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[Metrotab]

It's crazy how you actually just can't have a conversation anymore on NeoGAF. People don't talk here anymore, they debate instead, and bring arguments, or try to convince. It's made OT a very combative place, where people are scared of posting their opinions when they don't align with the forum mainstream, because there'll always be a ton of members ready to quote you over and over again with insults and belligerent remarks.

What's sad is how the moderators don't seem to mind this new mindset, and even actively promote it. The site wasn't like this years ago. The list of great, friendly and contributing posters to the forum that have been banned because of this new mindset grows tragically every year.

It makes NeoGAF sterile.

 

[Ray Wonder]

http://tumblr.mapsbynik.com/post/82791188950/nobody-lives-here-the-nearly-5-million-census

47% uninhabited.

What we don't know about those spots is how easy it is to inhabit them. I guarantee that the PA and New York uninhabited areas are stuffed with trees. I don't know about the rest.

 

[disastermouse]

What we don't know about those spots is how easy it is to inhabit them. I guarantee that the PA and New York uninhabited areas are stuffed with trees. I don't know about the rest.

Haven't you ever wanted to live in a treehouse?

Treehouses bro...they're the future!

 

[AyaisMUsikWhore]

It's crazy how you actually just can't have a conversation anymore on NeoGAF. People don't talk here anymore, they debate instead, and bring arguments, or try to convince. It's made OT a very combative place, where people are scared of posting their opinions when they don't align with the forum mainstream, because there'll always be a ton of members ready to quote you over and over again with insults and belligerent remarks.

What's sad is how the moderators don't seem to mind this new mindset, and even actively promote it. The site wasn't like this years ago. The list of great, friendly and contributing posters to the forum that have been banned because of this new mindset grows tragically every year.

It makes NeoGAF sterile.

I remember being banned for something that happened to me that I didn't think was necessarily bad in the grand scheme of things. Of course it was unpopular as it comes from a place of having a different racial background...and I was banned. Still don't forgive it, but I would have hoped the mod who banned me understood exactly where I was coming from on that lol.

 

[Darren870]

I hate to think of it this way because I want to engage with someone who thinks conservative. I know some people are like, get outside and meet people in real life to gain perspective, but politics can get personal, and too often, I find the people who are right are very right. So it's hard to have those conversations.

I would hope I could get that honest conversation from GAF since i feel it is a better political talking place compared to other site where more than often or majority of them are strictly conservative boards that just spew unfiltered hate and theres no discussion to be had there.

It sucks that most conservatives here are afraid or even have to ignore threads like that when differ opinions are what we sometimes even sign on for. I do get annoyed by the dogpiling sometimes and I also do get annoyed by the name calling, but I'm always just waiting for someone to explain why and what they stand for. Why they vote this way? Why they feel this is more important to them etc etc? It's not fair to label all conservatives as disgusting republican, but it's also not fair to label all liberals as people who don't want to listen.

Some of us want to listen, we just don't hear anything ..so how can one listen? I would hope some of you guys are willing to discuss and I'm sorry that the environment has been so bad lately.

We don't say anything because of exactly what you said. The dogpiling starts and its almost instant. Just look in this very thread! *Then we have to be "worried" that a mod will ban us because we don't agree with them.

*I don't think mods actually would, but I think a lot of conservative members would think that. Then again smokeydave got banned and he was on the right side in the UK. Yet people still pile on him and call him a bigot/racist despite getting a perm.

I like Kabouter, I usually agree with his views.

 

[AbsolutBro]

http://tumblr.mapsbynik.com/post/82791188950/nobody-lives-here-the-nearly-5-million-census

47% uninhabited.



A lot of the dark areas looks like the setting of Napolean Dynamite..

Your map makes no sense. A census block by definition can not have 0 people in it. There are plenty of areas where the population density will drop extremely low, but generally you're either looking at farmland (where only a handful of people live on huge acreage), desert (e.g.: the Mojave) or mountains (see our 3 major mountain chains) although even mountains have populated areas (like most of Colorado).

Im not saying we can't fit more people, obviously we can, but to say that the US is mostly "empty space" is blatantly wrong. For better or for worse, most of the land in the US is utilized in some fashion, whether privately, publicly, or by the government.

