fear of annoying others. I wouldn't say the site should not have it but people should be wary of expressing controversial or annoyed views on the site. [Bluepatch]
True, if one cannot stand the heat then one should stay out of the kitchen happy [fwidman]
I am not really into politics, obviously I do have an opinion related to some things to do with politics, but I am not hugely into it and keep up to date with the latest news and have extremely strong opinions on those topics. I have heard that they tend to get really heated and people start to shout people down and tell them that they are wrong hence not entitled to an opinion. [Elixiress]
I've not been on Mylot for very long, about 4 days, but I am certainly enjoying the political discussions so far. My initial impression is that there does seem to be more Republican / right wing people on this site compared to Democrats / left wing but that doesn't bother me too much. So far, I have had some civilised discussions with people who have clearly different viewpoints to my own. [evanslf]
I have found that political discussions on lylot are very controversial and since people are rating happy when they dont like your opinion it has caused me to veer away from them. But in all reality I do like to debate wether it be about politics or anything else that strikes my interest. I prefer to debate over the educational system to be honest! [Izzlemylizzle]
Well I spoke too soon... noticed today I'm down to a 9. I know it's from the political discussions. But I will worry about that after the election. I feel that I need to help others learn the facts on both candidates. [missybal]
no I personaly don't like it.politics is a very complecative & sentimental issue.politics need not to be discussed here. [keya2468]
I don't always find politics to be that complicated. I tend to listen to what the candidates say and then just try to figure out which one will hurt my wallet the least happy [fwidman]
I like the political discussions on Mylot because they give you something meaty to talk about and always seem to attract readers and responses. I love talking about things that are deep, but that's just me and I know a lot of people don't like talking politics because it causes arguments. [Mickie30]
I don't mind a good discussion. Arguments are something else though happy [fwidman]
I do not like political discussions on myLot or anywhere else..lol I don't know..I think I get bored easily and there's often people who are quite political and want to dissuade you somehow from your opinion or beliefrolleyes [marina321]
Yes, there are some who would try to dissuade you from your opinion, which can be a royal pain at times sad [fwidman]
You are so right... I have a love hate relationship with the political discussions on mylot. It's so interesting the election this year, and so many people are very passionate on both sides. It's difficult when people get flat out rude and and want to beat a discussion to death and I admit sometimes it's difficult not to get sucked in yourself. I know I'm guilty of loosing my head a few times. Thank you so much for posting this discussion, I hope it reaches those who it needs to and makes the political discussions more enjoyable. I've always enjoyed hearing your thoughts as you present them with respect. [missybal]
Thanks, Missy happy I do try to be reasonable, although I am usually sarcastic I am trying to be humorous. Those discussions can get way too hot headed lol [fwidman]
i enjoy political discussions on mylot. it would be boring if evry1 agreed... i am glad ppl's onpions differ from mines because that makes a better discussion. [lanlan011]
Yes, it would be very boring if we all agreed happy [fwidman]
I avoid them. I've so few that actually have any reality attached that I just never pursued that interest here. People find a link, a you-tube video, see something on the news, whatever and then proceed to pontificate about something they should have stopped to think about the source of first! As a former journalist I KNOW how the media manipulates the truth and I refuse to get involved in a losing situation any more. My days doing that are long over. [sparkofinsanity]
Yes. But I needed a nose picker - as my brother's used to call them! ROFL [sparkofinsanity]
I love them! I have seen some real masters discuss the issues without the vitrol. I am amazed that 2 different people can cite 2 different articles on the same subject-and both be right! This has led me to distrust the media even more. I guess you would call this a learning experience. [john_galt44]
Actually, the media reports what their sponsers want the listeners to hear. lol [sparkofinsanity]
I don't really like getting involved in political discussions. Even if the setting is different, I still would not want to be in one. It's interesting to read some political discussions here. But most of the time I just read them briefly and then go to another topic. [joliefille]
At least you read them happy [fwidman]
