wilbjammin

Actually, some of us might be politicians...


In any event, I think the biggest problem with this forum is that inability to determine what, in fact, the factual reality is. There are too many sources of information, and political issues are too complicated to be simplified by looking at one, or two sources of information (or 50 or 60 sources).

The greatest difficulty lies in determining what the causal relationships are and what to look for in predictions. Having gone through formal training in politics, I can say that this is a universal problem ranging from the smallest of local politics to national and international politics. I remember when I was first introduced to TFP I was excited about the opportunity to discuss politics with others, and then as I shuffled through the threads I lost the will to. There are two reasons that I choose not to contribute:

1. People, by and far, did not support their opinions with facts or relevent data that gives enough information to determine anything. Anyone can go on the internet and find someone who agrees with their point of view who is published and/or reknowned - this does not mean that the person is correct or knows all of the information! I understand that it is difficult to find data that actually says anything meaningful, but it is very important when we discuss politics.

2. My first several posts in politics were greeted primarily with non-sequitur responses and selectivism towards my comments that put everything out of context. I find that there is no value in copying and pasting my comments repeatedly to make a point. Politics should be a deliberate endeavor meaning that well-thought out responses have a lot more value than quick, snide responses. I was left feeling like the effort I was putting into making posts that said something of value were not met with the earnestness.


Let's boil this down as simply as possible. Politics is group decision-making. That's it... and yet politics is often given a bad name.

We should look at this forum as an opportunity to clarify our values, beliefs, and understandings personally. We should share our knowledge because what we know matters to us and we believe it would help others. We should be civil and polite and respect differing opinions because knowledge is socially constructed and encountering differing opinions, ideas, and values allows for each of us individually to determine what matters and why. We should research the facts behind what we're saying rather that just repeating what we've been told as if it were facts (admissions of not-knowing something for certain is welcome and something that I would personally embrace with open arms). I am not always right, and no-one else is... so be nice, and allow someone grace if they have made mistakes.

And, truthfully, using "I" statements can really diffuse problems before they start. "You say ____, I disagree with you because as I understand it _____ is true." - or - "You say ____, I understand what you're saying but I think that you might have missed this information: _____." etc. If you do not want to understand why someone thinks something differently than you do, then this is not the place for you.

If politics is group decision-making, then the first step towards gaining any value from political discussion is to realize that you are part of a group and to work within the bounds of positive group dynamics.

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Innominate.