Why Are Political Discussions More Heated Than Scientific Ones?

[daveb]

That's another thing we are considering, in order to be allowed to post in P&WA, members will first need to have a minimum of 500 posts outside of the lounge. This will ensure that P&WA is a perk for dedicated members.

While I like this idea, the problem I see with this is that some people have a limited scope upon which they could comment outside of PWA, and this could encourage "spam" type posts. The nuclear engineering thread is not one of the more popular ones, and foe an Earth scientists, I imagine the number of threads that could be commented upon are even worse. True, I try to help out in physics and math when I can, but I prefer to leave that up to theose who have the PhDs, unless it's some aspect of undergrad.

 

[Proton Soup]

I take it that your OP is in response to the turn that the discourse in a recent thread (on whether the US should veto a Palestinian statehood resolution in the UN) took. I didn't see exactly why the thread was deleted or removed for moderation, as it was gone when I returned here tonight. Let me guess, were the Israeli and the Palestinian digressing to name calling and such? Too bad. But it's an understandably highly charged subject. On a positive (personal) note, each time I return to consider things in the ME I learn something.

Anyway, of course I agree with the theme of your OP.

let's just say that israel is always a touchy subject here.

----

and as for newbies and such, some of the worst offenders here are people with the most cred. and you will often see witch-hunts and such over what someone perceives as another person's true beliefs or motives.

 

[Majd100]

I did not insult anybody, but it seems the topics related to Israel are sensitive issue here.

 

[Evo]

Since the topic of the OP was declared “temporarily off limits”, is there a place where members can see a list of off limits topics to check before posting a new thread?

It's the only specific "off limits" topic for P&WA.

The lists of other "closed topics" can be found by clicking the "Rules" link at the top of every page. But they're mostly to do with conspiracy theories from Skepticism and Debunking.

 

[Evo]

I did not insult anybody, but it seems the topics related to Israel are sensitive issue here.

When posting crosses the line to hate mongering, it's not allowed.

 

[tiny-tim]

(evo, I've tried to pm you, but "Evo has exceeded their stored private messages quota and cannot accept further messages until they clear some space.")

When posting crosses the line to hate mongering, it's not allowed.

ah, but, to deal with hate mongering, is it better to delete it, or to publicly contradict it?

on some forums … or in some threads on this forum … such hate mongering goes uncontradicted

a deletion policy means that those who make up such things are in a "heads i win, tails i don't lose" situation …

their lies are never publicly contradicted ​

deletion may be intended to stop hate mongerers, but it actually helps them, since it both removes the downside of possible contradiction, and wastes the time of those who do contradict

(and that's a lot of time … unfortunately, a lie that takes a few seconds to write can take up to an hour to investigate so as to be sure that it's completely made-up

 

[micromass]

hate mongering[/I], is it better to delete it, or to publicly contradict it?

In my opinion, it's better to delete it. Going into discussion with hate mongerers only gives them credibility.

 

[Proton Soup]

When posting crosses the line to hate mongering, it's not allowed.

you mean the way your anti-religion posts always go after a specific group?

 

[Evo]

you mean the way your anti-religion posts always go after a specific group?

Evangelical politicians? That's not hate mongering, that's posting articles of what politicians have said.

 

[Evo]

Thread derails have been deleted. Let's all please stay on "this" OP topic.

 

[Proton Soup]

Evangelical politicians? That's not hate mongering, that's posting articles of what politicians have said.

you rail against certain groups while giving protect status to an other. that's hate mongering.

 

[Hlafordlaes]

Heh, heh, think I have found an area to build up my post count if needed. As a former linguist, I was checking out the social sciences section, and lo and behold, it appears to be highly similar to P&WA.

More seriously, my impression was that many threads there ought to be moved in this direction.

...

Back to the OP: Here's a http://arstechnica.com/science/news...ured+Content)&utm_content=Google+Feedfetcher" on Science News interesting.

 

[micromass]

you rail against certain groups while giving protect status to an other. that's hate mongering.

No, it's your opinion. And you're derailing the thread.

 

[Proton Soup]

No, it's your opinion. And you're derailing the thread.

no, it's exactly what this thread is about.

 

[Proton Soup]

deletion may be intended to stop hate mongerers, but it actually helps them, since it both removes the downside of possible contradiction, and wastes the time of those who do contradict

(and that's a lot of time … unfortunately, a lie that takes a few seconds to write can take up to an hour to investigate so as to be sure that it's completely made-up

on this we can agree.

 

[micromass]

no, it's exactly what this thread is about.

Is this thread about attacking Evo's posts?? I don't think so.

It's unfair to accuse Evo of hate mongering. She has her own opinion and she defends it. But she bases herself on facts and actual quotes.

You are making baseless accusation to another member, that is the derailing of a thread.

 

[Evo]

you rail against certain groups while giving protect status to an other. that's hate mongering.

People get posts deleted, edited, and warnings and infractions on all sides. Perhaps you fail to notice. I consider hate mongering when members here call for harm towards another group of people, or when they accuse them of false crimes.

Please stop derailing this thread. I don't know what your problem is, not long ago you accused me of giving you infractions just because I disagreed with you. I pointed out that I have never given you an infraction.

Keep derailing this thread and that might change. Just fair warning to stop.

 

[Hlafordlaes]

no, it's exactly what this thread is about.

Might I kindly interject that the specific topics of other threads and personal styles in them is too specific for the broad notion of what it is that keeps many of us (myself certainly included) from seeking to be more objective and, at minimum, criterion-based? IMO the OP suggests we examine cognitive bias in general terms.

 

[Proton Soup]

Might I kindly interject that the specific topics of other threads and personal styles in them is too specific for the broad notion of what it is that keeps many of us (myself certainly included) from seeking to be more objective and, at minimum, criterion-based? IMO the OP suggests we examine cognitive bias in general terms.

well, in that case, i guess a lot of it has to do with not being able to relate to groups and experiences outside your own. our own groups and experiences are axiomatically correct.