This started out as a reply to the Live Earth thread (I'm not sure about the concert, but I hope they manage to do some good), but the bulk of what I was saying seemed like it belonged elsewhere. So I'm giving it its own thread. I'm hoping, based on past threads, that we can have a civil discussion instead of the flaming snarkfest you could expect on your average message board.
It seems to me that, unfortunately, people these days (on whatever side) just make up their minds about stuff one way or the other and that's about it. There's so much information floating around that you can basically just pick and choose. Stick with the sources that agree with you, and you can justify any belief you want without having to consider the other side. Doesn't help that there only seem to be two sides, which are becoming more and more polarized.
It's unfortunate, and I'd like to talk about that. See if we can, in some small way, change that trend.
But I'd also like to talk about mockery.
This part's kind of tricky. See, I enjoy things like The Daily Show and The Colbert Report. I find them to be witty and satisfying. Jon Stewart is intelligent, savvy, and well-informed. Colbert... it's hard to tell, sometimes, given all the acting and clowning he does, but I enjoy the show, in any case.
I like laughing about the stupid stuff people (any people) are trying to pull. Much better than getting angry over it (though possibly getting angry would be the more productive course). But I watch those shows at home, and talk and laugh about them with friends who agree with my views.
In non-political spaces, places with "mixed company," like these boards, I tend to either logically disagree with opposing viewpoints or, more and more often, just keep quiet.
I may be biased, but it seems to be the way most of "the left" handles it. Some of "the right" does the same.
But there's another approach. And, again, I may be biased, but it seems like more of the people on "the right" do it than "the left."
That approach is to jump in and mock the things you disagree with, even in "mixed company." Just start snarking away. Sometimes with nothing else to the post. Or maybe with some links to supporting material tacked on.
I don't know which is better. I don't like laughing about people behind their backs, and I guess you could sort of say that's what the former approach is. But I also don't like hurting, insulting, and provoking people.
I laugh at the jokes I agree with, but find the ones from the other side to be obnoxious. (I'm guessing they feel the same.) But I don't want to respond because I don't feel like picking a fight and don't think that, given how entrenched we all our in our views, anything productive would likely come of it. I also find that those posts tend to anger me, and I know better than to post when angry (most of the time...). So I stay quiet, and more snark starts to pour in. (Or just more people who add little more than "Haha! You're so right!")
So... I don't know. I want to promote discussion. Open minds. Get an exchange of ideas going. Fight the polarization. But I don't know how to do it. And it seems like the closest we get to an overture is... open mockery. At least it's a stated view that you can respond to.
There's got to be some better response to the other side than laughing at them and being a jerk about it (in public or otherwise). There used to be, I think, but we seem to have forgotten how it works.
What do you guys think?
Paul
