The Arrogance of Some Posters: Also known as "na-na-na-boo-boo, I know you are but what am I."

I have been debating with myself for about a week on whether or not to post this, but the threads I have read in recent days lead me to believe that I absolutely should.

What is it with the political threads lately? It seems that it is no longer "cool" to question anything about the government or the leaders of our government. You can't read through two pages of any political thread on here, and haven't been able to for almost a month, without the conversation evolving into a game of "Let's see how many people I can call a racist/neocon/conservative/liberal/sheep/Obamatron/insert-your-favorite-word-for-those-who-disagree-with-you-here or some combination of the above." Even the few posters who do try to remain on topic and actually discuss the issue put forward in the OP have difficulty maintaining that conversation with all the interjections of polite name-calling.

First of all, being a liberal, conservative, or neoconservative is not in itself a bad thing. Second, I really don't think half the people who throw these terms around are aware of what the words actually mean. They just fling the words at anyone who disagrees with them because as we all know if someone disagrees with you there must be something wrong with them. Third, not everyone who disagrees with Obama, his policies, or thinks there may be something to the rumors surrounding his comments/policy proposals/citizenship status is a racist. Not everyone who agrees with him or his policies is a sheep or Obamatron. Can we please get over all the kindergarten antics, quit name-calling, and actually talk about the issues? Please?!

Another thing that has been irritating the life out of me is the ganging up of a few people against one. I can think of at least 5 threads off the top of my head where a good portion of it consists of two or three members feeding off each other and attacking everything another poster says without actually putting any thought into it aside from repeating the same things over and over and over, or even worse attacking the posters mental state, mental capacity, or some other aspect of the poster that the attackers decide is "wrong".

For the love of all that is holy people, get over yourselves. Just because someone disagrees with you, or thinks that something said or done by those in the government is a red flag or cause for concern does not mean that they are living in fear or are fear-mongering. They don't need you to "save" them, they are posting their opinion and most back it up with research. Just because you want to overlook everything they say so you can remain convinced you are right, does not mean you are in fact right.

Which leads me to another point. I don't know how many of you have full ignore lists, but it is extremely irritating to post links to information over and over and over and over again that prove you wrong or at least slightly off the mark only to have you come back and repeat the same misinformation over and over and over again. If you can't read what people are writing since it may interfere with your version of reality, perhaps you should find something aside from politics to post in. Sometimes people miss things, that's understandable. But when the same thing has been posted 15 times by at least 10 different poster and you still aren't seeing it, that is a sign that something is wrong. If you disagree with the information provided in those links, at least have the courtesy to say you have seen it, disagree with it, and then provide your own sources that dispute whatever it is you are disagreeing with.

And for another thing, why is it that we cannot have a single discussion in the politics forum anymore without one side or the other resorting to condescending snide little comments or attempting to twist the other posters words or bait them into saying something just so there is something to attack? While I can't speak for anyone else, if I have something to say I say it outright. There is no hidden meaning in any of the posts I write that I don't just come right on out and say. So for the love of all that is holy, quit searching for things in my posts that are not there!

Which leads me to the arrogance displayed recently by many members on this board in general. Nine times out of ten you are not the genius you seem to think you are. Go ahead and get smug and wrap yourself in your little cocoon of arrogance, but you are only making yourself look like an ass. When the rest of us stop responding to your snide little comments, it's not because you've won. It's because we are tired of trying to explain things to a brick wall. And I swear if I see one more person start screaming for sources to back up someone's statements when they make claims left and right with nothing to back them up I am going to scream. It's ridiculous. Do your own flipping research if you don't believe what someone is saying. Occasionally asking for sources when you've never seen information that would lead to someone's conclusion is one thing, but to expect every sentence someone else types to have a source when you can't even provide sources for your own material is just flat-out lazy.

You know what would be nice? If we could actually start acting like grown-ups again in the political threads instead of spoiled little brats who will stomp our little feet if everyone doesn't agree with everything we say, even though we don't provide anything to back up our claims aside from saying "everyone knows that" or "if you think otherwise, then you're stupid". What are we 5? Is that the best some of you can come up with for why you're right and everyone else is wrong? Did you miss the lesson in school about how it's ok for people to disagree with you? Were you not taught that just because someone thinks differently than you doesn't mean that they are stupid and you are the smart one?

