If you can’t be bothered to read and understand the forum rules, perhaps a glance at what the general discussion forum is about (hint: rail), you might want to alter your statement about posting your “opinion when and where desired?”
General Discussion Forum:“The place to discuss railroad industry trends, information about freight railroads, train watching, comments on recent trips, and other railroad topics.”
topics."
I don’t read all of Malcolm’s columns, but I have read enough to conclude that his content is quite political in nature. He seems to take the side that favors more regulation to get railroads to provide the services he prefers. Of course, this requires a lot of other people to help pay the bill even if they don’t prefer the service. So, yes that makes his content political in nature.
However, I know of nothing that prohibits that subject matter for Malcolm’s blogs. I assume that Kalmbach does not impose rules that prevent Malcolm from including politics. However, we on the forum are forbidden by the rules to discuss politics.
I am not sure if our forum rules apply to us when we post comments on the blogs. Has that ever been made clear?
In any case, we are free to discuss Malcolm’s blog content here on the forum. So if Malcolm says something in a blog that is political, and someone posts here that they disagree with it, is that a political comment? If it is, then it means that disagreeing with Malcolm is political.
We still like you, anyhow!
Fred Frailey wields the power to delete comments on his blog, not the moderators. And his columns & discussions are frequently political.
I suspect Kenton’s blog posts are governed by the same rules.<
Well here’s the thing as I see it.
In todays environment it’s hard NOT to keep politics out of railroad discussions. PTC, Amtrak, transit, NIMBYism, BANANAism, “rails-to-trails,” all have the taint of politics in them. It’s unavoidable.
What ARE avoidable are the dog fights that political discussions can lead to.
My rules? Pure common sense. You can question another posters opinions, but never question their intelligence, motives or sincerity. Keep the political discussions as they pertain to railroading, leave everything else out. Be respectful. Remember “The Golden Rule.” It’s a pretty good rule to live by, it must be, there hasn’t been a change published in 2000 years.
If everyone does that then the moderators won’t have to step in with a firehose to cool everything down.
By the way, I HATE politics. I hate the way politics turns friends into enemys and perfectly rational human beings into werewolves. And most of it’s wasted energy. “Sound and fury signifying nothing.” I pay attention to the political scene because it’s my duty as a citizen to do so, but I take no pleasure in it.
Well said, Wayne.
Thanks Johnny!
I think Andy Rooney was the only person that could do that well.
Mickey was even better!
Mouse?
No. The guy who started as a child/teen actor and kept going into his 90s.
From Andy Hardy all the way to Night at the Museum, quite the career!
His off-screen life was quite tumultuous, and at times controversial.
And died in debt.
He’s beyond caring about it now.
RIP PFC Mickey Rooney, USA. World War Two, European Theater. Bronze Star recipient.
Can we get back to Don here?
Don Kirschner, Don Cornelius or Don Corleone??
Don Giovanni?
Don Juan?
‘Dandy’ Don Merideth?
Saw that Don Phillips now appears to have a column in ‘Passenger Train Journal’.