 

[gutter_trash]

What we don't know about those spots is how easy it is to inhabit them. I guarantee that the PA and New York uninhabited areas are stuffed with trees. I don't know about the rest.

trees, mountains, gazillions rivvers and lakes

if you look at Main + New Hampshire, there are portions of the states where is it cut up hundreds of rivers making it nearly highly difficult to build roads on so many terrains encompassing so many bodies of water riddle in those inhabited portions

 

[Aurongel]

As a more liberally minded individual, I can't help but feel that a lot of GAF's perceptions of conservatives are molded around what they see from idiot presidential candidates on the news. Trump and Carson may be undeniable racists and homophobes but that doesn't mean they're the only possible manifestation of "conservative" beliefs. Because of the way left-right politics work, some people on GAF attack eachother for having isolated conservative views that they assume means you align yourself 100% with the conservative candidates who get all the airtime.

LiberalGAF (and yes, I'm very guilty of this also) turn their nose at people who say their representatives don't represent all of their views but this is absolutely true. Because we have no centrist third party, we tend to act very aggressively towards anyone in the political center because we assume they must be entirely conservative if they aren't entirely liberal.

It's ironic because as a forum, we all act very critical of mass media yet when push comes to shove we demonstrate that we are molded by it. We are living examples of what increasing political polarization is doing to this country. It's made both sides hostile to anything that could perceivably fall into the middle.

GAF might share a majority of my political views but we sure as fuck share many of the same faults that the far right does. Namely, an unwillingness to discuss anything in the middle of entertain any of their viewpoints.

 

[Makai]

What we don't know about those spots is how easy it is to inhabit them. I guarantee that the PA and New York uninhabited areas are stuffed with trees. I don't know about the rest.

The West is mostly steppe and desert, but I'm sure we can figure it out if we got Vegas up and running.

 

[Ray Wonder]

The West is mostly steppe and desert, but I'm sure we can figure it out if we got Vegas up and running.

Not if we want to be able to provide water to all of them. Already have water problems in the west.

 

[Makai]

Your map makes no sense. A census block by definition can not have 0 people in it. There are plenty of areas where the population density will drop extremely low, but generally you're either looking at farmland (where only a handful of people live on huge acreage), desert (e.g.: the Mojave) or mountains (see our 3 major mountain chains) although even mountains have populated areas (like most of Colorado).

Im not saying we can't fit more people, obviously we can, but to say that the US is mostly "empty space" is blatantly wrong. For better or for worse, most of the land in the US is utilized in some fashion, whether privately, publicly, or by the government.

http://blogs.census.gov/2011/07/20/what-are-census-blocks/

– Delineated based on population. In fact, many census blocks do not have any population.

 

[PsychBat!]

Not if we want to be able to provide water to all of them. Already have water problems in the west.

Holy shit! I didn't notice your avatar! That's the best thing I've ever seen!

 

[David Incorporated Esq.]

It's crazy how you actually just can't have a conversation anymore on NeoGAF. People don't talk here anymore, they debate instead, and bring arguments, or try to convince. It's made OT a very combative place, where people are scared of posting their opinions when they don't align with the forum mainstream, because there'll always be a ton of members ready to quote you over and over again with insults and belligerent remarks.

What's sad is how the moderators don't seem to mind this new mindset, and even actively promote it. The site wasn't like this years ago. The list of great, friendly and contributing posters to the forum that have been banned because of this new mindset grows tragically every year.

It makes NeoGAF sterile.

This is the trend I've seen. There will be a thread posted about a situation that seems totally outrageous at first glance, but actually makes sense upon deeper review. The first few pages will have people going "omg how stupid", "lol 'murica!", etc., with a few posts where people try to explain it that get shouted down. By page four or five the consensus is reached that "Well yeah, of course that's what happened, they were right all along."

The dogpile is for real, and I think a lot of it stems from people enjoying a feeling of collective outrage. Once you know to look for it it's pretty funny to watch.

 

[Imm0rt4l]

Gaf has a lot of conservatives. I just don't think the majority of them can really win debates on here, but I think some put up a good effort.

 

[FriedConsole]

People just want bashing threads without people pointing out their cartoon view of the opposition isn't always right. You get threads like this: "Non-muslim gaffers: Is it likely that the Koran is word-for-word accurate?"

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1121922

Baiting a thread to be a bash thread without even inviting Muslims a chance to even discuss.

