Allowed Hate...Unfair?

[Fresh]

It is clearly not ok to offend or call people names; but I have noticed that religious and southern people get called all kinds of derogatory names.

I have seen one mod warn another mod; these statements cannot be defended; they are just as bad as any other.

I have also noted that certain slurs get **** while slurs towards religious and southerners get ignored.

I know it is hard to control everything but with such blatant slurs lately towards those groups of people it does not seem right. I do not feel that I have been offended; just an observation.

[_sphinx_]

But it's okay that people gang up on ranasrule and anyone who remotely agrees with him?

People here, although some of whom are highly intellectual and have a good grasp on political and real world issues, don't seem to be tolerant of other people's opinions - that is not to say that I hadn't hopped on the bandwagon before and ganged up on someone, but many people have a lot of anti-Islamic bias here. Some don't hide it anymore.

[Fresh]

[but it's okay that people gang up on ranasrule and anyone who remotely agrees with him?

People here, although some of whom are highly intellectual and have a good grasp on political and real world issues, don't seem to be tolerant of other people's opinions - that is not to say that I hadn't hopped on the bandwagon before and ganged up on someone, but many people have a lot of anti-Islamic bias here. Some don't hide it anymore.

Agreed anti-Islamic would follow under religious. People have to understand; hate is hate.

[El Bourricot]

You can be so open-minded that your brain leaks out.

[Boffa Jones Veteran]

You can be so open-minded that your brain leaks out.

no... you can't.

[Toology]

But it's okay that people gang up on ranasrule and anyone who remotely agrees with him?

People here, although some of whom are highly intellectual and have a good grasp on political and real world issues, don't seem to be tolerant of other people's opinions - that is not to say that I hadn't hopped on the bandwagon before and ganged up on someone, but many people have a lot of anti-Islamic bias here. Some don't hide it anymore.

Hence the title, "Real World Issues." Tolerance of opinions means tolerance even of those you find disagreeable or just plain prejudicial. Bias here, bias there, bias everywhere--it's representative of the real world when it comes to politics and other heated issues. The line has to be drawn at name calling and inflammatory statements but that's probably about all that should be regulated.

[Laurë Veteran]

I've had plenty of warnings for insulting people, including religious people. I don't consider that it is allowed any more than other insults or "attacks" as they are affectionately known on here.

There is a difference between expressing a view that is anti-something or other or posting certain information and insulting an individual member or group of members.

[_sphinx_]

Hence the title, "Real World Issues." Tolerance of opinions means tolerance even of those you find disagreeable or just plain prejudicial. Bias here, bias there, bias everywhere--it's representative of the real world when it comes to politics and other heated issues. The line has to be drawn at name calling and inflammatory statements but that's probably about all that should be regulated.

I'm not calling for regulation. I was just criticizing the prevailing bias here; people here (say 50%) are not tolerant of:

1) An opinion other than their own: Global Warming and such

2) Any idea that is though to stem from religious thought, and mostly Islamic thought

I'm not trying to descipline people, nor am I telling them how they should treat others here. I'm just expressing my concern over how the situation here: People here are driving those who have a different ideology away from the board, people such as myself....and pretty soon, you'll drive ranasrule out of here and what you'll end up with is a boring, non-polar discussion board where everyone agrees with everyone else.

[El Bourricot]

no... you can't.

Remember Hitler's rise to power? When do you draw the line and say "well what this guy is doing is unacceptable, we gotta stop it" as opposed to "let them, it's a culture thing and it's not happening in my house"?

[Boffa Jones Veteran]

Killing jewish people isn't a cultural thing, it is racist and close minded.

[Laurë Veteran]

I'm not calling for regulation. I was just criticizing the prevailing bias here; people here (say 50%) are not tolerant of:

1) An opinion other than their own: Global Warming and such

2) Any idea that is though to stem from religious thought, and mostly Islamic thought

I'm not trying to descipline people, nor am I telling them how they should treat others here. I'm just expressing my concern over how the situation here: People here are driving those who have a different ideology away from the board, people such as myself....and pretty soon, you'll drive ranasrule out of here and what you'll end up with is a boring, non-polar discussion board where everyone agrees with everyone else.

I think the vast majority of people are fairly tolerant. Voicing disagreement and questioning someone's stance on something is not the same as intolerance. Ideas that have a religious basis are by their very nature very easy to question and very hard to justify.

I don't think Islam is any more victimised than any other religion. Or at least, I don't think people get away with worse insults/less tolerance.

A large number of people on here are Christian and religious and will support their/each other's views as much as the non-religious people.

Islam is under represented - there are less people standing up for it which makes the place look biased. But it's not as if every member turns on Muslims and it's only Muslims themselves who seem to want to bring their religion into everything, whether or not it is actually relevant. And so people respond to this. They will respond negatively because it is tiresome when someone drags their religion into everything. I can't imagine people would be tolerant of my bringing up sexism and the fact that I am female in every post.

As for ranasrule, he went through a spate of posting very biased articles attacking the USA et al. It's only natural that people argue with something that is attacking their culture and country.

[Fresh]

I've had plenty of warnings for insulting people, including religious people. I don't consider that it is allowed any more than other insults or "attacks" as they are affectionately known on here.

There is a difference between expressing a view that is anti-something or other or posting certain information and insulting an individual member or group of members.

I can agree with most of that; All I am saying is bashing someone because they are of a different faith, or belief, or in a region of the country is just as wrong as using any other slur.

