What Do You Love About The Politics Forum?

LPSG Simon

Superior Member
Staff
Moderator
Gold
Joined
Mar 13, 2019
Posts
8,735
Media
0
Likes
8,055
Points
408
@Mr. LPSG and I are doing a bit of research on the Politics forum. We are looking for individual responses from people who participate here on what you love about this section of LPSG, and how you might feel it relates to the site's theme overall.

We want to find ways to make things as kick-ass as possible, and hearing from you guys is the first step.
 

seventiesdemon

Superior Member
Gold
Platinum Gold
Joined
May 25, 2019
Posts
4,928
Media
7
Likes
5,609
Points
383
Location
Australia
Sexuality
69% Straight, 31% Gay
Sounds like a very political and loaded question..:)

Most of the discussion, if not all is dominated by US or UK politics.

It's a very Western world discussion. Those who are able to have access to the web, able to afford it have a say.

It's like licenced drivers of the world. 1.4 billion out of 7 billion. Just say 2 billion can afford a car, it's upkeep, insurance , rego, etc....The other 5 billion either don't care or wish they had the opportunity to comment.

For my part, and it's probably not going to be popular...is the repetition of US political themed threads. Don this, Don that, Bidden this, Bidden that....on and on and on. Yet The Eurozone thread started by Jason basically covers it all. Yeah....I take it off topic...and am a royal basher...but...it's in the blood :)

For my part though, if you are from the age of having to dial a trunk call, through various operators to an overseas connection, being able to discuss shit instantly by chat or otherwise is a fragile, and I think a temporary gift. Instant world communication is being threatened and constricted every week.

Really, in the long run I don't care. I enjoy myself for the few hours I am here, then you won't see me again for a week or so. But I get crap when I am here, from those who are on every day and night. But, don't care, it's fun. I never take any offence.

I don't mind being a paying member, it's never stopped me from getting warnings from the moddies...but mostly I deserve it. I have fun, it's why I have been here and been a supporter for the many years I have. I enjoy very much the company I associate with here.

It's your site Mr. LPSG...you do what you want mate :)
 
Last edited:

dreamer20

Worshipped Member
Gold
Platinum Gold
Joined
Apr 14, 2006
Posts
7,963
Media
3
Likes
19,598
Points
643
Gender
Male
@Mr. LPSG and I are doing a bit of research on the Politics forum. We are looking for individual responses from people who participate here on what you love about this section of LPSG, and how you might feel it relates to the site's theme overall.
We want to find ways to make things as kick-ass as possible, and hearing from you guys is the first step.

The Politics forum enables one to stay up to date and informed about worldwide events. It's also a meeting place and discussion forum for persons from around the globe - allowing me to interact and learn from persons as far away as Singapore and New Zealand. Politics has its funny moments too: e.g. our members have posted video skits from comedian Trevor Noah's "Daily Show" , Randy Rainbow, Spitting Image, Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Kimmel, and Political Cartoons:

Wrecking The Us Postal Service To Win Relection

Donald Knows Best

I do wish that you reconsider the decision to prohibit memes - that are on topic - from this forum. And I never did get a response to the question that I posed here:>>Clarification Request

Otherwise I don't see why you should tamper with this forum in any way to make it "kick-ass". Instead I recommend that you participate in it in order to find it as enjoyable as I do Simon.
 

b.c.

Worshipped Member
Verified
Gold
Joined
Nov 7, 2005
Posts
20,540
Media
0
Likes
21,779
Points
468
Location
at home
Verification
View
Gender
Male
The Politics forum enables one to stay up to date and informed about worldwide events. It's also a meeting place and discussion forum for persons from around the globe - allowing me to interact and learn from persons as far away as Singapore and New Zealand. Politics has its funny moments too: e.g. our members have posted video skits from comedian Trevor Noah's "Daily Show" , Randy Rainbow, Spitting Image, Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Kimmel, and Political Cartoons:

Wrecking The Us Postal Service To Win Relection

Donald Knows Best

I do wish that you reconsider the decision to prohibit memes - that are on topic - from this forum. And I never did get a response to the question that I posed here:>>Clarification Request

Otherwise I don't see why you should tamper with this forum in any way to make it "kick-ass". Instead I recommend that you participate in it in order to find it as enjoyable as I do Simon.

