In fact, the uglier the fights get, the more people dig into their respective positions. We have two sides fighting over who has control of the narrative around here. We're fighting over differing realities, really, just like the greater argument happening nationwide between the Democrats and Republicans. Unfortunately, I don't see an end to it anytime soon. The only thing that would stop it now would be for Skinner to step in and take a side, and I don't think he wants to do that. We should all work to keep things civil in the meantime, however. We're going to make this a really nasty, hateful site if we don't.

out side of here, so one could step in and stop it or not, but that does little to change the reality for tens of millions of people who haven't even heard of this place.

Making it an oasis of imaginary calm in the middle of that pain isn't going to help anyone outside of here, and that is the goal. I hope.

the real world. I think a lot of us come here to get away from all that. I live in a place where most people are either apolitical or rather conservative, so DU is a bit of a refuge for me. If I wanted to argue all the time, I could do that 24/7 with the people living around me.

to post anything, except maybe for Salmon, who could put lol cat pictures in there with pages of those animated gif candles.. That would be so peaceful...

There are some genuine disagreements among very passionate people. People's lives are on the line, and conditions are getting worse for many, except for a few at the top and the people they purchase, in a country that has moved rightward for many years. Gonna be tough to wrangle peace out of that, unless one just shuts everyone out, which would make this place much less interesting, maybe irrelevant. Anyway, given how much the Democratic Party has helped increase that inequality, with all the excuses about compromise, it may have outlived its usefulness, and something new may need to arise to take the side of the masses. So whether a place like this even has much of a future is hard to say.

for me, it's more that this back and forth in the form of numerous ops has become a crashing bore.

there are people on one or the other that I really respect and others on one side or another who, well, not so much

It's just that sometimes I think these flame wars start for no good reason. Let's say someone from the BOG posts something about Obama. I'm familiar enough with names of regular posters around here that I know where most of them stand on certain issues. Rather than go into a thread like that and criticize Obama, my attitude is to let them have their pro-Obama thread, but some people can't help but post something negative in there. It's not hurting anything, really, so why make a big deal about it? Too many people from the BOG show up with a lot of anger in threads that are critical of Obama. I don't understand why some of them can't let it go. If DUers would stay out of each other's way a little bit, I think it would really help the overall tone.

I suck, you suck, we all suck for ice cream!


I suck because I'm a five year old in a 48 year old body apparently.

...growing up is optional."

I will say this though - this 5 was better than the first because now I can drink and have sex and I'm not afraid an alligator is under my bed and will bite my legs off when I get off the bed so the only thing to do is to catapult myself as high as I can and run like the wind when my feet hit the ground.

I mean really? What's there to move onto? Talking about Bush suck? He's gone.

the direction of the democratic party? The environment?

Gee, I can think of lots of issues.

Issues and policy led to conclusion number 1.

And that settles it. So there.

Less Filling!

I know you are but what am I?

Infinity!

I don't think DU is going to move on for quite a while yet. I just re-read a DU thread from late 2009/early 2010 and the same exact tit for tat back and forth bickering was going on then as is going on now. It has not changed from that type of bickering, like children arguing and screaming at each other on a long car ride, on a daily basis here on DU in at least 4 or 5 years now. I doubt it is going to change now. The only suggestion I can make is those who want to just discuss issues instead of arguing about politicians put the rest of the bickering crowd on ignore and start having actual discussions. It will be kind of slow though with only about a few posters left to talk to each other, sadly.

I do try to see other POVs also and have some sympathy for quite a few of them.

Sturgeon's law applies as much to DU as to anything else, ninety percent of everything is indeed crud. And I think Ted was being very optimistic about a mere ninety percent.

and the attempt to criminalize journalism and silence dissent. We need to get the corporate money and corruption out of our government before they destroy this country completely.

I think Octafish put it well:

And if conservatives want to promote these conservative policies on DU,
so be it.