Politics & Current Events
MommyLiberty5013
member
Dear Community,
Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
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Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
What's the Point?
Of discussing stuff anyway? It isn't like anybody is going to change their mind based on something someone posted on TN. Right?
Maybe I'm incorrect.
Do any of you have a time to share during which you changed your viewpoint on something economic, political, or social based off of something you read in a post, whether that be a comment or a link to an article or video?
Re: What's the Point?
adamwife became pro choice. Actually, a lot of posters have changed their views because of discussions they've had on the nest.
That said, the trend is towards people becoming more liberal. I guess discussion opens their minds a little. It's almost like they gain perspective and learn about people who are different from them, then realize that they'd prefer to support the rights of all people, not just people like them.
Yes, very much this.
What are you basing your statement on? Your own TB and TN research study?
I mean...you are aware that Democrat voter registration is down by over 800,000 since 2008 ---a MUCH larger number compared to the other parties, right? Oh wait, you will blame that on voter discrimination or intimidation, I am sure.Or they just get tired of being told how stupid, dumb and idiotic they are for disagreeing with the mighty, smart, all powerful left. You know, the "nice" ones.
Me too. I've been voting Republican, but I'm pretty fed up. I wouldn't say that I idenify with them that much, but I do identify with them more than I identify with the Dems.
Actually, I got me a good dose of learnin' done this summer and I think I am more Libertarian/Independent now. I used to be befuddled by Ron Paul, now I like him.
I did a bunch of reading on the state of the economy, the Federal Reserve, deficit spending, bubbles, economic history, etc. And, I have also been following Mike Maloney a little bit. It seems that when these guys push beyond politics, there is a lot to be seen for how the Reps and Dems are just both so messed up.
But, I'm not willing to forfeit my vote for the sake of principle, so I'm voting for Romney this year. Anyway, I am pretty sure that no matter who wins, there is no fixing this economy and that it will come crashing down around us no matter who is in office.
And that statistic had nothing to do with the fact that in 2008, the democratic party had people registering and voting in unprecedented numbers because Obama energized a whole new demographic that hadn't made its voice known before to get involved in the political process?
Oh. Okay.
Democrat is not the same thing as liberal, I hate to break it to you. Not being a registered member of the Democratic party does not mean that you can't be liberal.
I've never heard of someone who was pro-gay marriage and then, after having lots of discussions with lots of different groups of people, decided that they were actually against it. Just one example.
forward&offthecliff, I'm basing it off my own experience of observing many women on these boards over the years engage in discussion and slowly come to the realization that while they may not be in favor of certain things (SSM, abortion) for themselves, that it isn't right to limit those rights for others based on their own religion. In other words, if you don't believe in same sex marriage, then don't get same sex married - but stop worrying about what other people are doing because it simply isn't hurting anyone. SSM is being legalized around the world, and amazingly the countries who have it haven't collapsed. Why? It doesn't matter.
So yes, over the years I've watched women realize that what people are doing with their own lives doesn't affect them one tiny little bit, and they've become more liberal in their thinking. Preserving rights for others doesn't hurt you - in fact, it makes your rights stronger.
Geraldo is correct that it's uncommon for someone to believe in the rights of all and then change their mind about it later. It's strange for someone to become less enlightened.
I've witnessed many people change their viewpoints from debating on the bump. I know my views have evolved over the past 3 years.
I sympathize with people more than ever. I have a much clearer understanding of why my right to abort is one of the utmost importance. I am able to offer more empathy to those who are struggling.
I'm finally at a place in my life where I care vastly more about the rights and happiness of others than I do for myself.
I'd say debating, reading and engaging on the bump has changed me for the better.
A few days ago someone on TB said they became pro-choice & pro-LGBT rights after discussions on TB
I was raised very, very libertarian. And I distinctly remember the IRL conversation I had that made me question libertarianism. After some more consideration I emerged a liberal.
Discussion is like the free market of ideas. I thought you guys would be all over that shi't.
As a lurker here and on TB and PB, I have definitely witnessed more people becoming more liberal in their thought processes than more conservative.
It's funny, because my BFF's are all somewhere on the conservative end of the political spectrum, and they said to me that once I had kids, I'd understand and become more conservative myself. Having my DD has actually made me even more liberal than I was before she was around. I want her to be able to grow up in a world where she has equal rights to everyone around her, no matter what her age, race, gender, sexual preference, etc. is. I want her to be able to be the first lesbian president of the united states if she wants to be, or be a homeschooling, crunchy, fundie, quiver full of kids type of woman if she wants to be. None of us should have to be molded by the preference of one politician, or religion. The republican party as it stands right now is completely against that. They are NOT the party of personal freedoms, as much as they like to think so.
