Very good article Sonny although it just reinforces what I already believe about social media. And I agree with Joe about how right and left seem to reward the people that they agree with. I would hope that people learn new things and adjust their views but I think here I would flip the coin because there is never a conclusion to anything, just a new thread about the same thing.
My biggest problem with some posters here is the lack of rational thinking. For instance, some recent posts would give the administration reps for bringing the deficit down down in the last couple of years by greater percentages than other presidents. Well the problem is that the deficits were the highest ever so reducing them to levels that are still higher than any other president is not fixing a problem and seems to be ignoring that the national debt has doubled. Inotherwords, people seem to be portraying themselves as fiscally responsible when the problem is still getting worse. We are not addressing the reality but obfuscating what the problem is.
I think a lot of,posters, and I believe this gets back to the op, cannot be caught agreeing with someone on the other side or they might be ostracized from their community or even their identity. A good example of this is the Cuba thing. I agree wholeheartedly with opening up Cuba and would give Obama kudos for that, but the way he is going about it is so inept and amateurish that it overshadows the original intent.
In the end it seems to me like the best I can do is fortify my own positions, sort of like having your own castle that can withstand any siege. The only place I see a little give is in suggesting a new plan or solution. People seem to be more receptive to productive discussion if the cement is still wet. And I am totally convinced that we have a huge amount of smart people that sit back and observe but never engage. A good thread. Thanks.