I agree with the first paragraph but I'm willing to sacrifice the ability to post memes if it prevents people from trolling threads with them in lieu of something more of substance. There was a lot of that at one time.

I appreciate that @Mr. LPSG has allowed us the opportunity to share our thoughts feelings and concerns about our political climate with others, and contrary to those who'd think the opposite, I've found that being able to do so, and know that others are experiencing similar concerns, has been cathartic.

And I too think the forum is just fine as it is now. As for how it relates to the site's theme overall, since the time I've joined I've seen LPSG grow into one that more or less offers something for everyone. Hopefully that won't change.

 

Freddie53

Superior Member
Gold
Joined
Nov 19, 2004
Posts
5,842
Media
0
Likes
2,609
Points
333
Location
Memphis (Tennessee, United States)
Gender
Male
"If it ain't broke, don't fix it."

This is how I feel about this forum. I also wish tat memes were still allowed. but I understand why they are no longer allowed.

The good thing about this forum is that the trolls that show up from time to time are so well taken care of by regular members that they usually fade away on their own.

Or,

They are put on ignore. I have not used this function, but several here say they have.

I've seen this place change. You are the third owner. We can expect some changes along the way.

The first issue is purpose. Under the first two owners, profit seemed to not be the main concern.

You have mentioned profit as being part of your goal here.

This can be major! There was a cost in buying this place. We should expect you to make a profit.

What does the Politics forum offer to the LPSG ?

Number one on the list is it helps keeping all political issues to one forum. A gentle push from time to time will be needed to get some people to do their political discussions here on this forum, not on one of the others.

ETC in particular has benefited from having politics delegated to the Politics forum.

Going back in history, Politics forum was made separate as politics was squeezing most of the printed pages leaving the ETC forum not able to have any other discussions.

How will you rewrite the Terms of Service if politics are no longer allowed.

For instance:

Member Tom who has been a member here from the beginning makes a casual comment about some political figure.

There is a ban on his avatar because Trump or Biden somehow appeared in a post of his.

I don't see away to allow any political discussion at all here at the LPSG if the Politics Forum is removed unless you want t take the chance of political discussions moving especially in to ETC, but also in other forums here.

If you write in flimsy reasons to give bans, the there will be flimsy bans. Of course the term flimsy is applied differently by each person. What I might consider to be flimsy, someone else might think is mandatory.

Please consider what might happen if this forum is removed and how you might or might not rewrite the TOS to go along with what you expect or do not expect topics to be discussed here.

As it is now, all a mod needs to do is move a political thread to Politics should a political thread be started somewhere else.

We here at the Politics forum usually are able to monitor ourselves without much outside help. If this is not so, someone has done a great job of covering up problems at the Politics forum.

We don't see near as many avatars with the words banned on them as was once the case here at LPSG.

Again consider:

"If it ain't broke, don't fix it."
 

DiamondJoe

Superior Member
Joined
Jun 27, 2020
Posts
6,578
Media
10
Likes
7,866
Points
133
Age
44
Location
Glastonbury (Somerset, England)
Sexuality
50% Straight, 50% Gay
Gender
Male
Dunno. It can be a very right-on echo chamber that doesn't like dissenting voices. Which is a shame, considering the idea is to be a place of discussion. Not sure if that's a reflection of t'internet in general or the increasingly tribal nature of politics...

But then the politics section of any site is invariably dominated by the same men (and it is invariably men) who like to argue/feel better about themselves. It's just the way of these things. I am no better.

If you do choose to change the politics forum (and there can't be much money or pull to the site for them, for all the arguments they generate), major subjects will continue to be debated on other forums. The locals may wail and gnash their teeth for a bit but, in the round, perhaps there will be fewer threads of cut n' pasted whatever.

I think the politics forums could use a little opening up, something wider in scope, less parochial.

Re: the politics forums and the rest of the site... it is an odd fit, admittedly, alongside the dicks but as I say people will talk about the political issues of the day whether or not there is a dedicated place.