This is offensive and untrue. You are not talking about politics----about which on most issues good people can disagree- but instead saying that those who are liberal are enlightened and intelligent and those who aren't are insular and backward. Not so.
Let me tell you something---I was never as conservative as I was when I spent the week at Harvard at Marvin Kalb's Media and American Democracy Seminar and spent a bunch of time with liberals. They sure were different from them, and I think that they had a certain kind of superficial diversity of color but certainly not of thought. You had a white liberal, a black liberal, a Hispanic liberal, etc.
I don't see a trend in people getting more liberal. This is a center-right country;"liberal" is a category far below independent and conservative, and the 63 House seats and 6 Senate seats in 2010, plus the likely Senate shift this year, give the lie to your assertions.... not to mention the hundreds of seats at the state level that shifted to Republican. I can't remember the exact number, but I think it was in excess of 780.
This board or Proboards is not a microcosm of society at large and its beliefs. Proboards and the former Nest is more like Pauline Kael saying she never knew anybody who voted for Nixon.
We were talking about discussion specifically on these message boards, so the rest of your commentary wasn't relevant.
And yes, I think leaning towards support for people over money is more enlightened. Sorry that this offends you.
I hate the mob mentality and I'm interested to have conversations with people who are educated and have open minds. For example I'm a diehard lefty on social issues and more moderate but still quite left-leaning on fiscal issues.
I met an economist last week and picked his brain. What he had to say, based on years of studying Europe and Japan, didn't jive with a lot of what I "want" to believe. But I listened and tucked away what I learned because it was good information froma good source vs listening to someone on here ramble on about No Skittles for Poor People or whatever.
I want to discuss what works. I want to discuss solutions. I don't care what your beliefs are morally or religiously or whatever. I want to know if it WORKS. So if you're anti guv'ment programs because everyone's a lazy bum who mooches off the system I don't want to hear from you. If you believe a certain program doesn't work based on the statistics around it after several years of research or pointing to legitimate examples (not anecdotal evidence), and you believe ending it or changing it would actually solve a problem, I am all ears.
I voted Republican in 2000.
I voted Democrat in 2004 and 2008 because as I grew older I realized I didn't agree with 99% of what the Republicans stood for.
I went through tough times. A lot of them. I find more compassion and understanding about my situation from the Ds than I do from the Rs.
I'll likely be voting 3rd party anyway because neither party is floating my boat at this point.
To answer your original question - yes, discussing politics has changed the way I view many things. Not just internet discussions but discussions IRL.
Also, I don't expect you guys to change your views because of what we say.
But I do expect there to be some actual discussion here. If you guys want this to be come a bastion of Romney/Ryan supporters, maybe you should petition TN to change this board's name to "Republicans for Romney/Ryan: Obama supporters can just walk on by so we can talk about how awesome Romney is and how Obama has screwed up this country beyond repair." (RfRROSCJWOBSWCTAHARIAHOHSUTCBR for short) since that seems to be where the "regs" on this board lie politically.
And I'm still waiting for a "reg" response in my "Just so we're clear" post.
For reals?
A lot of my past ignorant, sheltered views were done away with by having open and honest dialogue and listening to what others had to say.
Where before I felt trapped and thought that I had to believe certain things to be acceptedin a staunchly religious environment, I grew to realize I could form my own opinions based on rational thought, research, experience and discussion.
Discussing conflicting views in a respectful manner is beyond awesome for the mind.
Really? Huh. My wall is loaded down with staunch, young conservatives who do not know what the fcvk they are talking about and just blindly followed their staunchly conservative parents. There are a select few whose posts I bother to read because they have informed themselves, done their research and can actually hold their weight in a debate. I respect that, even though I don't agree with them.
I didn't expect it to be that. I just posted a few of my own opinions. I haven't been in the majority on any public board I frequented.
But that's what it's become. And once people who didn't fall under that label came on and started posting, it was "OMG! The Obama supporters are RUINING it! RUINING!"
You've made comments like that yourself, AB.
YOU ARE RUINING MY EXPERIENCE, FEZZES.
Also, nice siggy. RAWR.