Ahmadinejad, Good Germans , the candidate of your choice and one track minds....

[renie408]

Today while I was driving around living my little life and running my little errands, I was thinking about several of the discussion/arguments that have occurred here. I am struck by a mental tendency that I have seen in many of these discussions. It stands out to me because it is something I had previously subscribed to people from 'the other side'. It is a tendency to only see a subject in one light and to extrapolate either ALL good things or ALL bad things about that subject, depending on the light in which it is seen.

Take Ahmadinejad. Some people see him as BAD. I think he is, over all, a pretty ruthless person. He knows how he wants things to be and he doesn't give two shits who he has to kill or subjugate to get there. That is bad. BUT...he is intelligent. He has made intelligent comments with which I agree. Does that mean that I think he is a great guy and want to have him babysit the kids? No. It means that I understand the point he is trying to make by refusing to acknowledge Israel as a country (Israel is another subject that tends to be seen in black and white). Do I agree with his point? I don't know.

The same thing happens when people defend their chosen candidates. They have decided that Candidate X is the best person to be the Democratic nominee. And, by god, they will defend every single thing Candidate X says or does with their LIFE. No matter whether it was stupid or misguided. They will jump through hoops to try and make them seem PERFECT.

And the Good German thing...there are reasonable limits to free speech (Hate speech and inciting to riot come to mind). I promise, somebody can think it is better to deliver a message civilly and without resisting arrest without being a 'Good German'. You can even think the phrase 'good German' is obnoxious without being a fascist appeaser.

Nothing is black and white. Nothing. The Jena 6 kids are not completely without blame. Does that mean they should go to jail for 22 years? Hell no. It means that they, and all things, should be judged fairly and with an open mind.

Good/bad, black/white, good German/good Democrat...that is the kind of thinking I expect from 'them', not from 'us'. Try to consider ALL of what someone is saying when you read their post. Don't just latch onto one phrase or sentence. I know everybody here doesn't do that, but enough are to be disturbing.

[againes654]

1. I was thinking the same thing

but you articulate it so much better than I ever could have. Thank you!

[renie408]

2. I have been noticing many disturbing similarities between

what I used to think of as 'freepers' and some of the stuff I read on the DU. It makes me realize that both parties and all discussions are made up of people. And people tend to have certain ways of approaching things. So, we have 'freeper' Democrats. They think the same way as freeper Republicans, just on the other side of the argument. I have also seen a lot of Democratic cognitive dissonance.

[againes654]

4. It is very disturbing

We downgrade our arguments when we take an all or nothing attitude. That applies to everything. If a black person "uses the race card" when it really wasn't a racial issue, it downgrades racial issues in general and therefore when it is a true racial issue some think that "the race card is being played" and don't give the issue much weight.

Same thing here, if we say, the right can't censure our freedom of speech, but then try to censure someone elses speech, it downgrades the issue of free speech. We have to be open. If you believe in free speech, that doesn't mean that you agree with the speech, just that you agree said person has the right to make the speech.

I am very anti-war, but that doesn't mean I don't support our troops. The right is very guilty of this, and we rip them apart for it.

We as a people have to learn to look deeper, learn more about those that we are critizing. There are many many cultures in this world that are very different ours. Hell, there are many different cultures in this one country. We can't assume that because we don't believe in something that it is wrong.

I personally don't like cats, but that doesn't mean that I hate all people that own cats. I own a dog, but I would hope that cat lovers don't hate me for it. Just an example.

[renie408]

6. Or if I say, "I like cats." and someone responds, "Why do you condone torture??"

Because cats like to play with things before they kill them.

[monktonman]

3. I've been talking about that all day

seems to be a your with us or against us mentality here at du lately
and its growing rapidly.

I'm sure I'm probably guilty in some way as well.

[blondeatlast]

5. Sometimes we see ourselves when we look through the windows (at the RW nutjobs).

You said it beautifully--but beware of the college professor who seems to do keyword searches on *THAT* phrase that I refuse to write any longer.

[Bluerthanblue]

7. well said and

i strongly agree. I've felt this way for quite a while myself.

:hi:
peace~