I would just highlight that on a previous site I was on, politics was happily mixed up in the main discussion boards until the 2016 Brexit campaign and vote. The issue was so divisive that the site owners made a new politics forum simply to contain the endless arguments and the borderline autistic serial posters.

Damned if you do/damned if you don't.

:)
 

ActionBuddy

Mythical Member
Gold
Platinum Gold
Joined
Mar 27, 2006
Posts
13,722
Media
15
Likes
30,486
Points
618
Location
Seattle, Washington, US
Sexuality
No Response
Gender
Male
At first, I thought, "Don't get me started!", but you did, so here it goes:

The Number One Reason that I love the Politics Forum is that it is an incredible news source.

As a publicly active
"political" person, but also a rather busy, working one, I need to know what is going on in the "real world", daily. But, I don't have the time to sit around idly perusing the news all day. Of course, each morning, I go to compendiums of "News" such as Google News, to see what is immediately going on in the World.

But,
more and more over the 14 years that I have been a member of LPSG, I just cut to the quick, and go right to LPSG's Politics Forum to find out what the big issues of the day are, what news people are really talking about, and always, to so many links provided by other members to more in-depth analyses of those issues, provided by the many dedicated attendees of this Forum, Left and Right and in between!... Here, I find what is actually
pertinent, today.

The men, and, yes, the women, who contribute so much information to the Politics Forum, not only provide me with the "news of the day", or alternate opinions to consider, think about, or even argue with, they also provide me, and all other attendees with news sources that I would have never been aware of until clued into them here, in LPSG's Politics Forum. For that, I am very grateful!

Unbeknownst to my "real life" friends and family members, many of news items, photos, and videos that I have shared with them, I copied and pasted from posts in LPSG's Politics Forum. So often, I get reactions from them, asking me how I come up with all these news items that they haven't seen in their local papers or the websites that they go to. I tell them a "little white lie", that, "Well, I am involved in a political discussion group, and the people there are from all over the world, speak many languages, come from many different points of view, and it is the best source of news that I have."... THAT is not a lie.

Here, also, I have learned to think, before I post, and to be ready to defend my stance. It has been a "learning experience" that I have not really gained elsewhere on the Internet. It has helped me become more articulate about politics and current events in my life, out in the "real world".

@Mr. LPSG - Early on, when you came aboard, you considered getting rid of the Politics Forum, altogether, because it gets "contentious" sometimes. So what! Would you rather have a bunch of people posting their political opinions, willy-nilly all throughout the other Forums of LPSG?... If so, good luck with "managing" that!

What is wrong with having a Forum where people can offer their political opinions and argue about them? We are adults here. We have opinions, We have ideas...
And, we have a need to talk about them... NO ONE WHO ISN'T INTERESTED NEEDS TO ENTER THE FREY... No one is forcing the apolitical members to read anything in the Politics Forum! So, what's the big deal?

Every once in awhile we get comments from apolitical members who think they are cute by "reminding" us that, "This is a big dick website. Why are you guys arguing about politics?"... My answer to that is simple. We may admire or even possess 'big dicks', but that does not preclude us from also having a BRAIN to use!

@MisterB is an LPSG Staff Member and Moderator, and is a regular reader and participant in the Politics Forum. (As are several other LPSG Mods, and former Mods.) - I trust him, judging from his "Likes" and comments here, to monitor this Forum. Surely that means something to you Admins? - You hired him.

If the Politics Forum didn't exist anymore, this site would have a lot LESS pertinent content, and I for one, would sign-in to LPSG a lot less. It would become "just another Dick Site", to me.


To close: Here is a MAJOR reason that I LOVE the Politics Forum, and so should YOU: - It's very existence is one of the most effective and efficient ways to weed out the RACISTS that show up all too often at LPSG. Sometimes it takes weeks, sometimes only within a few of their own ignorant posts, but here in the Politics Forum, more than in any other LPSG Forum, they are most likely to show their "true colors" as the racists that they are, and then thankfully get banned, much to the relief of the decent people of LPSG.

That is a good thing, for this site, right?