 

[Ray Wonder]

Holy shit! I didn't notice your avatar! That's the best thing I've ever seen!

Omg I know right? haha This is super off topic but I have to give credit to SigSig for making it.

 

[Faiz]

Some of us want to listen, we just don't hear anything ..so how can one listen? I would hope some of you guys are willing to discuss and I'm sorry that the environment has been so bad lately.

To be fair to GAF, I don't think it's a GAF problem really. The only two people I really talk politics with at this point are my wife (close to my own views but surprisingly different takes on issues at times) and my sister (who is proudly SUPER liberal but always a pleasure to talk to).

The whole spectrum in the U.S. currently is overwhelmed by a smug mentality of superiority to the other side. That just naturally results in people retreating from a forum which is decidedly greater in population of one over the other. In GAF's case the community heavily favors the liberal minded so the conservatives pull back, and the small demographic in the membership becomes an even smaller demographic in participants. I have no doubt if the membership leaned more heavily conservative, we'd see the same trend with the liberals here. Cons would dogpile, many libs just wouldn't bother, with a small core of libs with thicker skin/stronger political mettle remaining in political topics.

 

[David Incorporated Esq.]

Yeah, I've never been too motivated to join free republic's forums.

 

[FriedConsole]

LiberalGAF (and yes, I'm very guilty of this also) turn their nose at people who say their representatives don't represent all of their views but this is absolutely true. Because we have no centrist third party, we tend to act very aggressively towards anyone in the political center because we assume they must be entirely conservative if they aren't entirely liberal.

It's ironic because as a forum, we all act very critical of mass media yet when push comes to shove we demonstrate that we are molded by it. We are living examples of what increasing political polarization is doing to this country. It's made both sides hostile to anything that could perceivably fall into the middle.

GAF might share a majority of my political views but we sure as fuck share many of the same faults that the far right does. Namely, an unwillingness to discuss anything in the middle of entertain any of their viewpoints.

Yeah as a moderate my views are often hated more than both sides than the extremes. Most feel frustrated because their talking points doesn't exactly work but will still rant at you like you have the extreme view because they are all programmed to output the same crap.

Moderates don't see things in black and white hence we don't get outraged at things so we don't make the news. Looking at things that there is no perfect solution leaves you not very angsty. I wish I could go back to my everything is so simple and these people are evil and that is why things are perfect mindset. The world looks better in black and white.

 

[jchap]

every time gaf

 

[Schattenjäger]

There is almost an equal split of both republicans and democrats in the United States

Grant it this site skews to the younger generation as its centered around video games .. But it would nice if there was more equal representation - would make for more fruitful discussions

 

[AbsolutBro]

http://blogs.census.gov/2011/07/20/what-are-census-blocks/

Block Groups (BGs) are statistical divisions of census tracts, are generally defined to contain between 600 and 3,000 people, and are used to present data and control block numbering.

Reading comprehension fail on my part. If theyre going off of physical space, then it makes even more sense that many census blocks have 0 population. You're not going to have people living on every block of a 100 acre farm for instance, nor through a National Park (Yosemite being a GIANTone). Basically saying "no one lives in these areas" is nigh-meaningless when you do not consider what those areas are. The giant blocks of green in Alaska, for instance, are likely unlivable mountain regions (which incidentally are why things cost so freaking much there, because transportation is exceedingly difficult).

Wymoing is considered "frontier" because the population density is so low. It's low because the land is used for grazing cattle, farming, fossil fuels and such. It's also practically half owned by the government. So again, is there space? Absolutely. Is that space "empty" and just ready for someone to walk onto and build their home and life? Not in the slightest.

 

[AyaisMUsikWhore]

We don't say anything because of exactly what you said. The dogpiling starts and its almost instant. Just look in this very thread! *Then we have to be "worried" that a mod will ban us because we don't agree with them.

*I don't think mods actually would, but I think a lot of conservative members would think that. Then again smokeydave got banned and he was on the right side in the UK. Yet people still pile on him and call him a bigot/racist despite getting a perm.

I like Kabouter, I usually agree with his views.

I guess all I'm ever looking for is policy. And I think that's what divide most of the conversations. It's no secret liberals will let you know exactly what their viewpoint is, and i think all of conservative GAF sees that clearly. But it's like, Idk, I just wanted to see it.

