politics should not be discussed online

sj.brodie

If what we want is to diffuse progressive ideas into society, then why the hell are we discussing those ideas online, with people we don't know and will probably never meet or understand. We cannot agree on many issues with people from different states, or even continents. Surely nobody beleives that some kind of consensus can be reached by this means, resulting in social change, or whatever practical outcome is desired.

I believe most of us already have a clearer consience and morality than our parents and our capacity for change is being wasted on these pointless arguments on the internet. I just don't see the point when it is just as easy to discuss these things with our friends, in our own commmunities. And i am talking about if we REALLY want to make a difference.

What do you say?

Commy

sj.brodie wrote:

If what we want is to diffuse progressive ideas into society, then why the hell are we discussing those ideas online, with people we don't know and will probably never meet or understand. We cannot agree on many issues with people from different states, or even continents. Surely nobody beleives that some kind of consensus can be reached by this means, resulting in social change, or whatever practical outcome is desired.

I believe most of us already have a clearer consience and morality than our parents and our capacity for change is being wasted on these pointless arguments on the internet. I just don't see the point when it is just as easy to discuss these things with our friends, in our own commmunities. And i am talking about if we REALLY want to make a difference.

What do you say?

the sharing of ideas is the pre-requisite for social change.

LikeAnOpeningBandForTheSun

and the internet changes things a hell of a lot more than sharing ideas with your friends, most of whom probably already share many of the same ideas.

FinsburyParkCarrots

The same could be said for any forum where ideas or information are exchanged and community is virtual.

I don't think ideological change comes about via directly forceful political or social action, anyway. In failed communist revolutions, the socio-economic base supplanted the superstructure, but the hierarchical nature of society remained intact because there was no revolution in ideas. Revolutions in thought take time, and the internet is a powerful instrument of change. Read "The Long Revolution" by Raymond Williams. It was written the best part of fifty years ago but it details very cleverly the history of the relationship between print and social activism: following on from Williams, we might argue in favour of the internet's subversive potentiality, in that it plays a big role in a communal synthesis of agendas for social change.

sj.brodie

MrSmith wrote:

and the internet changes things a hell of a lot more than sharing ideas with your friends, most of whom probably already share many of the same ideas.

But don't most of us share the same idea that governments are no longer needed to protect us from crime since they act violently and commit crime themselves?

FinsburyParkCarrots

sj.brodie wrote:

But don't most of us share the same idea that governments are no longer needed to protect us from crime since they act violently and commit crime themselves?

Nope.

norm

sj.brodie wrote:

But don't most of us share the same idea that governments are no longer needed to protect us from crime since they act violently and commit crime themselves?

ah, no.....



the internet is good news/bad news when it comes to politics.....you can learn a lot more from various sources and put together a better idea of what your befliefs are......unfortunately there is a lot of unless bickering and name calling that gets in the way of true debate which makes it more difficult to form said opinion....

cornnifer

It has often been said that one should not engage in political discussions with family and friends. i personally find their to be some wisdom in THAT. Thats why i enjoy reading and posting here. It allows me the option of having discussions i've learned the hard way to stay away from with family and friends. If i piss off my wife's aunt, for example, that's bad news, if i piss off someone here, oh well.

Abookamongstthemany

You make a difference one mind at a time, with one idea shared that wasn't there before. It makes no difference if it's in person or over the internet. I like to do both. I think people are more apt to give you a good listen here compared to talking to a group of people where if one in the group shuts out your ideas there's a good chance their friends will follow suit. Here people can take in information on an individual basis and decide for themselves.

Gmoney

I have found of recent that I have as many engaging conversations online as I do in the real world. The current election seems to have a younger audience than normal, and this audience communicates on the net.