A/B
 
Last edited:

vince

Legendary Member
Joined
May 13, 2007
Posts
8,271
Media
1
Likes
1,672
Points
333
Location
Canada
Sexuality
69% Straight, 31% Gay
Gender
Male
This forum was started to keep rancorous political discussions separate from Etc Etc. I recall that being the the only reason for it and it still seems to do that job well. The debates were a lot more rowdy ten years ago, (as was the whole site) and moderators had to get involved much more than they seem to now. For me, it functions just fine and does not need to be as kick-ass as possible. Been there, done that, no thanks.

As to how it relates to the theme of the site, depends on the theme your after. If it's a strictly for profit, sexual theme, then it doesn't, Nor would most of Etc, Etc (audible books?) or the Jokes and Funny stuff forum. Plus you will have a monumental moderating job on your hands, stomping out off-theme threads. But if your vision of a theme is more than big dicks, big tits, and all the fun we can get into with them, then you'll have to put up with people posting all kinds of interesting shit.

What is your theme?

And what problems are the current owners and mods having with the forum? That info may inform a better answer.

IMO it's best for the site to keep the politics in the tight little box it's in at this point.
 

LPSG Support

Mythical Member
Staff
Moderator
Gold
Joined
Sep 26, 2017
Posts
24,911
Media
177
Likes
48,656
Points
208
Sexuality
No Response
Gender
Male

@Mr. LPSG - Early on, when you came aboard, you considered getting rid of the Politics Forum, altogether, because it gets "contentious" sometimes. So what! Would you rather have a bunch of people posting their political opinions, willy-nilly all throughout the other Forums of LPSG?... If so, good luck with "managing" that!

What is wrong with having a Forum where people can offer their political opinions and argue about them? We are adults here. We have opinions, We have ideas...
And, we have a need to talk about them... NO ONE WHO ISN'T INTERESTED NEEDS TO ENTER THE FREY... No one is forcing the apolitical members to read anything in the Politics Forum! So, what's the big deal?

Every once in awhile we get comments from apolitical members who think they are cute by "reminding" us that, "This is a big dick website. Why are you guys arguing about politics?"... My answer to that is simple. We may admire or even possess 'big dicks', but that does not preclude us from also having a BRAIN to use!


A/B

If political were removed it would be removed across the board in every thread.
The reason is that a lot of political discussions are dividing the community and causing more harm than good. That is the only reason this was discussed in the past and discussed again now.
 
  • Like
Reactions: LQC

LPSG Support

Mythical Member
Staff
Moderator
Gold
Joined
Sep 26, 2017
Posts
24,911
Media
177
Likes
48,656
Points
208
Sexuality
No Response
Gender
Male
This forum was started to keep rancorous political discussions separate from Etc Etc. I recall that being the the only reason for it and it still seems to do that job well. The debates were a lot more rowdy ten years ago, (as was the whole site) and moderators had to get involved much more than they seem to now. For me, it functions just fine and does not need to be as kick-ass as possible. Been there, done that, no thanks.

As to how it relates to the theme of the site, depends on the theme your after. If it's a strictly for profit, sexual theme, then it doesn't, Nor would most of Etc, Etc (audible books?) or the Jokes and Funny stuff forum. Plus you will have a monumental moderating job on your hands, stomping out off-theme threads. But if your vision of a theme is more than big dicks, big tits, and all the fun we can get into with them, then you'll have to put up with people posting all kinds of interesting shit.

What is your theme?

And what problems are the current owners and mods having with the forum? That info may inform a better answer.

IMO it's best for the site to keep the politics in the tight little box it's in at this point.
I find the political forum to be really nasty and confrontational and divided. If we made the move we'd remove any political discussions across the entire site.
 

Industrialsize

Mythical Member
Gold
Platinum Gold
Joined
Dec 23, 2006
Posts
22,237
Media
213
Likes
31,757
Points
618
Location
Kathmandu (Bagmati Province, Nepal)
Sexuality
100% Gay, 0% Straight
Gender
Male
If political were removed it would be removed across the board in every thread.
The reason is that a lot of political discussions are dividing the community and causing more harm than good. That is the only reason this was discussed in the past and discussed again now.
In the past, that was found to be impossible, hence the creation of the Politics Forum.
 