One last thing and I will wrap up this rant that has become a novel, can we please stop flinging around "Deny Ignorance" at each other? Please? Just because you put it at the bottom of your post does not mean that you are the be all, end all of information on whatever topic you are discussing. It doesn't make you sound smart. It most certainly doesn't make you right. It doesn't even mean that you have denied ignorance yourself. All adding it to the bottom of your post does is signify that you think you are above every one else and that you are an arrogant ass who will not listen to anything that disagrees or disproves their version of reality. Again, get over yourself.



I expect to be fully flamed for this post, and frankly I don't care. I'm just sick and tired of some posters thinking that if they keep repeating themselves, call other posters names, twist the words of other posters and then slap "Deny Ignorance" at the bottom of their post that makes them the genius and everyone else an idiot for disagreeing. :bnghd:

No flaming from me.

I completely concur with everything you've posted.

Glad to hear I'm not the only one who feels this way about all the nonsense. It's just been getting ridiculous here lately, and it's not just new posters who haven't figured out how to get their point across without sounding like an ass. It's also posters that have been here for years and now suddenly they've morphed from people who posted well-thought out posts into arrogant jerks.

Very well put.

I often wonder if some people even actually know what ignorance means.

I don't think they do honestly. I think many people on this board think that if they slap that on the bottom of their post it means that they won the argument... Sometimes it seems like it's a race to see who can say it the most times. I've taken to telling them to deny their own ignorance when they direct it at me. Seems to make them stop saying it to me, for awhile at least.

Oh, and thank you by the way!

[edit on 13-11-2008 by Jenna]

ig·no·rance
Pronunciation: \ˈig-n(ə-)rən(t)s\
Function: noun
Date: 13th century
: the state or fact of being ignorant : lack of knowledge, education, or awareness
Websters Dictionary
____________________________________________________________

That is the definition of ignorance.

reply to post by dizziedame


Ok.. I'm a bit confused as to why you posted the definition here..

is the election over yet ?

~scurries back into his secret bunker without waiting for an answer~
~puts on a real old movie... rocks back and forth~

Originally posted by The Utopian Penguin
is the election over yet ?

~scurries back into his secret bunker without waiting for an answer~
~puts on a real old movie... rocks back and forth~

TUP you are always good for a laugh.

That said, I concur with the OP. lately it does seem that it is no longer ok to question anything in the political forums.

Ah well.

Well said Jenna. You can cut the rhetoric with a knife in most cases. All in all I tend to avoid the politics forums like the plague.

I also hate the way people actually name their user-names after political parties and such. How can you ever discuss an issue when you're preconceptions are set before you even begin?

Gah.

Thanks everyone for responding. I'm just getting really fed up with the way some posters have been acting lately.

I totally agree with you,one poster in mind I won't name any names,starts posts then replies several times with the childish retorts,she reminds me of my kids when they were about 10 with the"I know you are but what am I",luckily they grew out of it,it's very irritating

reply to post by Jenna


Excellent Rant!!
Two thumbs up and a Star says Cisco & Ebert


Deny Ignorance
Yes I know exactly who you are referring to
the tag team that refers to themselves as
"the hammer and the nail" (need go no farther)
the two do seem to work together in a parallel
universe, posting the same redundant detritus,
lambasting any and all that don't conform to
their belief's, political or otherwise and on
occasion even going as far as telling ATS
members to leave.


But you are correct ATS has always been
an interesting site to learn from, Great people
from all walks of life contributing their thoughts
and facts on numerous interesting subjects.
It is sad when a few have to spoil it for the rest.

Originally posted by DOHC
Excellent Rant!!
Two thumbs up and a Star says Cisco & Ebert

Have to say, that made me laugh. A lot actually. Thanks!

It's getting quite ridiculous all over the boards lately. It might actually be funny if it weren't so darn irritating. I think I know who you were referring to, but they aren't the only ones. Seems like everybody and their brother is jumping on the "I'll just say Deny Ignorance a few million times without saying much more than that" train and are not bothering to actually read what anyone else posts if it doesn't agree with their preconceived notions.

reply to post by Jenna


I generally agree with you, however I think that it's inevitable that some slander will happen if you get a bit worked up (I do it myself), but there is a limit and it's easy to observe where someone is so far out on a limb that they're just repeating themselves and resorting to namecalling.
Also there will be a certain amount of techniques in an argument that you will see the grown ups use when they discuss, amongst them are words that make your words sound bigger and more important, like "that is common knowledge". Everyone uses it to some degree I think. But, for the rest, I agree completely. It is important that no matter how much you disagree you should concentrate on getting your message out and if you are getting nowhere in a discussion, then leave it until something new comes up.

I like it!

Well ranted.