Social Security

[Vern Humphrey]

Don't feed the trolls.

[S.A. Boggs]

Don't feed the trolls.

I was taught to show compassion for the less fortunate...including the mentally ill. I hate to see someone in so much psychological pain and nothing can be done about it.
Sam

[togor]

LOL, Boggs, you can leave Red & his mental illness out of this. As for me...remember, I don't take any of this too seriously, including the mock pain you read into the conversation to distract from the fact that the only real similarity between a social worker and an infantry officer is that both are poorly paid by the government.

[Vern Humphrey]

I was taught to show compassion for the less fortunate...including the mentally ill. I hate to see someone in so much psychological pain and nothing can be done about it.
Sam

I think he's already had a lobotomy.

[S.A. Boggs]

I think he's already had a lobotomy.

Probably, the sad part is that Togor is not even a worthy opponent.
Sam

[JB White]

Probably, the sad part is that Togor is not even a worthy opponent.
Sam

Not a worthy opponent? I'm not so sure about that. He's obviously being targeted on a regular basis. His name is dragged into threads he isn't participating in. Heck, he's even mentioned in the headers of new topics. In spite of it all, even though he knows I'll disagree with his stance most times, he's the one who's keeping his calm throughout the calamity.

You may not like him, but...not a worthy opponent? I think he is. He's keeping quite a few on high alert around here. LOL

[Roadkingtrax]

JB all that conciliatory language will just run you afoul of those self-appointed to weep and whine at Togor's presence.

[S.A. Boggs]

Not a worthy opponent? I'm not so sure about that. He's obviously being targeted on a regular basis. His name is dragged into threads he isn't participating in. Heck, he's even mentioned in the headers of new topics. In spite of it all, even though he knows I'll disagree with his stance most times, he's the one who's keeping his calm throughout the calamity.

You may not like him, but...not a worthy opponent? I think he is. He's keeping quite a few on high alert around here. LOL

Not even close! Togor is intelligent, articulate, sometimes amusing shall we say. IMHO a worthy opponent is one who will do you physical harm, that I have faced many times. I have one former client, a likeable chap, doing 25-life in Ark. for attempted murder with an iron pipe. Sparing on a forum is nothing, interesting to keep the brain warm but that is about it. A person has time to think for a response or no response at all. In real time there is often no time and if one screws up one can and does die, been there saw that. Honestly, I like Togor and yes he does make a great deal of sense, often times I wish he didn't. He brings much to the table, one issue is micro as opposed to macro observation.
Sam

[togor]

Yeah, Stalin, Kruschev, Mao, the Devil, and Hillary Clinton could be mistaken for "worthy people," so why don't you tell us how great those guys were?

The mistake you (and others are making) is by thinking this is only a little argument among friends. It is not! It is a life and death struggle to save America from the haters that want to destroy the Constitution.

Life and death? Drama queen stuff.

[JB White]

The mistake you (and others are making) is by thinking this is only a little argument among friends. It is not! It is a life and death struggle to save America from the haters that want to destroy the Constitution.

Red, I think I found where you and I differ. I'm just as concerned as you about "liberalism" wreaking havoc and decay on this country. That goes a long way when it comes to choosing sides. However, I don't see this remote corner of the internet as a battlefield. There simply aren't enough people close enough to wage a battle in either direction. I see it as a place to congregate and share thoughts. A place to keep in contact with like-minded people so we can all fight our own battles going in the same direction. There is no great audience here. Only us.
If we had a forum gathering I doubt we could crowd a local tavern with the participants on this board. Having said that, I don't think it's a mistake to hear what's coming from the other side either. Argue away and keep it up, but no one will be killing anybody with a keyboard around here any time soon.

Here's a thought. Let's say for a minute Togor is somehow driven away from this board. He will wake up the next day and go about his business. Talk with whomever he chooses. Vote whichever way he chooses. So, aside from having this little room all to ourselves, what was accomplished? Where is the real victory? There is no "life and death struggle" HERE. Not on this site and not on this board. That's why I let him have his say along with everyone else. Its just the internet...and I'm sitting here in my house without a rifle slung across my back.
The debates are certainly justified, but I don't think the hatred and self defense posturing is getting anyone anything on this screen.