Sometimes when something particularly interesting or newsworthy gets my attention, I will participate in a political discussion. Usually though it starts to make me angry at the world and depressed that everything is so screwed up I try to stay away from them. I think it's good to express an opinion, but many opinions are not even based on factual or correct information, so it can be a little irritating at times. I guess for me, it depends if I am in a mood where little things don't irritate me or if I'm in a mood where everything will irritate me. I usually come to mylot for inspiration & to get my mind off of other things, so if I am finding myself getting irritated by something on here (which can be political in a lot of cases) I will move on to something lighter. [vera5d]
Very smart happy It would be a shame to come to mylot to be irritated! This site should be fun happy [fwidman]
I do enjoy political discussions! I love politic...I do believe they are so dirty though, but i like the subject. And i think that everyone anywere on the world is free to speak their opinions, wether is a good one or a bad one. I dont defend my opinion but I do keep my point when it comes to politics. A great example of my opinion of the current president geoge W. Bush is that....He sucks! and pardon me if I ofend anyone out there....But i must say that I dont like him one bit! And to me he's the biggest murder. i also could back up my opinion by all means, but lets just say I really needed to get that out of my chest. :) [beatrizguiselle]
You certainly didn't offend me with that remark. Personally I think he sucks is too mild a term for such a doofus lol [fwidman]
I do enjoy the political discussions on Mylot. I think it's a good way to express my opinions and listen to other's viewpoints. Most everybody I know in my off screen life has the same political affiliation I do and that's no fun. We just agree all the time. Actually, one thing I've noticed on Mylot is that people tend to get their political facts filtered through web sites that reflect their affiliation. I think everybody should have to run their thoughts through the Annenberg Fact Check before debating. LOL - Seriously, it's a wonderful site. A lot of the politicians use it before debates. PS: I've also survived them all since Truman. [irisheyes]
Yep. This one was a toughie. [irisheyes]
I like them but I do not get a reply to my comment more often than not. And I do not believe that I have a strong opinion ;) [ShellyB]
I am okay with that, I just feel kinda ignored but that too passes. [ShellyB]
Check my ranking and look in these eyes... (-_-) Ironically there are times I do not like political discussions as they can pump up the Blood Pressure by quite a bit. Most times, its quite alright. There are times it can even be amusing. To your general question, some do have valid reasons for disagreeing and debating. At times, lifestyles, ideas, rights, even the future itself is at stake. I think the most humorous part of the political scene here where you need international SIM cards(and well pretty much everywhere) is that people want to speak their opinion; and at the same time they want other people to shut up and not speak theirs. Add to this whenever said person is disagreed with, they are the first to cry "foul" and "oh my god, you are trying to silence me". It reminds me of the kid that always flopped and whined in dodgeball when things didn't go her way. Before I leave, remember mylotters that even though you may disagree with someone's opinion, you aren't dealing with an ogre, a heartless, a fool or a troll. People are much more than just reds and blues... we can have so much more from the people here and others around us. [theprogamer]
Yea yea, about my ranking I see what you are saying there, but its much better than other interests on here.... like "Mylot" and "Life". I'm still in the 2000s there. -_- rasp [theprogamer]
I'm not a politics fan at all so try not to get into discussions about it as it only leads to arguements and I dont know enough about politics ...littleowl [littleowl]
If you aren't into arguments then it is betterto avoid political discussions happy [fwidman]
I have very strong beliefs when it comes to politics, and I might really tic people off. Since I am not here to make enemies, I will keep my political views to myself. Unless of course I agree with something someone says, then I might send a supportive comment their way. But if I disagree with something someone says, I just ignore the post.happy [thedaddym]
Most of the fun I've had with the political discussions is ticking someone off happy [fwidman]
I try to avoid discussions that would create arguements anbd disagreement but sometimes we could not avoid that specially if i have something to share towards the topic.You are right,the best way is to ignore and thats what i always do.I don't want to argue but i would share whatever i have or express out my opinion about it.I want to make alot of friends here and i don't want to create misunderstandings towards other people. [msedge]