Currently there's a
thread in politics asking whether or not the Politics forum should be split into two separate forums: Politics and Political Theory.
For those that don't go to Politics often, the majority of the threads there center around topics that would largely qualify as political theory, specifically the difference between the existence of a "state" and anarchy (both in society and the market).
Even Iron, Poly's mod, has lamented the lack of "conventional political discussion" in the forum, and very often threads that start out being about current political issues (the debates, 2008 election, social security, etc) are derailed with theoretical discussion, making an attempt at discussing current events largely impossible.
Splitting the forums would accomplish two major things. First, clarity of discussion in both forums. Neither forum, moderated properly, should be subject to any more derailed threads and protracted debates that amount to little more then ideological flame wars.
Secondly, Iron will be able to enforce the rules in Politics as they're currently written. Too often people that make obvious troll posts are almost immune from punishment because they can shield themselves behind the "extreme ideological" stance. Splitting the forums would allow him to properly enforce the rules.
Any Thoughts?
Cody