Browncoats and politics...
POSTED BY: Niki2
UPDATED: Thursday, November 5, 2009 04:45
VIEWED: 6856
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First caveat: I've only been on two Browncoat forums, so this is a VERY small sampling. That said:
Pizmo mentioned in another thread when I said that probably all the right-wingers here were crowing at recent developments (like the New York 23rd):Quote:
That got me thinking.
Unfortunately there aren't enough right wingers here really - it would probably make more threads degenerate more quickly, but I think it would still be worth it to hear what they have to say to balance the debate. (and not the ones that are just loopy and spiteful).
Yes, liberals outnumber conservatives here, and additionally we have other viewpoints as well. The other board I was on, the equivalent of RWE was all but "owned" by right wingers; anyone else was attacked vociferously and almost all they posted was pretty vicious anti-lib, anti-dem, anti-Obama, you name it. Only slightly less so than PN and a couple his equal, so you get the idea.
Here, others are in the majority and most of what I'd call "Republicans" (if I may be so bold as to include Conservatives, as that is the general use of the word) are about the same as what I saw there, "loopy and spiteful". Not to say the left-wingers aren't as well, and DEFINITELY not to say there aren't sensible views from the right, only limited to a couple of intelligent ones.
But beyond that, here I find actual "debates" of the issues--intelligent, reasoned, educated ones filled with, of course, the bickering, pretty much equal on both sides from what I see.
So, given that from my observation, the representation from the right on both forums was much more crazy; the representation from the left more tolerant (in that other sides are at least listened to and, when they make sense, usually debated).
I know I currently am a pretty staunch liberal, so some will say my view is overly subjective, but it makes me wonder. I know there has been craziness on the left in political history just as there has been from the right; but it seems to me that what I see "out here" in the real world exemplifies what I see on both forums, in the majority: craziness and alternative-universe beliefs and thinking.
Second caveat: I think, from what I observe, that Browncoats do tend to be anti-establishment (not surprising) in their views, and maybe forums represent the extremes of this.
What I got to wondering is this: Does Firefly attract a particular brand of right-wingers, fanatic, conspiracy-seeing, "loopy"; are right-wingers in general less tolerant and open to civil debate; is it the current mentality in the country; or is there another explanation?
I know the internet tends to attract people of extremes from all sides, and I don't go to political forums (for obvious reasons, from past experience!), nor have I ever been on another fan site. I tend to dismiss it as being just the internet, since I found reasonable, tolerant lefties both here and on the other site (tho' I didn't get to know those at the other site very well, as they were shouted down so consistently and I was driven out). So when Pizmo mentioned that, it got me to wondering.
Any suggestions?
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Together we are greater than the sum of our parts
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THIS right-winger is tired of arguingover the same thing again and again. I'm not going to change your mind, you're not going to change mine, so why bother? Firefly kicks ass. Leave it at that.
Mercy is the mark of a great man.
Guess I'm just a good man.
Well, I'm alright.
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Firefly is pretty right wing for Joss, who is somewhat left wing like the media. It's libertarian as is he, and so that's an obvious bent.
Liberals are not more tolerant. It's about the same. A few people will listen to the other side, most will just reject. We used to have a lot more Rush Limbaugh types here, but they've faded over the last couple years.
At the moment I'd politically identify with the Tories as the best political party around, I have no use for the republicans. The whole thing in Watertown is doing a lot of damage to any respect I had left for the party, and FOX is also committing suicide. I thought they would be the useful critique of democratic abuses of power that was so badly needed during the Clinton years.
I tend to restrain from making too many political points, every once in a while I do, that's usually a sign that someone has ticked me off.
In general, politics is a waste of time. If you want to communicate on the topic, it's best to take as much of a neutral centrist position as possible.