  • Like
Reactions: ActionBuddy

Gj816

Mythical Member
Verified
Gold
Joined
Feb 13, 2017
Posts
7,283
Media
86
Likes
26,407
Points
333
Location
Nashville (Tennessee, United States)
Verification
View
Sexuality
90% Straight, 10% Gay
Gender
Male
While I'll agree it is and can be a very contentious forum. Even an echo chamber at times. Perhaps it might better serve the site as an enter at your own risk wild west type of forum, where anything goes . Without the fear of offending or insulting another member.

However, as you said it can divide the whole site. I think it is because so many that come into the political forums are actually more closed minded, and not willing to listen to or see the other sides point of view.

Thus it becomes if I might quote Bugs Bunny, "dog pile on the rabbit". Instead of acting like civilized adults with open minds, it seems to become rife with contention.

It is ultimately your decision as to whether or not this forum remains intact. I do think that if you're going to post in the political forums if you can't take the heat stay out of the kitchen. There's absolutely no reason why it should become an echo chamber, or a mind set that you're wrong, I'm right mentality, where multiple members are bashing one or two members with differing opinions. We're adults and we should be open minded enough to realize and accept that not everyone thinks alike. Put aside our differences, agree to disagree, and move on.
 
  • Like
Reactions: LQC and malakos

ActionBuddy

Mythical Member
Gold
Platinum Gold
Joined
Mar 27, 2006
Posts
13,722
Media
15
Likes
30,486
Points
618
Location
Seattle, Washington, US
Sexuality
No Response
Gender
Male
... Perhaps it might better serve the site as an enter at your own risk wild west type of forum, where anything goes . Without the fear of offending or insulting another member.
...
It is ultimately your decision as to whether or not this forum remains intact. I do think that if you're going to post in the political forums if you can't take the heat stay out of the kitchen...

I agree with you on those two points. I disagree with you thinking that the Forum is an "echo chamber".


A/B
 
  • Like
Reactions: Gj816

Drifterwood

Superior Member
Joined
Jun 14, 2007
Posts
18,677
Media
0
Likes
2,811
Points
333
Location
Greece
In the past, that was found to be impossible, hence the creation of the Politics Forum.

And the proof of the pudding has been in the eating. Almost all the major forum contributors on the site have been and are regular contributors to the politics section.

Not that the politics section is a shadow of its former self in terms of personal attacks, which is remarkable given the political circumstances, but without this outlet, I can see etc and the women's forum going back to getting the ugly behaviour.

When I considered buying the site from Mark a long time ago, the traffic boomed when things were getting lively. This demonstrated to me that people are at least as attracted to unsafe places as not.
 

Freddie53

Superior Member
Gold
Joined
Nov 19, 2004
Posts
5,842
Media
0
Likes
2,609
Points
333
Location
Memphis (Tennessee, United States)
Gender
Male
At first, I thought, "Don't get me started!", but you did, so here it goes:

The Number One Reason that I love the Politics Forum is that it is an incredible news source.

As a publicly active
"political" person, but also a rather busy, working one, I need to know what is going on in the "real world", daily. But, I don't have the time to sit around idly perusing the news all day. Of course, each morning, I go to compendiums of "News" such as Google News, to see what is immediately going on in the World.

But,
more and more over the 14 years that I have been a member of LPSG, I just cut to the quick, and go right to LPSG's Politics Forum to find out what the big issues of the day are, what news people are really talking about, and always, to so many links provided by other members to more in-depth analyses of those issues, provided by the many dedicated attendees of this Forum, Left and Right and in between!... Here, I find what is actually
pertinent, today.

The men, and, yes, the women, who contribute so much information to the Politics Forum, not only provide me with the "news of the day", or alternate opinions to consider, think about, or even argue with, they also provide me, and all other attendees with news sources that I would have never been aware of until clued into them here, in LPSG's Politics Forum. For that, I am very grateful!