[Allen]

Red, I think I found where you and I differ. I'm just as concerned as you about "liberalism" wreaking havoc and decay on this country. That goes a long way when it comes to choosing sides. However, I don't see this remote corner of the internet as a battlefield. There simply aren't enough people close enough to wage a battle in either direction. I see it as a place to congregate and share thoughts. A place to keep in contact with like-minded people so we can all fight our own battles going in the same direction. There is no great audience here. Only us.
If we had a forum gathering I doubt we could crowd a local tavern with the participants on this board. Having said that, I don't think it's a mistake to hear what's coming from the other side either. Argue away and keep it up, but no one will be killing anybody with a keyboard around here any time soon.

Here's a thought. Let's say for a minute Togor is somehow driven away from this board. He will wake up the next day and go about his business. Talk with whomever he chooses. Vote whichever way he chooses. So, aside from having this little room all to ourselves, what was accomplished? Where is the real victory? There is no "life and death struggle" HERE. Not on this site and not on this board. That's why I let him have his say along with everyone else. Its just the internet...and I'm sitting here in my house without a rifle slung across my back.
The debates are certainly justified, but I don't think the hatred and self defense posturing is getting anyone anything on this screen.

But is this really why you would want to join this forum? Seems to me the vast majority don't think so and are gone. If you just want a pissing contest though I guess you have found it.

[JB White]

But is this really why you would want to join this forum? Seems to me the vast majority don't think so and are gone. If you just want a pissing contest though I guess you have found it.

I'm not sure I get your point. This board used to be very busy and quite different. A tough room with some very heated debates and "the gloves were off" as the intro says, but quite informative. Years ago I used to just lurk here for the read.
What I'm not grasping is what your impression of what the vast majority thought and why they left. The few former members I spoke/speak to have either bailed out for several reasons, or simply just got lost in the shuffle from domain to domain and really aren't all too interested in returning. I'm also unsure as to why you would think that all I'm looking for is a pissing contest?
I agree this place has degenerated into not much more than pissing contests. As one friend put it: It's like a graffiti contest on a high school $hithouse wall. Some days I can say that's a pretty good analogy.

I just looked at the intro again. I hadn't noticed the change until now.

Time to put the gloves back on and keep it civil. Argue points, not personalities.

[togor]

Things are actually more civil than they used to be in the Wild West days. If there are fewer threads, that could be for many reasons. It's possible that the prospect of pushback deters some people, who prefer to preach to the choir. Trump exhaustion could be another reason. Not that there is less enthusiasm for him, but that it's simply hard to generate threads that match his pace. People were whipped up here during the Muslim ban days, remember? But that kind of enthusiasm tapered off. The new anti-racism rules might have persuaded some to seek greener pastures as well.

In any case, there is nothing intrinsically wrong with the idea that political disagreements can be discussed online and kept within civil limits. The key I think is to not treat what happens here as life and death. Every once in awhile the site has a hiccup and it's gone, and we go about our lives. So far it always comes back, but nothing is forever. So I say enjoy it while it is here, warts and all. Some call me the wart. I would hang that label on other people. But it's OK.

And hey, there's a midterm coming up!

[S.A. Boggs]

Things are actually more civil than they used to be in the Wild West days. If there are fewer threads, that could be for many reasons. It's possible that the prospect of pushback deters some people, who prefer to preach to the choir. Trump exhaustion could be another reason. Not that there is less enthusiasm for him, but that it's simply hard to generate threads that match his pace. People were whipped up here during the Muslim ban days, remember? But that kind of enthusiasm tapered off. The new anti-racism rules might have persuaded some to seek greener pastures as well.

In any case, there is nothing intrinsically wrong with the idea that political disagreements can be discussed online and kept within civil limits. The key I think is to not treat what happens here as life and death. Every once in awhile the site has a hiccup and it's gone, and we go about our lives. So far it always comes back, but nothing is forever. So I say enjoy it while it is here, warts and all. Some call me the wart. I would hang that label on other people. But it's OK.

And hey, there's a midterm coming up!

Must you make sense on a Friday when there are more important things to think about? For those who still work today is the start of liberation weekend of going fishing or to the range or "cutting grass!" so why bring sense into the issue? As to the midterms, yes they come around every so often, can't figure out why.
Sam

[JB White]

Must you make sense on a Friday when there are more important things to think about?....

Sam

No kidding Sam. Now he's going to have me dissecting things day by day to see if my impressions are based more on the less recent past. Danged Brewers fans....just when you think you can have a beer with them, they pull a common sense stunt like this.