Like I think that immigration should be monitored and regulated, but I don't think that if someone happens to be born in america, they should be ripped from their parents and put into foster care or what not. But of course this would be something I need to expand on as I don't have it all together on what I really think of it. I don't know the conservative stance on this....and of all the threads that have talked about it...I haven't seen it and I get it.

The hostility and the dogpiling, name calling never allows that to happen. It really sucks.

 

[Perfect Blue]

There is almost an equal split of both republicans and democrats in the United States

Grant it this site skews to the younger generation as its centered around video games .. But it would nice if there was more equal representation - would make for more fruitful discussions

Average age of people who play games is in the 30s.

 

[Nozem]

I'm pretty liberal and have never, and probably will never, vote Republican but the attitude around here towards others with conservative viewpoints is really fucking disgusting. It's out of control, IMO. And one wrong move and they get banned. There's no real discussion because there's basically a zero tolerance policy around here for not agreeing with the super majority. It's fucked up.

You hate loud mouth tea party bullshit? Well so do I but to me poli GAF comes across as the other side of the same coin and equally annoying.

Well said. GAF has very much become an echo chamber, sadly.

 

[Cheebo]

If I vote for my local conservative representative it doesn't mean that I agree with absolutely everything the party stands for or the views that the representative has. If an issue is important to me and that particular conservative candidate reflects my views on that of course I'll vote for him.

How do people not get this?

If the treatment of LGBT citizens is not important to someone that says a lot about them as a person. A reasonable person would see that as similar to someone in the 50/60's saying racism and segregation is not an important issue for them. Equal rights is equal rights. Skin color and sexuality.

This should be a deal-breaker for any well-informed person. There is no difference in their policies on gay Americans than being for segregation in the 50's and 60's. Look at how the party officially endorses "religious" exemptions for businesses to not have to serve gay people. Let alone the official platform of opposition to marriage.

This is pure bigotry as part of a party platform. No different than the racism of the past. I can't imagine any reasonable person with a understanding of history siding with such an organization.

History is going to look at conservatives of this generation and the treatment of homosexuals very poorly.

 

[Slixshot]

Fiscally conservative but liberal social views for me. Here's my thought process when seeing a political thread:

1. Do I think that other people in the thread will take what I say as a personal insult and potentially lead me to getting banned? Yes? --> Do not post -- No? --> Enter thread.

2. Is this a one sided battle which normally consists of a dogpile of comments saying how shitty an opinion republican X has or what a joke they are or how they cater to the select few: Yes? --> Do not post --> No? Post my opinion in the broadest manor possible in hopes of not getting quoted in the future and criticized for my viewpoint.

This is the internet and some people have one hell of a time making sure that they're right and you are wrong when they do not agree with you. But politics, the vast majority of the time, are not black or white, but grey. There are both good and bad aspects to each side and while I might favor one side over another, neither view is "correct", rather just formed through different values.

Edit:

It's crazy how you actually just can't have a conversation anymore on NeoGAF. People don't talk here anymore, they debate instead, and bring arguments, or try to convince. It's made OT a very combative place, where people are scared of posting their opinions when they don't align with the forum mainstream, because there'll always be a ton of members ready to quote you over and over again with insults and belligerent remarks.

What's sad is how the moderators don't seem to mind this new mindset, and even actively promote it. The site wasn't like this years ago. The list of great, friendly and contributing posters to the forum that have been banned because of this new mindset grows tragically every year.

It makes NeoGAF sterile.

Looks like I'm not the only one who sees this.

 

[ZackieChan]

Haven't you ever wanted to live in a treehouse?

Treehouses bro...they're the future!

That thread about the guy who lives in a treehouse was exactly what I was referencing on the last page. Someone does some business for themselves and it's "bootstraps"!!!

 

[TimorousPanda]

There's a black musician who travels the country and befriends KKK members. They give him their robes and he collects them as trophies. I wish I could remember his name.

I think you're talking about Daryl Davis. I heard this story on Snap Judgment a while ago and I really enjoyed the piece.

http://www.npr.org/2014/11/14/363896136/the-silver-dollar-lounge

 

[Darren870]

I guess all I'm ever looking for is policy. And I think that's what divide most of the conversations. It's no secret liberals will let you know exactly what their viewpoint is, and i think all of conservative GAF sees that clearly. But it's like, Idk, I just wanted to see it.

