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Originally Posted by MrSelfDestruct
I've realized that unlike those I have met in real life, not every neo-conservative is a religious nut who is completely detached from reality and responds to any criticism of their view wiht "You're going to hell." It's intriguing to see that there are intellgent people behind the opinions that I had previously only seen attached to lunatics.
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I'm digging this one out of the crypt because I think MSD's point is quite valid... To me, this is the number 1 benefit of this forum - to be forced to confront the fact that there are perfectly rational, sincere people who hold views that are incomprehensible to us.
I've also learned that you get a lot farther with someone that you disagree with if you leave room for them in the discussion. Threads that start off as the equivalent of a train going 60 miles an hour don't allow people to climb on... You've got to start in such a way that people who aren't already on your train of thought can hitch a ride. That's a learned skill and this place is good for practicing it.