I’m no newbie and I still feel like Doug does. We do have a few regular posters that ride around on some pretty high horses…
…popcorn…popcorn…get your popcorn here…popcorn…[swg]
I can guarantee the ban was for abuse, not position. I enjoy a hardy discussion. I try to be respectful of those who are wrong. (I never am!) I would expect the same. There’s a difference between ‘banter’ and ‘badgering’.
I’ve yet to see a thread be shut down and didn’t need to be. Usually, posters were begging for it to be shut down. An abusive post or reply can take away from a spirited topic. I’ve avoided posting, at times, to avoid the abuse.
So everyone needs to chill. The mods are doing fine in a thankless job.
I have friends and relatives that have political views opposite mine, and we each know it. We don’t call each other idiots. Why should it be so personally hurtful if someone has the opposite political views? Political ideologies are based on concrete principles that affect the quality of our lives. There is general disagreement over which principles are best, but the day-to-day discussion helps inform people of the differences, so they can make up their mind.
It seems that there is great difficulty here in defining what is OK in terms of political discussion and what is not. And what is not, is always linked to calling someone an idiot for holding certain political viewpoints. That’s flaming. Those personal insults are pretty easy to define and recognize, no matter what their motive, but I question the premise that political discussion must be avoided because it always leads to flaming. There has been tons of polite, reasonable political discussion here in the past.
So, it is clear that certain forms of political discussion are acceptable. Members are allowed to celebrate a windfall of public fu
I have been on this forum long enough to have seen a number of threads deleted for various reasons.Some turn political,others turn into a barooom brawl.I have alseen various threads drift so far away fron the original subject,it is impossible to recognize what the question was in the first place.
As far as politics ruining friendships,I have friends on both sides and I just realize that some friends I can talk politics with,and some I can’t.
Every Time I open this thread I hear Circus Music! Pretty entertaining actually…
You know what we oughtta do…
Just let this thread go and talk all the politics out, then it will be out of our systems and we will be good for a while
OR
Why not open another Forum, A Railroading Politics forum. And if any topic in any of the forums turns the slightest bit political then it will get moved there and the forum will be a read at your own risk.
But…but…What if I really don’t care about your political affiliation? Suppose I’m just interested in your thoughts and knowledge about railroad related things? Why would I want your/my politics to somehow lesson the importance of what you have to say? Can I just respect that fact that you and I may/may not have the same political affiliation, and not use that as a judgement of who you are, and how I perceive the validity of what you post?
If you will allow an observation from someone outside the US.
To begin, I was a member of a political party and an executive officer of a provincial wing of that party that is only slightly to the right of the “C” word party (NO not that “C” word). And I do not really know the specific players or policies of each of your parties. But the point I wanted to make was this.
I think one of the purposes of these forums is to discuss the ramifications on railroading of various political decisions, and not the how’s and whys of how these decisions came to be. Like the man said; “Two things you don’t want to see made are good law’s and good sausage”.
I do agree that the thread was interesting to me up until the middle of page 2, as someone else pointed out. And it was my choice to go look at another thread, so I do wonder if the best way to let a thread die is to lock it or let it get dusty from disuse.
The most recent thread I was participating in about the rail line to Fort McMurray, AB, could have so easily degenerated into the pro’s and con’s of government involvement in railroad operations, but fortunately didn’t, because there are not all that many Canadians on this forum. And knowing what I know about that line, I really enjoyed discussing the technical aspects of it’s operation as opposed to the political merits of its’ existence.
So in conclusion I hope the moderators moderate with an easy hand and I will keep coming back.
AgentKid
A lot of railroading is about funding and where do we get it.When 9000 tons of private enterprise steel collapsed into the St Laurence river which also snuffed out 75 workmen’s lives; both the political and the railroading story was would the Canadian Government fund the Quebec Bridge. Railroading and politics are intertwined; whether we like it or not.
Fifty years ago when I was just a teeny-bopper; we watched as the Interstate Highway system was constructed with taxpayer dollars and so were airports. Intercity and Commuter rail received zero tax dollars. Remember railroads just wanted to be taxed fairly. How railroads interact with politicans should NEVER EVER be a shut down topic.!!!
I have to say that this is a very true statement. There are quite a few regular “prima donna” posters on here with equally huge egos.
Try some humility folks. It works wonders.