Like I think that immigration should be monitored and regulated, but I don't think that if someone happens to be born in america, they should be ripped from their parents and put into foster care or what not. But of course this would be something I need to expand on as I don't have it all together on what I really think of it. I don't know the conservative stance on this....and of all the threads that have talked about it...I haven't seen it and I get it.

The hostility and the dogpiling, name calling never allows that to happen. It really sucks.

Yea, well unfortunately we don't get the chance. Which is a shame. Like someone else said, you're with us or you're against us.

While I might be conservative, I am on the left (in a US point of view) on most social issues. However, I'm right on certain topics.

When I used to vote, I'd often vote Republican locally but Democratic in the white house. Don't know if I'll vote this election to be honest.

 

[TCRS]

You fell into a trap because now I can imply gay marriage is not important to you

Nah, I knew it would come up. Gay marriage is not something I base my vote on. Why would I waste my one vote every 4-5 years for something that doesn't affect me personally? I would rather vote for something that benefits me directly such as lower taxes.

btw it was conservative government that legalised gay marriage in the UK..

If the treatment of LGBT citizens is not important to someone that says a lot about them as a person. A reasonable person would see that as similar to someone in the 50/60's saying racism and segregation is not an important issue for them, Equal rights is equal rights. Skin color and sexuality.

This should be a deal-breaker for any well-informed person. There is no difference in their policies on gay Americans than being for segregation in the 50's and 60's. Look at how the party officially endorses "religious" exemptions for businesses to not have to serve gay people. Let alone the official platform of opposition to marriage.

This is pure bigotry as part of a party platform. No different than the racism of the past. I can't imagine any reasonable person with a understanding of history siding with such an organization.

History is going to look at conservatives of this generation and the treatment of homosexuals VERY VERY poorly.

not from the US.

 

[AbsolutBro]

If the treatment of LGBT citizens is not important to someone that says a lot about them as a person. A reasonable person would see that as similar to someone in the 50/60's saying racism and segregation is not an important issue for them, Equal rights is equal rights. Skin color and sexuality.

This should be a deal-breaker for any informed person. There is no difference in their policies on gay Americans than being for segregation in the 50's and 60's. Look at how the party officially endorses "moral" exemptions for businesses to not have to serve gay people. Let alone the opposition to marriage.

This is pure bigotry as part of a party platform. No different than the racism of the past. I can't imagine any reasonable person ok with siding with such an organization.

And yet, not every Republican politician is afraid of breaking ranks. Allan Kittleman is a Republican from Maryland (currently County Executive, but I suspect his political career will take him much farther).

 

[KevinG]

I am a Christian and conservative, tend to vote Republican (but none of the 2016 candidates on either side of the political spectrum are attractive for my vote), so you could say I keep to myself when things get political.

The way I'd be labeled here assumes a lot about my beliefs, and most of that assumption would be wrong.

This is a one-off post, because I much prefer face to face conversation when it comes to the topics we might deem controversial. I simply don't consider the internet as having the versatility to engage someone in complex discourse.

 

[PeskyToaster]

People's views are usually more nuanced than the labels liberal and conservative imply. Myself for example, I disagree with a lot of things on the left like GMOs, vaccines, anti-capitalism, and naivete concerning the military. Stuff like that. I also disagree with a lot on the right such as the disenfranchising of minorities, gerrymandering, and corporate involvement in the election process. None of it is limited to these things. There's things like gun control which many on the right are in favor of background/mental health checks and other things like that but can't communicate that to their representatives on a national level where organizations like the NRA have more pull. At least in my experience living in a conservative leaning area they want normal people to be able to hunt or shoot at a range. People vote for the party they believe most lines up with the issues they think are the most important which is different for everyone. For some, abortion is their first and foremost primary concern so even if they don't agree with the Republican party, that's the party that they agree with on the most important issue for them.

I also miss SmokyDave.

 

[David Incorporated Esq.]

This is the internet and some people have one hell of a time making sure that they're right and you are wrong when they do not agree with you. But politics, the vast majority of the time, are not black or white, but grey. There are both good and bad aspects to each side and while I might favor one side over another, neither view is "correct", rather just formed through different values.

I understand what you're saying, that so many factors exist that influence certain issues that you can't approach them but from a philosophical standpoint, but as social and economic research and data continues to build, there is less and less room for philosophical debate regarding certain policies. It's why when I see someone say something like "if income taxes on the wealthy were lowered we'd see more growth" it's hard for me to not be dismissive, as there's very little room for discussion considering the available data.