Argue the ideas; the personal attacks have to be dealt with :)

[baskingridge]

um insulting religious people is an old pastime here, get used to it, as sad as it is.

[Sn00pY]

So much drama in the LBC.

[El Bourricot]

Killing jewish people isn't a cultural thing, it is racist and close minded.

That was the end, however what about getting rid of elections? What about, at the start of it all, giving "inferior rights" to "inferior citizens" (Jews, homosexuals, gipsies...)? What about invading small neighbouring countries? It took a few before the world reacted.

Never heard any of the people who decry so loudly US-created Gitmo complain about Saudi's, erm, "interesting" judicial system, for example.

[Boffa Jones Veteran]

That was the end, however what about getting rid of elections? What about, at the start of it all, giving "inferior rights" to "inferior citizens" (Jews, homosexuals, gipsies...)? What about invading small neighbouring countries? It took a few before the world reacted.

Never heard any of the people who decry so loudly US-created Gitmo complain about Saudi's, erm, "interesting" judicial system, for example.

All of those policies are close minded. People scream about gitmo because it is in the news. I disagree with saudi's justice system, I disagree with the human rights violations everywhere.

[El Bourricot]

All of those policies are close minded. People scream about gitmo because it is in the news. I disagree with saudi's justice system, I disagree with the human rights violations everywhere.

Why isn't Saudi in the news?

[Boffa Jones Veteran]

Because they are close to the USA and the west through oil connections. Their human rights abuses get ignored.

[El Bourricot]

Because they are close to the USA and the west through oil connections. Their human rights abuses get ignored.

Don't hear much about Somalia either, and they're definitely not close to us.

[_sphinx_]

That was the end, however what about getting rid of elections? What about, at the start of it all, giving "inferior rights" to "inferior citizens" (Jews, homosexuals, gipsies...)? What about invading small neighbouring countries? It took a few before the world reacted.

Never heard any of the people who decry so loudly US-created Gitmo complain about Saudi's, erm, "interesting" judicial system, for example.

You can't even begin to imagine how much people in Egypt, Iran and Saudi Arabia (AMONG MANY OTHER ISLAMIC COUNTRIES) are angry with the status quo. They yearn for change; it's you who don't care anymore to have any effect.

[Fred Derf Veteran]

I gather the point is that there has been some open targeting of "rednecks" that has gone unmoderated. Rednecks, chavs, yobs, neds are all non-specific terms suggesting the person is lower class and uneducated. They all fall into a grey area. Unlike race, religion and sexual orientation, people do not generally self-identify with these terms and thus are typically not affected personally when those groups are dumped upon. I tend to quietly disapprove of its use without specifically editing it out.

Don't hear much about Somalia either, and they're definitely not close to us.

Somalia hasn't had a government for over a decade. They are just starting to get back on track now.

Edited March 18, 2007 by Fred Derf

[El Bourricot]

You can't even begin to imagine how much people in Egypt, Iran and Saudi Arabia (AMONG MANY OTHER ISLAMIC COUNTRIES) are angry with the status quo. They yearn for change; it's you who don't care anymore to have any effect.

Ah but, I care intensely about the plight of the Egyptians and other people stuck in backwards, corrupt ME regimes... however I'm in the minority, after all it's much more fashionable to complain about the US these days. And let's not forget that the noisiest people get policies passed.

I'm always amazed at the prodigious waste of talent going on in the Middle-East (and, for completely different reasons, Africa). With a more libertarian, secular governement these countries could (as Japan did) come very close to Western standard of living within a couple of decades. But this will not be possible for as long as the retarded religious authorities over there continue to preach hatred and stagnation as a way of life. The yearn for improvement, the understanding of the "delayed reward" mindset, this is what your country and its neighbours lack, and it's not the fault of the inhabitants.

Unfortunately right now the only solution is for the talented of you guys to bugger off to the US or other Western countries with better opportunities, like you are doing yourself. Ironically, the same thing is true of the French - the very socialist system is so heavily retarding progress and enterprise that there's a brain drain towards the UK and the US with their far more liberal economies and fiscal system.

[Fred Derf Veteran]

With a more libertarian, secular governement these countries could (as Japan did) come very close to Western standard of living within a couple of decades. But this will not be possible for as long as the retarded religious authorities over there continue to preach hatred and stagnation as a way of life. The yearn for improvement, the understanding of the "delayed reward" mindset, this is what your country and its neighbours lack, and it's not the fault of the inhabitants.

Situations are much more complicated then that. Africa and the Middle East have to get over colonialism, tribalism and other political problems. Some of those areas suffer from a lack of faith in their abilities because their history and their historical accomplishments has been largely ignored or forgotten by the west. They also have to get over incredible corruption problems.

Installing a libertarian government will not "fix" everything in a few decades.

[El Bourricot]

Situations are much more complicated then that. Africa and the Middle East have to get over colonialism, tribalism and other political problems. Some of those areas suffer from a lack of faith in their abilities because their history and their historical accomplishments has been largely ignored or forgotten by the west. They also have to get over incredible corruption problems.

Installing a libertarian government will not "fix" everything in a few decades.

It should be a step in the right direction though - with people's quality of life directly dependant on their productivity, it would definitely improve the state of the place.

I just think the locals have all the wrong priorities.

As for Africa, well, the Western Aid, ironically, is the problem. But we've already argued about that.