I hold a lot of right wing positions, particularly on social values and economics, I hold a lot of libertarian positions, and a few positions that might be left or right depending on where you are. I'm pretty strongly environmentalist, which is left in the US and right in the UK, and anti-globalist, which is right wing in most of the world, probably just anti-establishment here, i'm pro-peace, which is left here, mostly. Lately I've reconsidered a position and decided in favor of gay marriage. That's a left wing position, but here i'd say civil liberties trump my overall conservatism. I'd support frem's children's rights ideas, but that doesn't hit left or right. The right wing ideas that i'd disagree with, i don't support the death penalty, i think it's a violation of RTL, but in general, I fall right of center. I took an online test that asked 100 questions and I came out as a 75 on a 1=left to 100=right. McCain is 88, Inhoffe is 99. I think this puts me somewhere around Lugar
overall, you're going to see a lot of liberalism in the US after a bad conservative govt., just like there was a lot of conservatism after Clinton. If obama wrecks things, it might swing back the other way
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Firefly is pretty right wing for Joss, who is somewhat left wing like the media. It's libertarian as is he, and so that's an obvious bent.
Liberals are not more tolerant. It's about the same. A few people will listen to the other side, most will just reject. We used to have a lot more Rush Limbaugh types here, but they've faded over the last couple years.
At the moment I'd politically identify with the Tories as the best political party around, I have no use for the republicans. The whole thing in Watertown is doing a lot of damage to any respect I had left for the party, and FOX is also committing suicide. I thought they would be the useful critique of democratic abuses of power that was so badly needed during the Clinton years.
I tend to restrain from making too many political points, every once in a while I do, that's usually a sign that someone has ticked me off.
In general, politics is a waste of time. If you want to communicate on the topic, it's best to take as much of a neutral centrist position as possible.
I hold a lot of right wing positions, particularly on social values and economics, I hold a lot of libertarian positions, and a few positions that might be left or right depending on where you are. I'm pretty strongly environmentalist, which is left in the US and right in the UK, and anti-globalist, which is right wing in most of the world, probably just anti-establishment here, i'm pro-peace, which is left here, mostly. Lately I've reconsidered a position and decided in favor of gay marriage. That's a left wing position, but here i'd say civil liberties trump my overall conservatism. I'd support frem's children's rights ideas, but that doesn't hit left or right. The right wing ideas that i'd disagree with, i don't support the death penalty, i think it's a violation of RTL, but in general, I fall right of center. I took an online test that asked 100 questions and I came out as a 75 on a 1=left to 100=right. McCain is 88, Inhoffe is 99. I think this puts me somewhere around Lugar
overall, you're going to see a lot of liberalism in the US after a bad conservative govt., just like there was a lot of conservatism after Clinton. If obama wrecks things, it might swing back the other way
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DT, I wasn't thinking of you, right or left. You fell into the Quote:
(OR left) category to me when I was typing it.
DEFINITELY not to say there aren't sensible views from the right
AGO, if you're sick of arguing about it, why did you bother to post a response? Seems more logical to let the thread disappear down the line to me. Just sayin'.
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Niki, you asked a question regarding the mindset of the right leanin members of this board. It was asked with no malicious intent that I know of. It seemed like an honest question, and I thought you deserved an honest answer.
Dammit, there I went and did it again!! 
Mercy is the mark of a great man.
Guess I'm just a good man.
Well, I'm alright.
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Like I said.... 
And just to get ahead I'm going to call the next poster a complete JERK before they even post! 
Scifi movie music + Firefly dialogue clips, 24 hours a day - http://www.scifiradio.com 
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Quote:
Originally posted by pizmobeach:
And just to get ahead I'm going to call the next poster a complete JERK before they even post!
Kinda the reverse of that other thread that's running--- the next person who posts here would be a complete *L*O*S*E*R*-- :<)
" OH, wait, that'd be me...."
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Nik
part of what you're seeing is that the people who make the most noise about partisan issues are the most partisan. I've noticed that any crowd can sound like a left/right wing mafia, but get the people individually, and they will mostly back off, or you realize that they were keeping quiet. There will alway be a few who just stick to their guns.
These people end up in charge of political groups. This is because groups select them for
1) loyalty
2) assertiveness
They need someone who can shepherd the flock, but will never themselves stray.
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AG, you seem pretty certain that you're not going to change any minds here. Most of us don't share your certainty, or we wouldn't be here discussing these things.
Granted, if someone is so firmly entrenched in their positions that they're unwilling to discuss the issues, then I'm probably NOT going to change their mind (unless I hit them in the head with a cinderblock and change it into mush, of course), but it seems to me that being closed-minded isn't exactly something to be PROUD of or to go bragging about.
I have actually SEEN minds changed here. I've witnessed it, so I know for a fact that it can and does happen.
Mike
Let the wild rumpus start!
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