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I think if there is any lack of civility it is certainly bipartisan. How many anti-kerry articles from obviously biased sources does it take to incite thoughtful discussion? I'm not sure the exact ratio of left-bating to right-bating, but there seems to be a fair amount of both.
Butting heads with other people is only fun until you get a headache. Then, you sit down and consider whether butting heads with people is that useful, if all it gets you is a headache.
That being said, i doubt that it is really a lack civil, openmindedness that causes people to leave. That implies that people argue here for the purposes of enlightenment and learning.
I have noticed several threads where certain people, when faced with the choice between acknowledging that the opposition may be right or removing themselves from the discussion choose to stop participating rather than conceding.
I know i can be quite the jackass at times, but i try to make a conscious effort acknowledge when i realize that i'm on shaky ground argument-wise. The key being that someone has to convince me conclusively that i am wrong. Sitting here, i can't recall a single instance where ustwo has come anywhere close to saying "I was wrong". I know he's a smart guy, but c'mon. He's not the only one either. There are many folks on either side of the aisle who don't concede. That's the nature of political discussion.
This place is a lot more civil than it used to be too. Hellooo? FEL? Eple? Anyone who doubts the civility might want to check out the recent hitler threads to see how far we've come.
Exodus shmexodus, change is the only constant. If people want to leave cause they don't like the game anymore that is their choice. They'll be back the moment their blood boils and their mouths water for conflict and egofights.
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