MeDotOrg wrote: ↑Mon Aug 15, 2022 9:14 pm
I think it is really counterproductive to call someone stupid. IF this country is to have a chance of working, I think establishing a dialogue with people who disagree with you is essential.
And to that end, I applaud Ajax for at least coming forward and stating his opinions when he knows there's a good chance he is going to be mocked or ridiculed.
I start with a simple premise: What is good for the goose is good for the gander. Laws and principles should apply equally, with no expectation of political favor. Ajax sees that in American history, this is the first time an Ex-President's residence has been served with a Search Warrant. Does that mean it was executed for the purpose of bringing down the GOP's front-runner for 2024? He thinks so.
There have been other oppositional voices on the board that have just been angry and cruel. That's not my experience of Ajax. But a BBS without disagreement is like an AA meeting where everyone has been sober for 20 years. It's boring.
There is also a group dynamic (of which I have been guilty) of not wanting to be the nail that sticks out. Have you ever avoided thinking about areas of your political view with which you are not entirely comfortable because you fear the judgement of the group? Those are the types of questions that someone who perceives themselves outside the group can ask more easily.
In short, opposition helps keeps you honest, and keeps things stimulating.
I agree with all of this, but I think we're talking about different people. Also, I think ajax may have fooled you in the same way I was fooled for years. Yes, he often gives the appearance of being reasonable... until you unpack everything he says, and take note of the flow of any conversation had with him.
I don't hate ajax; I don't really know him, and I think that's intentional on his part. It's obviously more accurate to say "what he writes is stupid" than "ajax is stupid" because I don't really know if the real ajax is stupid. My judgment is based on what he writes. Maybe he sucks as a writer. Maybe he's this brilliant dude who's been stringing everyone along for years. There have been plenty of times I've agreed with the spirit of what he's said, which is why he avoided my ignore list for so long. I do, however, hate the way he "discusses" things, and eventually, I had to give up on the hope for ajax in favor of the reality of ajax's posts.
There's a huge difference between attempting to come together with people who want consensus and those who simply don't. And that is why I'm pessimistic about this country (and the world at large) ever "working." When I say someone said something stupid, I'm being descriptive, not prescriptive.
Religion is for people whose existential fear is greater than their common sense.
The god idea is popular with desperate people.