Trigger Warning
Member
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Why does GAF lean so much to the left in politics?
- Thread starter Schattenjäger
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oh come on. who is actually getting banned because of conservative political views? people get banned because they break the tos.
There are lots of well-reasoned conservative posts made. The difference is that you can only defend the right-wing view to a point here...if you don't back down, and people get worked into a frenzy because of it, it's labeled as trolling.
Phoenician_Viking
Banned
That´s stupid thing to say and very offensive.
saltinekracka
Member
And yet it is somehow okay to stereotype like this. lol
Keru_Shiri
Member
I consider myself a lefty. I made a remark in one of the Julian Assange threads, and had people jumping on me. You know why? I had little to back up my statement. That's something I've noticed in most of the threads I visit. The "lefties" are all to willing to cite sources and studies, while a bunch of the "righties" want to make drive-by posts without having to substantiate their claims. A few right-wingers due put in the necessary to leg work to at least back up their claims and continue posting, and I have seen several lefties banned for going at folks too viciously as well.
So we're even. Now are you convinced that theology is a good basis for governance due to your experience in Indonesia, or what?
blame space
Banned
even our avatars are on the left.
Well yes, socially. Sure there might be steps back once in a while, but generally it's pretty clear that society has been getting more liberal. Social conservatism has time and time again been proven wrong by history.
As for gaf, I get that it's intimidating for conservative members to argue when they are so outnumbered, it's diffcult to respond to everyone. On the other hand, lots of them are far to quick to pull out the persecution card in order to bail out in an debate they're losing.
People getting worked into a frenzy should not be any concern of the person posting, and certainly doesn't result in bans as long as the person doesn't break the TOS. Now, the TOS are pretty liberal in the US, but pretty moderate elsewhere. And I have yet to see any poster banned for political views posted in good faith.
Just becuase it is a stereotype does not mean it is not correct.
Agreed in all regards.
The most educated people I know lean right. Professors, architects etc.. I also know several smart people who lean left, but the smartest lean right. Completely anecdotal.
GAF leans left because of the hive mind and acceptance. Those who lean right are singled out and ridiculed here so its no wonder that others just learn to keep their mouth shut and not bother. When it takes 2 years to get your account approved is it really worth risking a perma ban trying to voice your opinion against a crowd with pitchforks? Because of this, arguments are one-sided and the left feel safe in numbers, safe expressing more radical opinions without fear of retaliation.
You wouldn't see the majority of GAF bother posting on right leaning forums for the same reasons, they wouldn't bother because they would be out numbered.
And this, gone are the days of having an opinion. These days if your opinion differs or offends someone.. its labeled discrimination and people are banned. Some people are completely and utterly blind to this and simply cannot understand that some opinions are absolutely not discrimination ... but, like I said .. hive mind, safety in numbers etc.. Its horribly lop-sided and unrealistic. The real world doesn't work that way, and trying to pretend that GAF is magic rainbowland where nobody gets their feelings hurt is basically the root of why this forum is left leaning.
Because thats how its moderated.
Singled out, backed into a corner and poked with a stick until they break. Like I said, most right leaners here have learned that opening your mouth means you get gang raped.
I'm as liberal as they come, but I can't stand left leaning sites like motherjones or dailykos. Just curious if there is a liberal site similar to theblaze.com?
I think that there's probably a range of interlinked reasons.
But one reason seems to be that US politics in particular conflates social, moral and fiscal issues. So for example, a poor white working-class American might vote for the Republican Party, and therefore against their class interests, because he/she is worried about gay marriage, gun legislation and prayer in schools.
ThisWreckage
Banned
I absolutely love how the U.S. has turned its people against one another with the two party system. People are too busy name-calling, slinging mud, and arguing about pointless bullshit to realize what is happening. Throw in distractions like text messaging and television and you have nearly an entire country getting ream and they don't even know it.
dinazimmerman
Incurious Bastard
One possible reason why young people tend to be more leftist is that young people are generally poorer.
Well it's not the left's fault that the republican party continuously opposes any lgbt right law.
I am sure there are tolerant right wingers yet their parties are consistent in this behavior, creating the stereotype.
XANDER CAGE
Member
Punditry is pretty stupid no matter which side they're on. I avoid reading them and try just reading the news from places like BBC international and such. News sites have their own problems, but at least they're not all trying to be the cleverest little hippie or the biggest strongest conservative.
Hellsing321
Member
The democrats haven't gotten further left. If anything they've moved more to the right. Its the republican party that has gone crazy running full sprint to the right.
You do realise that GAF is a message board, right? And not subject to your views on how reality should work?
ComputerMKII
Banned
True enough.
I rarely express my political opinions here because, let's face it, if you're a liberal, my arguments aren't likely to make you change, and I'm not willing to change my political affiliation either, so I see no point in debating to begin with.
Why aren't you offended by all the people generalizing the right as "stupid" or "mysoginist"?
