Who fires the first shot?

[PoetPhilosopher]

I'm creating a poll - it won't be a perfect poll based on the majority of RF being Left - but a poll where I ask who usually fires the first shot in terms of heated RF political discussion - the Left or the Right?

I'll be honest. I'm going to vote that my own side tends to fire the first shot the most. But I also think the Right does fire the first shot sometimes, then tends to downplay it when it happens.

Even so, I sympathize with the Right, here. They may see me as a part of the problem, but in trying to be more bipartisan / not cause partisan chaos, you have to start somewhere. One of you has to extend hand to the other to shake sometimes, even if it can be hard. And even if mutual agreement on subjects is a highly gradual thing.

 

[VoidCat]

It depends on the issue

 

[Stevicus]

I'm creating a poll - it won't be a perfect poll based on the majority of RF being Left - but a poll where I ask who usually fires the first shot in terms of heated RF political discussion - the Left or the Right?

I'll be honest. I'm going to vote that my own side tends to fire the first shot the most. But I also think the Right does fire the first shot sometimes, then tends to downplay it when it happens.

Even so, I sympathize with the Right, here. They may see me as a part of the problem, but in trying to be more bipartisan / not cause partisan chaos, you have to start somewhere. One of you has to extend hand to the other to shake sometimes, even if it can be hard. And even if mutual agreement on subjects is a highly gradual thing.

I think every political faction has its share of hotheads and counter-punchers. I can't really say who fires the first shot, as it can often be in the eye of the beholder. Sometimes, it might start with someone saying something a wee bit provocative, but someone might be provoked more than what one might expect, and then the fireworks fly.

It might be something similar to road rage, except it's on the information superhighway and not a regular superhighway.

 

[PoetPhilosopher]

I found this article: What Are Ways to Discuss Politics in a Respectful Manner?

 

[Stevicus]

I found this article: What Are Ways to Discuss Politics in a Respectful Manner?

When I was a kid, every time my family would gather, they would invariably end up talking politics. And everyone was pretty argumentative and headstrong. Then, politics was often discussed in school, though later in life, I tended to avoid political discussions with people of a certain personality type which one might consider "volatile." Not necessarily because of their actual political beliefs, though. If someone can discuss things calmly and rationally, it doesn't matter if I agree with them or not.

 

[Kooky]

Even so, I sympathize with the Right, here.

Why?

 

[sun rise]

I read and voted on the poll based on physical shooting not RF debates.

 

[Kooky]

I found this article: What Are Ways to Discuss Politics in a Respectful Manner?

One possible answer not necessarily contained in the article: Don't break down politics as a dualistic, quasimanichaean struggle between two opposed monolithic blocs.

People are incredibly diverse in their political leanings, and one of the least respectful thing one can do is assume somebody's beliefs and political positions before one has even heard them speak their part.

 

[PoetPhilosopher]

Why?

To elaborate, if we factor in who's more harsh, I'm not sure there's a winner, or it's something I don't wish to investigate further due to time constraints and lack of interest. But RF probably has like twice as many on the Left as the Right. I think you might be surprised there.

Because of this, the Right may experience more backlash than the Left.

 

[Unveiled Artist]

I found this article: What Are Ways to Discuss Politics in a Respectful Manner?

Ohh. RF need practice with these.

 

[Kooky]

To elaborate, if we factor in who's more harsh, I'm not sure there's a winner, or it's something I don't wish to investigate further due to time constraints and lack of interest. But RF probably has like twice as many on the Left as the Right. I think you might be surprised there.

Because of this, the Right may experience more backlash than the Left.

Did you arrive at this calculation by looking at the Political Compass thread? Because I can already tell from looking at it that only a small fraction of even the regulars in the politics forum, let alone the majority of posters here, even took part in that survey.

Several prominent members here are strongly conservative folks, and we even have a few outspoken fascists and ethno-nationalists in here, although I suppose Americans still believe that fascism is "leftist".

What you may instead find is that there is a very small number of very active posters, who happen to mostly be centrist-liberals (i.e. hard left by the skewed standards of the Midwestern US that seems to be prevalent here). Another possible point may be your own background - for example, people who were brought up in strongly conservative, religiously fundamentalist areas such as the rural US may feel like most people in the world are to the left of the politics they've grown up to be familiar with.

For example, only in certain parts of the US is a publically funded health insurance system considered a radical leftist project; for most people in the West, it's just the normal state of affairs they grew up with - including many conservatives.

 

[VoidCat]

I read and voted on the poll based on physical shooting not RF debates.

Ah but very far left would shoot too.

 

[PoetPhilosopher]

What you may instead find is that there is a very small number of very active posters, who happen to mostly be centrist-liberals (i.e. hard left by the skewed standards of the Midwestern US that seems to be prevalent here) alongside your own conservative upbringing making you feel like most people in the world are to the left of the politics you've grown up to be familiar with.

Wait. Are we talking about my own ideology and upbringing, or talking in general?

 

[Kooky]

Wait. Are we talking about my own ideology and upbringing, or talking in general?

Both? Perception is highly subjective. I can guarantee you that I see this forum very differently, based on my personal upbringing, educational background, the social environment I grew up in - and of course, my totally bonkers, lunatic fringe political beliefs

I also see that there is a load of people with very strongly religiously fundamentalist beliefs who don't tend to take part in a lot of political discussions on these boards at all, but based on their comments regarding issues like homosexuality, trans issues etc. I could make a good guess where they'd land on the continuum.

 

[Deidre]

It’d be refreshing to see who stops “shooting,” first.

 

[Twilight Hue]

I'm creating a poll - it won't be a perfect poll based on the majority of RF being Left - but a poll where I ask who usually fires the first shot in terms of heated RF political discussion - the Left or the Right?

I'll be honest. I'm going to vote that my own side tends to fire the first shot the most. But I also think the Right does fire the first shot sometimes, then tends to downplay it when it happens.

Even so, I sympathize with the Right, here. They may see me as a part of the problem, but in trying to be more bipartisan / not cause partisan chaos, you have to start somewhere. One of you has to extend hand to the other to shake sometimes, even if it can be hard. And even if mutual agreement on subjects is a highly gradual thing.

The left by far.

Tally up the threads.

Evidence speaks for itself.

 

[Kooky]

Speaking of issues, our own upbringing and our social environment of course strongly influences which issues we see as dominant as to where we perceive somebody to be on the political spectrum. If for example the right to protest is close to one's heart, one would perceive the politics of this forum very differently than, say, an islamophobic atheist.

 

[PoetPhilosopher]

Both? Perception is highly subjective. I can guarantee you that I see this forum very differently, based on my personal upbringing, educational background, the social environment I grew up in - and of course, my totally bonkers, lunatic fringe political beliefs

Well if you were referring somewhat to me, I see my own upbringing differently, and I'll explain:

I was born into a conservative family. I learned to read, add, multiply, etc, mostly from video games. Some of the harder games, not educational games like Sesame Street. More like Powerstone. Games with Japanese influences, and not just any Japanese influences, but some that might be considered liberal in the US. Stuff made by the game developers.

I was the black sheep of the family due to my liberal ideas. It wasn't until I started to rely on faith more due to not figuring life out, and becoming more a member of my family on the inside rather than on the outside looking in, that I became more conservative. I consider myself less Left than in 2020, but also less authoritarian.

 

[Twilight Hue]

Ohh. RF need practice with these.

It would get boring.

Nobody would watch the fun anymore.

 

[Kooky]

It’d be refreshing to see who stops “shooting,” first.

Usually the shooting stops when nobody is left.