Unbeknownst to my "real life" friends and family members, many of news items, photos, and videos that I have shared with them, I copied and pasted from posts in LPSG's Politics Forum. So often, I get reactions from them, asking me how I come up with all these news items that they haven't seen in their local papers or the websites that they go to. I tell them a "little white lie", that, "Well, I am involved in a political discussion group, and the people there are from all over the world, speak many languages, come from many different points of view, and it is the best source of news that I have."... THAT is not a lie.

Here, also, I have learned to think, before I post, and to be ready to defend my stance. It has been a "learning experience" that I have not really gained elsewhere on the Internet. It has helped me become more articulate about politics and current events in my life, out in the "real world".

@Mr. LPSG - Early on, when you came aboard, you considered getting rid of the Politics Forum, altogether, because it gets "contentious" sometimes. So what! Would you rather have a bunch of people posting their political opinions, willy-nilly all throughout the other Forums of LPSG?... If so, good luck with "managing" that!

What is wrong with having a Forum where people can offer their political opinions and argue about them? We are adults here. We have opinions, We have ideas...
And, we have a need to talk about them... NO ONE WHO ISN'T INTERESTED NEEDS TO ENTER THE FREY... No one is forcing the apolitical members to read anything in the Politics Forum! So, what's the big deal?

Every once in awhile we get comments from apolitical members who think they are cute by "reminding" us that, "This is a big dick website. Why are you guys arguing about politics?"... My answer to that is simple. We may admire or even possess 'big dicks', but that does not preclude us from also having a BRAIN to use!

@MisterB is an LPSG Staff Member and Moderator, and is a regular reader and participant in the Politics Forum. (As are several other LPSG Mods, and former Mods.) - I trust him, judging from his "Likes" and comments here, to monitor this Forum. Surely that means something to you Admins? - You hired him.

If the Politics Forum didn't exist anymore, this site would have a lot LESS pertinent content, and I for one, would sign-in to LPSG a lot less. It would become "just another Dick Site", to me.


To close: Here is a MAJOR reason that I LOVE the Politics Forum, and so should YOU: - It's very existence is one of the most effective and efficient ways to weed out the RACISTS that show up all too often at LPSG. Sometimes it takes weeks, sometimes only within a few of their own ignorant posts, but here in the Politics Forum, more than in any other LPSG Forum, they are most likely to show their "true colors" as the racists that they are, and then thankfully get banned, much to the relief of the decent people of LPSG.

That is a good thing, for this site, right?


A/B
Perfectly written! The major point that has been made by me, but not nearly well as Action Buddy is that members you do not want at LPSG can often give themselves away is through the Politics forum and get banned.

The second item I don't remember any one mentioning. That is the element of public service that so many businesses want to project as part of their business.

As he mentioned, I fine myself coming to LPSG for my first look at national and international news. Politics and Women's News do provide a public service.

This Is What I Love About the POLITICS FORUM!

I find out not only what the US news is saying, but the news is saying from the UK, Europe, Canada, and Australia with a few other national news thrown in.

And, I can ask for help on a particular news event.

England is the Mother Country for the US

Americans would be more likely to go to war to defend Canada than the UK according to a poll from about 8 years ago. But this is due to geography. The only nation that can easily try to try to occupy Canada is Russia. Russia would have to go through Alaska, one of the 50 states in the Union of the US to get to Canada.

In the South a majority of the white population's ancestors are from either Britain or Ireland and assorted nearby islands. All of my known ancestors are from Ireland and Britain. Some ancestors only going back four generations. Some going back to 1607.

One entire year in the early grades is the Colonial Era. That means England. American history is English history up to year 1781 when England gave the 13 English colonies their freedom.

Americans don't look at either Canada or the UK as being foreign countries.

I Love the Politics Forum because I can connect to distant cousins in the UK.

We Americans share the American history up to 1776 with England. This is not racism. African Americans who are into English culture are my brothers and sisters. Most African Americans have 1/4 or more English blood flowing through their veins. The slave owner and his sons were the fathers of many of the slave children born in the US.

Racism as segregation was introduced in 1876 by the wealthy land owners to prevent the white poor and lower class whites from joining with African Americans who aso are poor or lower class from joining forces and be able to break the bind that the wealthy of any color to lose control of the government.

