Is there any place for conspiracy theory in political debate?

Actually, I think that's what you're doing. What did you just do to Fyrenza? Or doesn't that count?

I mean, what do you call this thread? I know you didn't write it, but for the most part you are in agreement with the OP, who is "hell-bent on ganging up on everyone that doesn't agree with him." This is obvious, so you probably should have directed that question at Balbus.

I am not ganging up on anyone. I am asking people to defend their claims, much like people ask of me when I mention my "conspiracy theories."

 

No. I'm pretty sure that YOU are trying to gang up on people who don't support your views on conspiracy theory.

You've arleady called everyone who doesn't support them "zombies" and "stupid". You accuse people of being Zionist neo-cons, you hijack threads like this one to smear Zionist conspiracies over a forum debate, and you tally people's views as if they are all standing behind everything that you are saying about your great conspiracy agenda.

Are you a talking head or a mouthpiece for squashing any intelligent political debate?

Seriously. We can't keep all and every conspiracy theory you are able to throw out and claim it as "political-conspiracy-fact". We just can't.

Either get over it that yes, sometimes your threads are going to be moved or find something more constructive to do with your time.

 

You are in the minority here, Aristartle. Stop referring to yourself as "we."

I never tallied anyone according to whether they agree with what I say, but whether they agree with the OP's proposal regarding threads being prohibited and/or moved based on their content. THAT is what I was doing when I took the tally. But once again you spin things to fit your agenda and in the process reveal your true colors. I never called anyone a "zombie" other than those who attacked me first as a "conspiracy loon" or "crackpot." I also refer to the general public as being dumbed-down and zombified because they are. That, however, is not a personal attack.

I would not be arguing with you like this, because frankly I do not enjoy it at all. But your arguments are just so flimsy and weak, and you always find a way to spin things and twist people's words to fit your personal objective.

Like I said before, I will not be coming here much longer. Some of us are going to find a place where we can discuss real issues without our opinions being censored by Orwellian thought police.

 

I'm sorry that you feel that way.

 

Ari, YOU hi-jack threads with your pet issues all the time, too!

We ALL do, to some extent or another.

But moving Political threads to the Conspiracy forum...

i've been in there, and the Politics isn't going to blend in very well...

Not to speak of the fact that this Politics forum IS going to get awfully quiet,

and whatever powers that be (Skip) probably aren't going to be too happy to learn that a bunch of forum supporters are packing up camp and moving on down the road.

 

erm, well I left after getting sick of every thread turning into something about the imminent new world order....

and I don't think I'm alone.

 

Feel free to continue to start up political threads here, and conspiracy threads in the conspiracy forum.

I don't think I can make myself anymore clear than what I have already said in this thread.

You seem to have already started up a thread in the Conspiracy Forum about what's going on here, and several frequent posters there have been posting in this thread. I don't see this phenomenon as being a threat to either Forum on this site.

Both can thrive.

 

And you honestly found that you just couldn't like skim over those parts ~ take them with a grain of salt, so to speak?

Along with the CT, was there some sort of debate on the topic at hand?

Or just, BLAM ~ the alien abductors used their mind control on the Zionist elites who are building a New World Order? :rofl:

If the CT goes along with the topic, if you don't want to explore it, you don't have to, right? You get to believe, and say, whatever you believe.

It's just that most of politics IS riddled with CTs, and some of them are absolutely breath-taking in their scope and logic.

With Xexon, i don't think of him as an antisemite. His concerns are for American dollars (in the Billions) and American lives (troops), as well as global sentiment toward America. i understand that he has to use certain websites to get the news he's looking for ~ we're ALL having to do that, these days ~ and that he believes that Zionism is a truly horrific thing,

without assuming that he hates ALL Jewish people.

But his fixation with Zionists being in the inner circle of power, up-close and personal with the PotUS, has made me more aware, and made me wonder Why?

i can't think of any of the CTs that have been mentioned in the Politics forum that i haven't at least thought about. Some seem off-the-wall, others seem possible, still others appear to be probable ~ but if they weren't there, i wouldn't even get to WONDER about them...

 

<_>

 

Who the hell is Gary? Did you get that from the same genius who says I have the same IP address as Skip?

But people are allowed to post their thoughts and opinion if they disagree. Are you sure you understand what it being proposed here?

Who says that the only people who don't trust the government are the ones who think the space shuttle disaster what a ritual killing by a masonic cult?

 

Another day and again the conspiracy theory supporters don’t seem to have put up one rational argument why their posts should not be moved from Politics into Conspiracy.

I’ve set out my reasons for wanting them moved and the thing is that conspiracy theorists are still posting things in Politics that completely back up my argument that CT at best stifles debate and at worst derails it or stops it completely.

Here is a perfect example –

It is possible to argue for or against the merits of a socialist approach to solving the worlds problems it is impossible to have a rational and reasonable discussion with someone who is totally convinced that socialism is an invention and tool of an evil generation spanning conspiracy to take over the world and therefore the merits of socialist ideas don’t count, if you follow socialist principles you are a tool of the conspiracy, full stop end of political discussion.