There's still plenty to talk about with some issues, and I do see that debate here on GAF, but some things are all but settled and coming in with an opposing viewpoint is going to garner laughter and derision.

 

[Cheebo]

Nah, I knew it would come up. Gay marriage is not something I base my vote on. Why would I waste my one vote every 4-5 years for something that doesn't affect me personally? I would rather vote for something that benefits me directly such as lower taxes. .

Republican economic policy would benefit me personally more more them Democratic ones at my income level. No question. But I do not vote Republican. I feel it is far more important to pick candidates that will better help the lesser-off be in societal standings (such as LGBT) or economic standings (such as the very poor) over myself.

Picking my own economic well-being over that of the betterment of the nation as a whole strikes me as very selfish and I could not ever bring myself to vote that way.

 

[Darren870]

That thread about the guy who lives in a treehouse was exactly what I was referencing on the last page. Someone does some business for themselves and it's "bootstraps"!!!

Yea, I usually agree with you on things like that, however in my mind that's a conservative way of thinking. While liberals in that thread said it must be nice to have mommy and daddy and everything else that was said in that thread.

Can't be happy or envious of people that have made it. Even if they got a bit of help.

Bootstraps and all. I actually don't even know what that fucking saying means.

 

[Herbs]

I understand what you're saying, that so many factors exist that influence certain issues that you can't approach them but from a philosophical standpoint, but as social and economic research and data continues to build, there is less and less room for philosophical debate regarding certain policies. It's why when I see someone say something like "if income taxes on the wealthy were lowered we'd see more growth" it's hard for me to not be dismissive, as there's very little room for discussion considering the available data.

There's still plenty to talk about with some issues, and I do see that debate here on GAF, but some things are all but settled and coming in with an opposing viewpoint is going to garner laughter and derision.

indeed, and as we've seen in this very thread, facts are still rebuked as if that's a reasonable approach.

Republican economic policy would benefit me personally more more them Democratic ones at my income level. No question. But I do not vote Republican. I feel it is far more important to pick candidates that will better help the lesser-off be in societal standings (such as LGBT) or economic standings (such as the very poor) over myself.

Picking my own economic well-being over that of the betterment of the nation as a whole strikes me as very selfish and I could not ever bring myself to vote that way.

me too. but I also don't fault people for doing so if they decide to. once again empathy seems to be the key herer and not everyone has it unfortunately.

 

[constantstatic]

If the treatment of LGBT citizens is not important to someone that says a lot about them as a person. A reasonable person would see that as similar to someone in the 50/60's saying racism and segregation is not an important issue for them. Equal rights is equal rights. Skin color and sexuality.

This should be a deal-breaker for any well-informed person. There is no difference in their policies on gay Americans than being for segregation in the 50's and 60's. Look at how the party officially endorses "religious" exemptions for businesses to not have to serve gay people. Let alone the official platform of opposition to marriage.

This is pure bigotry as part of a party platform. No different than the racism of the past. I can't imagine any reasonable person with a understanding of history siding with such an organization.

History is going to look at conservatives of this generation and the treatment of homosexuals very poorly.

I think I wrote and erased what I wanted to say in this thread multiple times. As a gay man this is exactly how I feel and the reason why I can't support or even associate with someone who votes republican. I just don't see how someone can vote republican.

 

[Herbs]

I think I wrote and erased what I wanted to say in this thread multiple times. As a gay man this is exactly how I feel and the reason why I can't support or even associate with someone who votes republican. I just don't see how someone can vote republican.

i'm guessing they see the other issues that conservatives support as trumping those bigoted viewpoints. to them they just aren't as important.

 

[Veritigo_X]

If I vote for my local conservative representative it doesn't mean that I agree with absolutely everything the party stands for or the views that the representative has. If an issue is important to me and that particular conservative candidate reflects my views on that of course I'll vote for him.

How do people not get this?

In the US, we live in a representative democracy where the people elect a politician to hold office and represent the person that voted for them (by voting on their behalf, writing laws on their behalf, etc). If these are the politicians republicans are electing to represent them, I think it says a lot about the individual that supports them.