This is I believe the reason some Republicans are also racists.

It is about keeping poor whites and poor blacks from joining forces.

Stacey Abrams and John Lewis fixed that in Georgia! John Lewis in the primaries and John Lewis from the grave in the general elections.

The point of that comment about racism is to show that the respect for ancestors and all the cousins alive today as being important.

And I love the POLITICS Forum for the chance to correspond with distant cousins in the UK, Canada, and Australia as well as from the US!

African Americans also have that right to connect with English culture because English culture is a major component of African American culture today.

Add to that people here at the LPSG who are Americans, with no English connection and Scandinavians such as one friend who is a mod at LPSG.

I Love the POLITICS Forum because I can connect with the world more in the POLITICS forum than any other source that is available to me.

In summation:

I Really Love the POLITICS Forum as A/B so well stated:

1. Politics keeps political discussion away from the other Forums!

2. The Politics Forum does the best job of weeding out the trouble makers that neither you nor your mods want want here at the LPSG!

3. I can communicate with other Americans, other English as first language and the world best here in the Politics Forum.

Mr. LPSG. The rationale for ending the Politics Forum that you are considering also applies to ETC. and Women's Issues.

You will lose some member participation if you close Politics, ETC and Women's Issues not out of spite, but because many people can't wait to log in to these three forums that in truth have nothing to do with large dicks!

And as Industrialsize points out, the POLITICS forum was begun so ETC could have a chance to succeed.

There will be bans if you are strict on politics as Americans for sure add political comments as part of our conversation with others. It comes naturally to Americans. I don't know about the Netherlands.

I am aware of the divide in the Netherlands between the Catholic areas and the Protestant areas in the Netherlands even though a majority of the citizens don't go to church except for the Holy Days and other Special Days if then. It is cultural.

Will mention of religion and culture comments also become outlawed? How far do you want to take Politics? In Ireland the political differences are directly related to culture/religion.

In the UK, England is Church of England and Wales, Scotland and and Northern Ireland are Presbyterian/Reformed as is the protestant church of the Netherlands. Ireland is Catholic.


People who are agnostic often still have their brand of cultural Christianity driving their political persuasions.

It is culture and historical culture that is dividing Ireland and Britain from being one nation and also republic or kingdom. It may be leading the UK and Ireland to have five independent nations when one or two nations would work.

It is culture that has driven England to vote to leave the EU. It can be a pain to separate culture and religion. I read that back before there was an agreement between Northern Ireland and Ireland, the most avid people about the culture (church) to the point of killing people were people who did not go to church and were not a member of a church. It was the regular church goers that were the most moderates.

Here in the US the most extreme right wing do not go to church and hell would freeze over before they went, but they are of the same culture group as most white Americans who do go to church.

A one sentence that tells this is that the year for studying religions is called World Cultures in US culture. The US Constitution guarantees freedom of religion and as some put it freedom from religion. The US who has a higher percent of people attending church than does Europe. The US is officially a secular republic.

So it is the Ancient World and World Cultures or similar name for one year in school curriculum. The only major religion in the world that is not from the Ancient World is Islam and Islam is only 100 years away from the Ancient World that most historians list as the fall of Rome in 476 AD. Of course there are at least three different dates that some historians use as the fall of Rome, all between 400 and 476. Some historians list the Rise of Constantinople in the 300s AD.

Retired history teacher here.

Getting humans to agree or be neutralized is a daunting task on anything. When as a mod, we had to termp ban

Culture drives politics more than any other one factor, even for those who have never stepped into a church, synagogue, or mosque.

Culture is a person's way of life. I believe it is almost impossible to separate politics from culture. I could write a book about how culture is at the heart of the political discord in the US, not socialism, or democracy, democratic socialism and so on and so forth.

Mr. LPSG, you will need to put a line there for cultural comments as well as political comments as part of a new TOS that bans any mention of Politics.

This is a can of worms that the reason the Mods set up Politics toward the end of my time as service as a mod.
We in the US also have differences in culture which I'm sure you have discovered while here.

