04-20-2019, 11:56 AM
(04-20-2019, 03:49 AM)Classic-Xer Wrote:(04-20-2019, 12:10 AM)taramarie Wrote:Listening is one thing. Agreeing with and accepting what you've been told, heard or read is another thing. I've been accused of not listening for not agreeing. I've been accused of racism for not agreeing, I've been accused of being evil for not agreeing. It's childish but it happens a lot as you may have heard or read yourself. In America, the left and right actually know each other pretty well these days. Lots of video cameras and lots of forums like these and lots of information available to read and so forth.(04-19-2019, 05:43 PM)David Horn Wrote:Oh yes definitely both have people who do not want to listen as I have had extremely toxic lefties call me racist and blocked me when missing my point on a certain topic which left me completely confused, and on the other hand I have actually had right wingers who were losing their shit calling me a communist who is wishing to see America burn, that I hate America and they also blocked me, oh and some very religious right wingers too who were rather unhappy to the point they blocked. Its ok, I get it. They need inner peace. I don't hold anything against them for it. Kind of like Eric actually. He too needs inner peace and doesn't like to be told what he does not agree with. There can be problems of creating bubbles this way and lack of communication. But I get it all the same. But to say its all rather one sided is short sighted of xer to say this when the cognitive dissonance runs on both sides of the coin in his country as is true in most countries.(04-18-2019, 08:05 PM)Classic-Xer Wrote: Fox News already has quite a few Democratic commentators/contributors on its payroll. You just don't see many irrational liberals who are more interested in screaming and yelling and being rude and drawing attention to themselves these days. I assume that you're not a regular viewer. I assume if you were, you would know Fox News has several and you wouldn't view the hiring of another as a big deal. Me, I think Fox News is pretty fair and balanced compared to CNN and MSNBC.
The liberals that are left are in the news department, but, to my knowledge, all had departed the opinion and punditry parts of the organization. Having a POV as a straight journalist hardly counts.
Classic-Xer Wrote:Conservatives aren't afraid of other opinions. We may not be interested in them or view them as legitimate or applicable or relevant but we aren't afraid of them. How many conservatives are you aware of who couldn't handle opinions and placed a liberal on ignore? Have I ever cowered to your opinion or a liberal group who shared your opinion or a rather large forum that was packed with liberals who shared the same negative opinions as you about conservatives?
Good for you, but you're atypical. To be honest, many liberals are also intolerant.
Generally, people do not engage outside of their bubble today. You can on this forum sometimes. But even when the left and right engage each other, they rarely are able to learn from the other's point of view. Written comments on social media do not usually penetrate to the level of values and ideology. It takes direct and emotionally-touching experiences to shift political opinions. Maybe among scientists or scholars such verbal dialogues can shift opinions on facts and logic. But most people are not part of those select communities. The right does not appear interested in what scientists say either. So no, I don't think the left and right understand each other very well today. Naturally, I think the left understands the right more than vice-versa, but neither side is very adept at this, generally-speaking today, in my opinion.
I never block or resent someone for expressing a different opinion from mine, even if my arguments might get sharp at times. I block people sometimes for other reasons. I prefer participating in forums where opinions differ.