A socialist can explain about socialisms aims

And the conspiracy theorist just replies – socialism is an evil tool of the conspiracy

A socialist can talk of financial reform

And the conspiracy theorist just replies – socialism is an evil tool of the conspiracy

A socialist can explain there ideas on education and employment

And the conspiracy theorist just replies – socialism is an evil tool of the conspiracy

This isn’t political debate it’s a dead end or worse an ultimatum to stop being a socialist or be labelled a willing agent of an evil conspiracy (as I have been more than once).

Can someone explain to me in what way such a conversation would be rational let alone a debate?

Someone could argue about the merits of the conspiracy theory itself, (is it really Lucifer worshippers, masons, illumanati or Zionist behind it all) but that isn’t a political debate it’s a discussion of conspiracy and shouldn’t that be something for the conspiracy forum?

 

You're a conspiracy.

 

Balbus: Since all conspiracy theories are primarily based on circumstantial data and the proposition of questions, then no, it has no place in a rational discussion about politics. I have to agree with you that all it does is stifle any meanigful discussion, rendering it useless and predictable.

When you are having a discussion with someone, and their main reference source are you tube videos (if they bother backing anything they have to say at all) then you know rational discourse has left the building.

 

Balbus you have a valid debate maybe some threads should be moved..?

But not asking community opinion and just imposing a rule, is not open forum community it is Balbus dictatorship.

So YOUR forum is Not a community forum and is Not a open forum discussion it is a strange little Balbus controlled political forum. LAME…

If most people don’t like something on the Internet they IGNORE it and it drops off the page. But you continually argue with this stuff so it flourishes and stays at the top of the page and then you want to suppress it with dictatorship police force.

You really need to learn some things about internet moderation because your skills are Fail..

 

And the conspiracy theorist just replies –
THIS COUNTRY ISN'T A SOCIALIST REPUBLIC

A socialist can talk of financial reform

And the conspiracy theorist just replies –
OUR BANKS AREN'T SOCIALIZED

A socialist can explain there ideas on education and employment

And the conspiracy theorist just replies –
EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT??? YOU MEAN INDOCTRINATION AND SLAVERY?

And then the socialist goes crying to the Mod, and the Mod (NOT Balbus nor Ari)

MOVES THE FREAKIN' THREAD TO THE SOCIALISM FORUM

where it actually BELONGS.

 

Fy

But Socialism is part of the politics forum.

The thing is I don’t think it would have been different the conspiracy theorist would still not debate socialism’s merits but instead continue to reply – socialism is an evil tool of the conspiracy.
I've begun a post for your other comments so we can discuss them

Lets's talk
http://www.hipforums.com/newforums/showthread.php?p=5202844#post5202844


Zihger

The rule has been in place for a few years now well before the present Politics Forum Guidelines (stuck at the top of the main page) which was written two years ago.

And it might surprise you to know that I asked Skip to create a conspiracy forum so that CT’s could have somewhere to go.

 

So.. you have the Power to bypass community?

And that makes it all fine to dictate a forum? That is supposed to be “free speech”?

 

Hey, Socialism has it's OWN forum, right?

And that was my point ~ EVERY thread in Politics could be moved to another forum, because of what is being discussed.

THAT was the beauty of the Politics forum ~ they all came together, ALL of the opinions, ALL of the ideas, ALL of the "theories." The Politics forum was always busy, with lots of new threads and posts, because no matter what "sub-category" it was, if it was Political, we could put it here. (Let me add ~ and everyone could see it.)

Balbus, when you start trying to seperate two things that are intrinsically intertwined, man, you are in for the nightmare of your life... Especially if any one of us disgruntled members decides to raise cane by demanding that each post be moved to the forum it is "most" covered by.

This also smacks of public "punishment" of a member, and a supporter, at that. That, my friend, is no bueno por nada. (not good for anything) It makes prospective supporters a little nervous to think that, even if they pay for membership, they don't have "rights," and could be treated this same way one day,

and makes current supporters take a long, hard look at the benefits they are actually enjoying for their investment.

If everyone thinks i agree with everything i read on here, i've got news for you ~

i don't.

i DO, however, try to see things from the other side of the argument, and if the concerns are valid, imho, i think about it from that viewpoint for a while.

THEN, i make up my mind, and, for the most part, unless it's something i'm particularly interested in, just skim over any parts that refer to it,

understanding that THAT member gets to say what s/he wants.

Quotes are our friends ~> you can skip over whole pages of posts by using the Quote button, AND address just the issue you choose to. You can get the thread back on topic, or follow an off-shoot into a different discussion ~ your choice.

But, folks? You've just GOT to go with the flow...

 

The forum I moderate at (Neighborhood 99) has always been a warm, fuzzy, no drama allowed type of place. So, pretty much since it's inception the rules have included no discussion whatsoever of politics or religion. Can get too heated, right? Well, the owner of the forum wanted to revisit those rules and first discussed it in the back room with us mods. After deciding that opening up a forum for 'touchy subjects' wasn't such a bad idea, the staff took it to the forum members and asked them what they thought, and what they'd like to see in their forum.

I'm just sayin....

 

That's what this whole thread is about.