I don’t think this is an issue of discussion the intersection of railroading and politics. It’s a question of, how far do you let it wander? I suppose just about everything has a connection to railroading. Should we allow discussion of the International Space Station’s day-to-day operations because the station is served by shuttles that get their boosters shipped to Cape Canaveral by rail? Should we allow discussions of our favorite ways to cook a ham because the corn that fed the ham moved in a freight train? The same question goes politically. Clearly the disbursement of the HSR funds is fair game; I don’t think anybody is questioning that. But the prudence (or imprudence) of deficit spending as a national policy links only very loosely to railroads. You may disagree with how far Bergie let it wander (I don’t), but somebody has to decide when to pull on the reins and bring things back to railroading. It’s a thankless job, but I’m glad there are folks out there to do it. So let me take this opportunity to say thanks, moderators, for the good job you do. It’s appreciated, I suspect, by most people on here. BTW, for fun, I just googled “political forums,” and found some interesting links. Check these out: http://www.politicalcrossfire.com/ http://www.arguewitheveryone.
Well, having worked up through the ranks of a class 1 railroad, (and still climbing the ladder), I think the moderators here have it all wrong. Railroading is ALL poiltics! We eat, sleep, breath, and work politics. Whether it be about the unions, our brothers, or the federal government, it doesn’t matter. The history of all the past fallen flags have had some of the most unsavory political corruption known to any modern government. To ban all of these topics because some of us take it personal is…well…un-american.
As I have said before, most real railroaders will not visit this site and many more like it because of the over-moderation. People get their feelings hurt…wahhhhh. Man up and deal with it! I would rather read some lively banter about how my tax dollars are being spent, rather than ANOTHER post about which is your favorite engine, fallen flag, heritage unit, etc.,etc., etc., blah, blah, blah… We are missing out on some of the best minds in the business because those with a hearty opinion are pushed away.
Just my 2 cents. I rest my case.
Foul Foul Im gonna tell…lol but on a serious note, For the longest time and even today ive never needed a Moderator, but some here seem to not function with out one. they cry as soon as something slightly is offensive to them, Grow up people, simply if something is ofensive just dont read it anymore or reply to it. there is some threads on here Ive never opened or I just didnt open up and read anything else as it was off topic or just plain wasting my time. I could be getting called all sorts of names ( which dont bother me anyways ) on some of these threads and i never know it. So if your having problems with subject matter dont reply to it and the post will die out but if you cant seem to controll the need to read or cry fould because of someone elses veiw of railroads, politics, or you then you are the person with the problem.
and tree your wrong im right… naner naner naner
FWIW Bucyrus,
I think that your assessment was spot on right up until you concluded that Bergie’s motives were one of service to liberal agenda.
it’s been abundantly clear to me that his agenda is one of buffering forum content to numb any affect onto some thin skinned conser
I am sure you have your sources, but I find it hard to accept.
You must be confused about the forum you are posting to…wouldn’t that be the one where all the “best minds in the business” go, the place where they can “man up” and be like the people you want them to be? Here we expect people to conduct themselves like real men and women and discuss things civilly and, when they do, within the rules posted here.
*(Blahs are mine.)
If I really believed you, I would be inclined to think it is because too many posters pollute the perfectly good discussions with their own political leanings and can’t just stick to the topics as headlined in the originators’ threads. Why should the sharp minds bother if someone is going to turn their thoughts into a political football?
IOW, the sharp minds won’t let you have it both ways.
-Crandell
But surely you must realize Andy, that at those political forums, recalcitrant opinion is about all you will find. You might go there and get a good argument, but you’re not going to change many minds. Most regulars in such places generally are preoccupied with defending their preferred position on any given matter, and not at all interested in learning.
In contrast, for the person actually hoping to change some minds, a forum such as this could be a cornucopia of potential fence sitters just waiting to have someone provide additional info they need to resolve an informed opinion. [angel]
I just gotta point out that Murph’s post in that locked thread did NOT contain the word “bridge” either. [:-,]
As I said earlier - let’s discuss the issues on their merits.
My pointing out that your guy’s policies stink because he’s just a lousy person serves no purpose but to inflame. Now you’re mad at me and your response will be to attack me, not argue the original point.
On the other hand, my pointing out that the policy itself (whatever it happens to be that we’re discussing) in a bad one because it’s built on faulty information, et al, together with my arguments as to why I feel a different policy would be better, and may sway you to change your opinion on the matter.
Or you may point out why the information really isn’t faulty, etc, and so on.
Now we’re having a healthy debate. One that isn’t likely to get locked.
Rats! You caught me! [(-D]