General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Surprised by the atmosphere here.... [View all]stupidicus
(2,570 posts)to so many around here -- lurkers or not.
I made the same observations and points in response to the great "chained cpi" debate, which differs little to not at all in terms of the points you made in terms of the form and substance of the rhetoric and accompanying tactics.
The important one missing here imo I'd pose in the form of a question I asked before the last election in response to all the "you're a troll/rightwinger/Romneyite trying to discourage people from voting BS" in response to our concerns about chained cpi --- "Who's doing more damage in terms of the all important turnout and contributing more to discouraging it, those expressing honest concerns and/or disagreement with the policies under examination, or those telling them basically to sit down and shut-up?"
I'd argue that the wouldbe censors would be the biggest contributors to whatever discouragement occurs, because they are the ones closing the tent door and that to all hopes of the betterment sought with the criticisms. Not only is that level of intolerance for differing opinions, dissent, etc about as "illiberal" as you can get, closing the tent door leaves only one reason to vote dem -- the alternative. Fear of the alternative alone is not near as effective in inspiring and preserving allegiance as whatever positive things those you'd ally yourself with can and should provide in their own self-interest if nothing else, and the demands from the cheerleaders around here is tantamount to a demand that we be something we are not to gain and keep acceptance within their fold.
If anything will discourage me from voting dem as I have for decades, it won't at this time be the many disappointments I've had in the pols I've helped elect, but rather my inability to be part of a group like you posted about here if I was to assume they are representative of the whole as they'd like to think they are.
Personally I think they are part of a vociferous minority here and in the real world as far as those of us allegedly on the left are concerned. The goal of we the majority doing the criticizing, is to make our side better, and not just a "lesser of two evils" choice. Identifying the flaws, etc, in the current crop is how we find and vote in their betters if need be. Electing better dems is the solution to much of what ails us as a nation, and that will never happen as long as critical examination is discouraged in the way it has been around here.