***Official*** CNN/YouTube GOP debate

[xorbie]

I like Paul as much as many here, but you guys have to stop setting up tar and feather parties whenever anyone questions him. It's not trolling, it's just dissent which, last I checked, is alright.

[ALawPoker]

Xorbie,

I forget who originally busted out the T-word. Maybe I shouldn't have played along by agreeing (but I did and still do think it was accurate). I agree though that it's pretty pointless, and generally never use the word, so my apologies if my post is one that you're referring to.

But at the same time, are posts like this really necessary? That was a few hours ago, and no one is talking about it anymore.

I mean, these things become bigger deals than they are intended to be when everyone and their mother jumps in to claim an opinion on who was right and who was wrong.

[xorbie]

[ QUOTE ]
Xorbie,

I forget who originally busted out the T-word. Maybe I shouldn't have played along by agreeing (but I did and still do think it was accurate). I agree though that it's pretty pointless, and generally never use the word, so my apologies if my post is one that you're referring to.

But at the same time, are posts like this really necessary? That was a few hours ago, and no one is talking about it anymore.

I mean, these things become bigger deals than they are intended to be when everyone and their mother jumps in to claim an opinion on who was right and who was wrong.

[/ QUOTE ]

I'd agree except that Paul is, needless to say, a rather popular topic in this forum and constantly having to hear people called trolls and idiots and whatever else wears one down.

What really bothers me is that even after he makes a really thoughtful, well written post, all he gets is childish, insulting replies. And somehow he gets called the troll.

[ALawPoker]

[ QUOTE ]
I'd agree except that Paul is, needless to say, a rather popular topic in this forum and constantly having to hear people called trolls and idiots and whatever else wears one down.

[/ QUOTE ]

OK, well, like I said earlier -- I've probably used the T-word twice ever on here, and one of those times I misread something and immediately admitted I goofed. And ojoc (the guy who originally brought up the "drive by trolling") doesn't seem to have a history of doing this either.

What I find really tiring is the way so many people lump "ACers/libertarians" into one category, where rather than ask us to necessarily defend the argument at hand and the things we as individuals have actually said, we're routinely hit with arguments and criticisms that involve merely other peoples' perceptions of our collective habits.

Even if you think the "troll" allegations were wrong or childish (which I don't entirely agree is the case), at least they were in direct response to what a specific poster actually stated. From there, it's easy enough for him to defend himself (or others to defend him), since the exact criticism is clear and in front of us.

But the grouping mentality of "you guys routinely do this" just really bothers me, and is on the verge of driving me away from posting here. It just seems pointless to me to be lumped into some group, where by holding a certain ideology I'll then sometimes have to defend things other than the arguments I've actually made.

No hard feelings against you. I realize you're just giving your input as a mod and respectable poster. I just felt like this should be expressed.

[xorbie]

ALaw,

I appreciate the level headed posts. I'm trying to stay conscious of my tendency to group people together and avoid doing so. We have a bunch of intelligent people in this forum (and MidGe), so I get frustrated when we can't seem to have a single reasonable discussion. It seems that this frustation is not just present within me, which is at least promising.

[xorbie]

Also I'm not really a mod here, feel free to view me as just another shmuck [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[ALawPoker]

[ QUOTE ]
Also I'm not really a mod here, feel free to view me as just another shmuck [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[/ QUOTE ]

Eh, I lump all you mods together. [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]

[AlexM]

[ QUOTE ]
I like Paul as much as many here, but you guys have to stop setting up tar and feather parties whenever anyone questions him. It's not trolling, it's just dissent which, last I checked, is alright.

[/ QUOTE ]

STFU TROLL!

[img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[xorbie]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I like Paul as much as many here, but you guys have to stop setting up tar and feather parties whenever anyone questions him. It's not trolling, it's just dissent which, last I checked, is alright.

[/ QUOTE ]

STFU TROLL!

[img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[/ QUOTE ]

Racism ban, IMO.