 

[Herbs]

In the US, we live in a representative democracy where the people elect a politician to hold office and represent the person that voted for them (by voting on their behalf, writing laws on their behalf, etc). If these are the politicians republicans are electing to represent them, I think it says a lot about the individual that supports them.

indeed

 

[squall211]

I'll glance through the threads but I will hardly, if ever, post in them.

 

[David Incorporated Esq.]

Yea, I usually agree with you on things like that, however in my mind that's a conservative way of thinking. While liberals in that thread said it must be nice to have mommy and daddy and everything else that was said in that thread.

Can't be happy or envious of people that have made it. Even if they got a bit of help.

Bootstraps and all. I actually don't even know what that fucking saying means.

It means to pick yourself up by your bootstraps, i.e., to grab your feet, lift up, and fly into the sky. Metaphorically, to lift yourself out of a bad socioeconomic situation without assistance from anyone else. The "bootstraps" argument is used by people on the right to blame poor people for being poor because they haven't tried hard enough, while ignoring the factors that would make their elevation from poverty very difficult; factors they themselves didn't have to face.

i'm guessing they see the other issues that conservatives support as trumping those bigoted viewpoints. to them they just aren't as important.

If you don't know anybody that's directly impacted by bigoted policies you'll be less likely to think about the issue in a profound way, and won't vote based on it. That or you can just be a dickhead and think gays don't deserve the same rights as others, which is possible but should never be assumed about anyone without evidence.

 

[ZackieChan]

Yea, I usually agree with you on things like that, however in my mind that's a conservative way of thinking. While liberals in that thread said it must be nice to have mommy and daddy and everything else that was said in that thread.

Can't be happy or envious of people that have made it. Even if they got a bit of help.

Bootstraps and all. I actually don't even know what that fucking saying means.

It's meant to remove all personal responsibility from one's situation. The real answer is somewhere in between, but many gaffers have an extremely fatalistic view of things. Probably because they are stuck in a shitty job. But when I propose starting a business on the side, they balk at the need for huge startup capital. As if there aren't a ton of legitimate internet businesses that start from nothing. It's more ignorance than anything, but rather than asking how one could change their situation (some do, in fairness), they just shout you down by saying "bootstraps!"

 

[MWS Natural]

mostly too, but it's almost become unavoidable here. Even game official OT's sometimes turn into political shitfest arguments when 90% of the people actually just wanna talk about the damn game.

Just stay out of them and stay in the bubble...safer there.

 

[Herbs]

It means to pick yourself up by your bootstraps, i.e., to grab your feet, lift up, and fly into the sky. Metaphorically, to lift yourself out of a bad socioeconomic situation without assistance from anyone else. The "bootstraps" argument is used by people on the right to blame poor people for being poor because they haven't tried hard enough, while ignoring the factors that would make their elevation from poverty very difficult; factors they themselves didn't have to face.

hence the lack of empathy. a sad existence that.

 

[Cromat]

This is a bit off-topic but I find it interesting how the OT forum is extremely progressive, but the Gaming forum is actually incredibly conservative, even reactionary. Just look at any thread about smartphone games.

 

[ZackieChan]

It means to pick yourself up by your bootstraps, i.e., to grab your feet, lift up, and fly into the sky. Metaphorically, to lift yourself out of a bad socioeconomic situation without assistance from anyone else. The "bootstraps" argument is used by people on the right to blame poor people for being poor because they haven't tried hard enough, while ignoring the factors that would make their elevation from poverty very difficult; factors they themselves didn't have to face.



If you don't know anybody that's directly impacted by bigoted policies you'll be less likely to think about the issue in a profound way, and won't vote based on it. That or you can just be a dickhead and think gays don't deserve the same rights as others, which is possible but should never be assumed about anyone without evidence.

But the bootstraps argument is twisted and misused so often of GAF that I don't even get this anymore. Telling someone that they can make meaningful changes to their circumstances falls on deaf ears, simply because not everyone can do it. It's a ridiculous oversimplification and dismissal of potentially useful advice.

 

[RulkezX]

I think I wrote and erased what I wanted to say in this thread multiple times. As a gay man this is exactly how I feel and the reason why I can't support or even associate with someone who votes republican. I just don't see how someone can vote republican.

The OP and the thread is specifically about conservatives, not Republicans.

A Conservative Government legalised gay marriage in the UK, would you automatically make assumptions about a UK gaffer who said he voted conservative?