Can you be critical of your own side?

[Anomalism]

So you've got nothing huh? Props

I'm not a big enough asshole to sit here and pretend I have all the answers. I'm just watching.

 

[sparky]

Actually bothsidesism is a Giant cop out.

well maybe i'll understand it , if you'd take the time to 'splain it Blister....~S~

 

[22lcidw]

Not easy to do but I try. The Dems are too focused on things that don't affect average Americans.

We have a huge government, and it is getting larger. Facing facts and getting tougher on the social programs is a must. Progressives have little interest in this. And throwing cold water on their faces have no effect. There are able bodied people who skate and play the social program game. President Obama once stated that perhaps each person has a limit of money spent on them in their lifetimes for medical coverage. Most likely national health insurance coverage. When they reach the monetary limit set, take the pain pill. I would think a side business would start without using taxpayer funds and death would not be immediate for all.

 

[alang1216]

I agree that Democrats fucked up when they started championing the views of minority populations.

They need to shift their focus from minority rights to human rights that include minorities.

 

[Bitterhook]

I don’t actually belong to either party. I don’t have a side to defend. What I notice, consistently, is that both parties fall into the same parallel problems. Different branding, same psychology. Tribalism. No real communication across disagreements. More identity performance than actual policy thought. A lack of humility. A lack of patience. An obsession with scoring points instead of solving anything.

People talk at each other, not to each other. Both tribes reward loyalty over honesty, outrage over clarity, and certainty over curiosity. That’s not a left issue or a right issue; it’s a human issue amplified by politics.

So I’m not dodging your request; I just can’t critique my side because I don’t play for either team. What I can critique is the shared failure mode on both sides: neither one can admit when they’re wrong without feeling like they’ve betrayed their tribe. That’s the problem I’m trying to highlight.

What you are talking about is the absence of critical thinking in our current society. Critical thinking requires people to accept that they could be incorrect, or that all of their assumptions could be wrong, or at least flawed.

Moreover, it's not taught anymore as compliance has become more popular with the authoritarians that seem to be running a lot of things. It requires self-reflection and independent thinking. That's why they replaced self-confidence (internal and what we know about ourselves) with self-esteem (external and how we feel about ourselves in regard to others and society).

The obsessions, lack of humility, lack of patience, and desire to constantly be scoring points, are all products of immediate gratification. Then things are compounded as they destroy value and the pursuit of excellence, by doing things like degrading the accomplishments of women by giving the medal to a man.

People can go online and find quite a few people that agree with whatever foolish notion they may have, therefore validating their understanding no matter how messed up it may be. That validation outside their closer relationships then forces the people to push away from those in their personal lives who disagree with them, further alienating the individual, and creating more complications. Eventually most people don't respect or trust anyone that doesn't agree with them, or they will wait for someone else to speak before cherry-picking their responses in manner that won't cause the other person to blow up in their face.

It didn't happen overnight, and it has kind of gotten out from underneath us. Overall, the lack of principles and overabundance of desires that are not consistent with a better approach, are the problem. If people had those two things in check, it would at least help provide them with the proper time and encouragement necessary to slow down and think.

 

[Blisterfinger]

well maybe i'll understand it , if you'd take the time to 'splain it Blister....~S~

I'll give you a clue, it's NOT both sides. LOL.

 

[Blisterfinger]

I'm not a big enough asshole to sit here and pretend I have all the answers. I'm just watching.

That's right you have nothing. Until we come up with something else we are just going to have to strong arm the millions that Biden let in this country out. We told them we would pay them to leave remember? That didn't work.

 

[sparky]

I'll give you a clue, it's NOT both sides. LOL.

Yes it's more up/down than left/right.....if that's where you're going Blister....~S~

 

[Blisterfinger]

Yes it's more up/down than left/right.....if that's where you're going Blister....~S~

Yeah kind of a right and wrong thing honesty versus dishonesty.

 

[Bitterhook]

I'm not a big enough asshole to sit here and pretend I have all the answers. I'm just watching.

"Not to choose is to make a choice"

What you talked about in the OP was whether or not someone was willing to punch themself in the face, and that might be funny for someone just sitting there watching. Deciding when to defend or throw someone under the bus doesn't remove the points being scored, you are just asking people if they are willing to score points for the opposing team. It doesn't remove the teams from the equation either.