Generalizations are small minded and myopic, but are so REGARDLESS of who says them.
Trigger Warning
Member
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paparazzo
Member
Yup. Not that I'm super political anyway. Plus the GOP is pretty much a joke these days.
Someone who favors the Republican party absolutely necessarily supports theocratic policies.
Schattenjäger
Gabriel Knight
Will we ever have a real 3rd party ? I can't see this country surviving without one at this point.
saltinekracka
Member
Just because it's correct doesn't mean it's right.
The GOP has turned into a party of religious bigotry, sexism, racism, anti-intellectualism, and class warfare.
This has pushed out the majority of non biggoted moderates and young people like me who happen to be slightly conservative economically but care about the rights of gay's and women.
This has pushed out the majority of non biggoted moderates and young people like me who happen to be slightly conservative economically but care about the rights of gay's and women.
Schattenjäger
Gabriel Knight
That is not true at all.
One thing I've noticed is that the Democratic Party is much more broader in its political spectrum, practically encompassing social democrats, centrists and Euro-liberals under one big umbrella.
I don't think the modern Republican Right is comparable to any mainstream European political party, especially because of its extremely socially conservative wing.
I don't think the modern Republican Right is comparable to any mainstream European political party, especially because of its extremely socially conservative wing.
Which side is it that supports:
1. No discrimination against LGBT community?
2. Gay marriage?
3. Decriminalization of Marijuana?
4. Teaching theory of evolution in school?
5. No racism subtle or otherwise?
6. Further research into curbing global warming as opposed to denying it?
7. Pro choice (and pro life to a reasonable extent)?
8. No war with Iran or backing Israel if they are the belligerent party?
And many others I can't think of. In US, the right wing party is represented by certain right wing extremists and the democratic party is largely right wing on certain key policies lending a rather central right characteristic. However, GAF is largely left wing as its expressed ideologically. Tomorrow if the right and left switched sides so would GAF.
EDIT: Note that I am not an American and so most of what I have seen of America is from blogs, news as an outsider.
1. No discrimination against LGBT community?
2. Gay marriage?
3. Decriminalization of Marijuana?
4. Teaching theory of evolution in school?
5. No racism subtle or otherwise?
6. Further research into curbing global warming as opposed to denying it?
7. Pro choice (and pro life to a reasonable extent)?
8. No war with Iran or backing Israel if they are the belligerent party?
And many others I can't think of. In US, the right wing party is represented by certain right wing extremists and the democratic party is largely right wing on certain key policies lending a rather central right characteristic. However, GAF is largely left wing as its expressed ideologically. Tomorrow if the right and left switched sides so would GAF.
EDIT: Note that I am not an American and so most of what I have seen of America is from blogs, news as an outsider.
Almost every controversial Republican stance on social issues has theocratic basis, in what way is it not true?
tearsofash
Member
I couldn't imagine a right-wing GAF. The arguments in old Jack Thompson threads would've been excellent.
Choke on the Magic
Banned
I'm independent as well and it's easy to get ridiculed for being in the middle. I think it has a lot to due with the many different countries GAFFERS are from.
Really that's casual people reading Yahoo or Google or MSN news than avid web surfers.
Pretty much, most of our right wingers would never vote Republican.
European right is alright, it's the extreme right that's reviled. The extreme right don't seem to have proper direction next to hating on Immigration, Europe, thinking that racial profiling is a good idea, etc. They can even be extremely socialist in other places. The current extreme right has pretty much destroyed what left or right really means. There's an extreme left as well they seem to want to pay for anything and everything, they don't really say offensive stuff though so aren't really hated. Of course I'm speaking from what I know, Europe is a very diverse place.
Yes to all three. Keep in mind also that there are many GAFfers who are not in the US, and the US has one of the most right-wing political systems in the world.
blame space
Banned
and for that matter, why do chain emails lean so much to the right?
It's not a stereotype. I mean if it had reversed, would you have called it a stereotype?
Liberals are more likely than conservatives to be for civil rights, the women's movement, the GLBT movement and therefore not banned for that stuff.
Personally, the sentence still sucks. However, when you have a comparative, ie more likely than, it doesn't mean that one is being stereotyped, just that those issues are bound to be more prevalent in one more than the other. That's why it's used in news and research papers so often.
Schattenjäger
Gabriel Knight
It all depends on what is important to the individual. Some people are indifferent to social issues and support the GOP based solely on non social issues. I am sure there are many atheist republicans.
Is it really unfair to generalize the right as "anti-gay rights"?
Sure, you could argue that not everyone in the right wing feels that way, but that's in the basic platform.
So wait. What do you think of Sarah Palin?
dinazimmerman
Incurious Bastard
i dunno but old people use email a lot
I agree with this - don't ban me...
Because you can't go FW:FW:FW:FW:FW:FW:FW without being right.
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