Anger Management
Isn't it interesting that Religion and Politics are taboo topics in polite company? These are very important to many people, but discussing them only seems to provoke anger in most people. The exception seems to be that people of similar opinions can discuss with one another how much they hate, desipise, and laugh at those of different beliefs.
Apparently, religions and politics are not subjects that most people desire to consider in a calm, cool, rational manner. Rather, for most people, religion and politics are emotional topics. They are the subject of Faith. People have faith in their religion. More surprisingly, (at least to me) they have Faith in their politics. Faith and Reason are like oil and water; they do not mix.
I am not restricting my comments to stupid people or any particular party. My observation seems true to me of very intelligent members of various parties (although there does seems to be a tendency to judge members of parties to which you do not belong as being evil and stupid).
Just observe how angry nice, intelligent, educated people become ewhen they happen to overhear the expression of political opinions of the opposition party. Why should an error in logic provoke such wrath?
This human trait has always bothered me. If we cannot sit down and discuss religion and politics with even our friends and family in a calm, dispassionate manner, how can we hope to avoid relying upon violence to resolve disagreements with strangers, not to speak of enemies.
Comments
No doubt there is a lot of disrespectful noise on both sides, but you would have to be disingenuous to not find the right wing sound machine to be far worse than any substantial voice on the left.
Between El Rushbo, M. Savage, S. Hannity, A. Coulter, & M. Levin you will hear almost every democrat referred to by some derogatory pet name...almost every time they are mentioned on the air. Give me a comparison?
Taking you last statement at its face...that you don't listen to loudest voices of the right wings spin machine, perhaps you don't recognize the "ordinary citizens" you are referring to do.
I can turn on Rush at 9:00AM on my drive to the office and by noon those ordinary citizen's will be chirping Rush's talking points--derogatory comments, misinformation included.
Not coincidentally, the editorial page of the WSJ, the Washington Times, and the right wing blogosphere will all have the same talking points with varying degrees of civility.
Taking you last statement at its face...that you don't listen to loudest voices of the right wings spin machine, perhaps you don't recognize the "ordinary citizens" you are referring to do.
I can turn on Rush at 9:00AM on my drive to the office and by noon those ordinary citizen's will be chirping Rush's talking points--derogatory comments, misinformation included.
Not coincidentally, the editorial page of the WSJ, the Washington Times, and the right wing blogosphere will all have the same talking points with varying degrees of civility.