It's easy to keep your hands clean when you don't pitch in and do whatever you can to help clean up the mess; useless but easy.

 

[Mack The Finger]

There are useless corrupt idiots in both parties and their are hardworking decent people in both I don’t pretend like one is all good and the other all bad.

Great post blackhawk....bust off a belt for that.

 

[Correll]

I do it all the time. I think Trump overall is exactly who we need in the presidency right now. But his ego drives me nuts. And some of his ideas - 50-year-mortgages?? - are simply absurd.
I'll take him over any Democrat by a long shot, though.

Agreed.

 

[egp320i]

sure, R make some bonehead policies but D make them far worse and more often

 

[Yarddog]

I do it all the time. I think Trump overall is exactly who we need in the presidency right now. But his ego drives me nuts. And some of his ideas - 50-year-mortgages?? - are simply absurd.
I'll take him over any Democrat by a long shot, though.

I do it all the time. I think Trump overall is exactly who we need in the presidency right now. But his ego drives me nuts. And some of his ideas - 50-year-mortgages?? - are simply absurd.
I'll take him over any Democrat by a long shot, though.

I agree with you and have the same feelings. Trump is kind of an A-hole at times, says cringe worthy things at the wrong times.. there a lot of things about him that I wish was different. I wish he was more presidential and less likely to snipe someone verbally.

Thoug I do understand him being pissed off after the attempt to set him up for Russian Collussion and destroy his first presidency.

And as for swollen ego.. I do suppose it comes along as part of the package that includes his ability to survive under pressure.

He never would have been my first thought as someone to run for president but what really pulled me ove rto his side was the reaaction to him by the Democrats... that was all I needed. After seeing all th elies they constantly put out about him to destroy him... it made all the things about him that I COULD complain about very small in comparisson.

Therefore I rarely complain about Trump? why do it when we constantly are forced to defend him over the relentless B.S. ?

In this way, the Democratic party has really hurt themselves but they are entirely to stupid and greedy to see it.

 

[Correll]

...

He never would have been my first thought as someone to run for president but what really pulled me ove rto his side was the reaaction to him by the Democrats... that was all I needed. After seeing all th elies they constantly put out about him to destroy him... it made all the things about him that I COULD complain about very small in comparisson.

...

After teh lawfare and worse of the dems in response to him,


we HAD to elect him in 2020, otherwise, the dems would have been given POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT for their insanely undemocratic behavior.


As it is, we have been going TOO SOFT on these pieces of shit. They still need to pay harder.

 

[Anomalism]

"Not to choose is to make a choice"

What you talked about in the OP was whether or not someone was willing to punch themself in the face, and that might be funny for someone just sitting there watching. Deciding when to defend or throw someone under the bus doesn't remove the points being scored, you are just asking people if they are willing to score points for the opposing team. It doesn't remove the teams from the equation either.

It's easy to keep your hands clean when you don't pitch in and do whatever you can to help clean up the mess; useless but easy.

Do you know how many times I had to punch myself in the face to get to where I am? I didn’t get this perspective by sitting on the sidelines. I got it by destroying my own illusions, not someone else’s. It’s harder to confront your own bias than it is to cheer for a team. That’s the mess I’ve been cleaning up. And it’s not painless.

 

[j-mac]

This thread is hilarious….

 

[Anomalism]

This thread is hilarious….

Why?

 

[j-mac]

Why?

Just read through it…Bunch of fence sitters all hand wringing, trying to get others to self flagellate themselves….get bent.

 

[SweetSue92]

I’m not asking what you think about the people you oppose. That part’s easy. Anyone can point out flaws in their enemies. What I’m interested in is whether you can be just as honest about the people you support. Can you look at your own side and call out the weaknesses, the bad habits, the blind spots, the corruption, the parts you wish were better? Most people claim they care about truth, but only apply scrutiny to the outgroup. I want to see how many here can apply the same lens inward. Be specific. Be fair. No whataboutism, no switching targets. Just your side, your critique, your honesty.

I do and I have. Some stupidity from my side of the aisle:

--10 Commandments posted in school
--Enforcing the recitation of the Lord's Prayer in school
--All students in every school across the US are "indoctrinated" by teachers
--Live cameras in all public schools

I was in education so that's the profession I know best, and can easily spot stupidity from my side in this arena.