OK, since the “voting in November” thread cum trainwreck seems to have finally died a natural death, I wanted to take a moment to get some straight answers from you.
Why on earth did you see fit to move it into the Pit in the first place? If I had actually wanted to flame Ralph Nader, I would have started it here. As it was, moving it into the Pit opened the doors for people who disagree with me to let fly with the no-holds-barred insults and Red-baiting, which I really prefer to avoid as all that does is serve to piss me off royally and lash out in excessively stupid and destructive ways.
Do you really think most Dopers are so ill-behaved as to be unable to control their urges and will flame away regardless of the forum? Or, and I hate to think this, is it because that damn Commie Bastard went and started another thread on a subject nobody agrees with him on, so it might as well be in the Pit anyway?
I don’t remember what forum it started in, Olentzero.
Surprisingly enough, I don’t think there were all that many posts that wouldn’t have made it in another forum. Some, sure, not a lot. I think it turned into a very interesting conversation between LHoD and yourself. There were some sidetracks (such as the one I got involved in) but over all it was focused.
Frankly, I’m surprised it took as long as it did for both of you to lose your tempers. It was an extremely intense conversation, and very detailed. You both were obviously carefully reading the other’s posts, and carefully rebutting. You both also had an obvious emotional stake in your arguments, and for the most part, controlled that. You both aquitted yourselves well. I’m not so sure the thread would have taken that much different a track had it stayed where ever it started.
I agree with Twist. You’re a class act, Olentzero. I have great respect for you despite your profoundly naive political views. Regarding Czar, I seem to recall that he moved the thread because of its potential for rhetorical violence. Keep in mind that the US borders Canada, and that shit runs downhill.
You studied at L’école diplomatique de Paris as well, I see. What is it with you guys?!
Yeah, and that’s where I have a problem. How the hell does he know what’s going to happen in a thread? Are we on both sides of the spectrum really that immature that we can’t restrain ourselves from insulting someone with whom we strongly disagree?
That’s why I mentioned the Canadian thing. It is important to understand the liberal mindset. They are pacified by empathy. Think of Ainsley Hayes in the White House. It was presumed that, until she explicitly stated her position and intentions, she was a blond southern conservative with legs all the way up to there. Think of Czarcasm as Sam Seaborn. He thought every woman around him was asking him for directions to Kirkwood.
First, what are all these people doing saying nice things about our resident Commie Bastard? I recall a time when NOBODY said nice things about him!
As for the thread moving, I can see why Czarcasm would have moved it. Pre-emption and all. Like I put my Seder thread in the Pit because I was afraid I or my fellow parishoners be stepping on people’s toes and I saved the mods from the trouble of its inevitable closing or moving. Little did I know it was going to be a MPSIMS hugfest, but it nevewr got moved to a more appropriate forum.
Which raises the question: Why do some threads that were put in the wrong forum get moved, some get closed, while some are left alone?
I can see that, too, but as powerful as the Mods are, they don’t have a window on the future. I didn’t want this thread to become a temper-blowing flamefest, and I think people who’ve posted on here for any length of time know better than to try to make it so. If it did, then yeah, Czarcasm would have every right to smack us all down and kick the thread and its riders to the Pit. But to do so because it might just doesn’t seem either fair or correct. It becomes, IMO, a self-fulfilling prophecy - it’s in the Pit, so no holds are now barred.
Having said that, I do want to reiterate that I’m not pitting Mods in general or the way they monitor the boards. Being one of the teeming millions who really loves this board, I care a lot about its quality and I’m glad it hasn’t become a 1337 h4XX0|2 spamfest like so many other boards have. I just think Czarcasm made a bad call in this case and I wanna hear his side of the story.
Maybe it’ll change things, maybe it won’t. But it never hurts to try.
I will admit that my first encounters with him were uncomfortable. There was, of course, a feeling of dread and a rather daunting, surreal sensation of unease. I mean, an actual socialist. The fat old Buddha-looking woman with the vacant, icy eyes that Ayn Rand had described, sitting on the edge of her bed, hands folded across her belly, spittle drooling from her chin as she changed in a low and lifeless whisper: “from each according to his ability, to each according to his need.” It still makes me shiver to think about it. But over the years, I’ve grown to respect him. I know that he means no harm, and I believe that he is morally grounded even if he is ethically bereft.
Oh Lib. Lib, Lib, Lib. Will you never learn to just stop? He means no harm, even though he’s ethically bereft? I’ve never heard a more backhanded compliment. I’ve no doubt you’ll say you didn’t mean it as such, but can you at least recognise how patronising it sounds?
:o 