There will be a drop in the total number of people posting at LPSG.

It appears you have already made up your mind. Keep in mind, that the fireworks show that may result may kill off part of the LPSG.

I don't plan to leave, but others may. The big dick pics and videos will keep me here.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Drifterwood

ActionBuddy

Mythical Member
Gold
Platinum Gold
Joined
Mar 27, 2006
Posts
13,722
Media
15
Likes
30,486
Points
618
Location
Seattle, Washington, US
Sexuality
No Response
Gender
Male
... I Love the POLITICS Forum because I can connect with the world more in the POLITICS forum than any other source that is available to me.
In summation:
1. (The) Politics (Forum) keeps political discussion away from the other Forums!
2. The Politics Forum does the best job of weeding out the trouble makers that neither you nor your mods want want here at the LPSG!
3. I can communicate with other Americans, other English as first language and the world best here in the Politics Forum.

...
Retired history teacher here.


Oh my gosh, @Freddie53!... Keep it simple, please!

Out of the 8,348 points that you mentioned in your post, I agree with what I have bold-faced, above.


A/B
 
Last edited:

DiamondJoe

Superior Member
Joined
Jun 27, 2020
Posts
6,578
Media
10
Likes
7,866
Points
133
Age
44
Location
Glastonbury (Somerset, England)
Sexuality
50% Straight, 50% Gay
Gender
Male
I agree with you on those two points. I disagree with you thinking that the Forum is an "echo chamber".


A/B
Hello again ActionBuddy,

Look at the 1st page of the politics forum list. With the exception of the EU, Covid, BLM & Random Thoughts threads it is overwhelmingly about American politics, with a very heavy bent on Trump, Trump government, Trumpists, threads examining whether or not they're loonies, awful things that Trump, his friends/family/associates/Republicans have done...

You will see that many OPs are frequent posters in the parish the majority of them liberal with a capital L and progressive with a capital P. Mostly. It's a reflection of the liberal nature of sex sites in the US and the gay/gay-friendly bent of this one in particular. As the larger group you see it as your space and it follows that you have no problems with that. That's no biggie.

I have been on a few sites and there is typically a prevailing wind/direction of thought, be that left- or right-wing. In the UK gay sites are generally left-wingish and mixed sites tend towards the right-wing. Again, maybe that's an age thing... whatever, there's always a bent.

That said, there is an extra mindset here about the trauma the left has felt during four years of Trump, then that election and everything after. It's like a siege mentality or PTSD, and I've heard it described a such - what I also jokingly term "Trump Derangement Syndrome" - where all your fears of what he did/might do have reinforced each other and can create a kind of frenzy from fear of attack.

A lot of the threads contain posted/reposted articles and links that support the prevailing wisdom, most discussions support the prevailing wisdom. People who disagree are indeed sometimes trolls. But certainly not all. However, they are treated in a similar way and that, to my mind, is not a healthy state of affairs. Either for those who want to put a different view or for people who don't challenge what they think they know.

For instance, if I were to start a thread discussing the conditions that brought Stalin to power that wouldn't make me an apologist for or supporter of Stalin. However, my own comments on here regarding the election, what Trump stands for and why people voted for him earned me... well, I'm sure you read it. Threads discussing such themes... well, you've read them too.


In short, if you believe there's no echo chamber think hard about what you read here and what people post; does is demonstrate real political diversity or does it largely reinforce a particular side of the debate? Alternatively, watch who Likes your posts, or who doesn't. There are clear patterns.

It's fine if you chime, difficult if you don't.
 

Industrialsize

Mythical Member
Gold
Platinum Gold
Joined
Dec 23, 2006
Posts
22,237
Media
213
Likes
31,757
Points
618
Location
Kathmandu (Bagmati Province, Nepal)
Sexuality
100% Gay, 0% Straight
Gender
Male
All of the "moderate republicans" seem to have abandoned the Politics forum as they have no desire or ability to defend Mr Trump who has subsumed one of the 2 parties in American Politics.

So, I agree, it is a bit echo chambery at the current moment.

Let's see how it develops.
 
  • Like
Reactions: LPSG Support