21–30 of 418 posts
I grew up in Texas but worked in Silicon Valley for a few years. One of the toughest adjustments was going from a small conservative town to a major liberal populace. It was astonishing the number of people who got angry _at me_ for having a different opinion then they did. At one workplace I saw two coworkers get into a fist fight because the liberal was "offended" that the conservative differed on a viewpoint. Go t…
I discuss controversial topics in person with my close friends, and I don't feel any poorer for it.
I don't think it's even just conservatives, anyone who has an even slightly different opinion than the golden calves US libertarian society has set up is shunned. It's closer to religion at this point. I consider myself liberal, but (and?) I disagree on various topics, mostly on affirmative action. However, if you think that introducing more bias is a bad way to solve existing bias, you're a racist. It's not "I disag…
This doesn't make any sense to me - as an (extreme) libertarian, I see very little progress on that front. The Democrats and Republicans have each used the libertarian "brand" when it has suited them, but neither have implemented any actual libertarian positions in my lifetime, at least not that I can recall.
Out of curiosity, are you perhaps viewing American politics from the perspective of someone accustomed to European politics?
Aren't these the same sort that will moan ceaselessly about the ludicrousness of "safe spaces" and "snowflakes"? I don't particularly care. You're free to speak your mind. You're not free to force people around you agree. Either get over it, or move on. I hear welding is an in-demand industry and I bet they'll find more receptivity to their viewpoints there.
Honestly, I am not the least surprised. I don't know if anyone is really. Because never before has there been so much hate towards simply holding different opinions. People actively share "if you like x you can remove me as your friend" shit on facebook, companies fire people for expressing their political views and media companies "choose a side" more then ever. And don't tell me Google isn't. Just look at Youtube w…
I'm not seeing hatred towards people for arguing over correct levels of import taxes. I'm seeing it because they're backing politicians who are actively causing harm to real human beings.
I don't think it's even just conservatives, anyone who has an even slightly different opinion than the golden calves US libertarian society has set up is shunned. It's closer to religion at this point. I consider myself liberal, but (and?) I disagree on various topics, mostly on affirmative action. However, if you think that introducing more bias is a bad way to solve existing bias, you're a racist. It's not "I disag…
>However, if you think that introducing more bias is a bad way to solve existing bias, you're a racist. Perhaps instead of labeling people as "x, y, and z" much like war propaganda has done through the years, we should try to understand where they are coming from?
Every group prizes social cohesion. When a behavior looks threatening to that cohesion it is a natural defense for the group to isolate such threat. It is a necessary part of its survival, like an organism reacting to parasites, infections or offending threats.
This reaction even has respectable philosophical ethical justifications, see Karl Popper's discussion on the limits of tolerance.
I do not condone with intolerance, but we should understand that, at a very primary instinctive level, there are evolutionary and biological reasons for this. These are even some of the reasons for the downvotes I will get.
This is precisely the wrong way to make political decisions, but it pushes all of our lizard-brain buttons and I'm not sure how we pull out of it.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
That anger could be reasonable or not, depending on your opinions.
No, it's not reasonable. It's a vote, not justification to throw fists or anything in between, even.
If you're voting to take away people's healthcare, or to discriminate against them based on who they love, or their gender, then of course they are angry!