No Politics

[kumquat]

Kumquat, I agree with you. But it is hard to refer to us in the United States as Unitedstatesians. So, I have given in to convention.

In western Canada, we refer to 'Unitedstatesians' as 'U Awls'. I know it doesn't really apply to that many of you but you could try it, Eh?

 

[FinallyRetired]

Kumquat, I agree with you. But it is hard to refer to us in the United States as Unitedstatesians. So, I have given in to convention.

Would Gringo be inappropriate? How about Yankee and in Yankee Go Home? But that might alienate the Southerners. On the other hand, maybe not.

 

[Letj]

I agree there are many subjects that effect the retired community. However, too often the discussions start with something like sicko, which takes a film that takes truths, half truths, and out right falsehoods, along with selected anecdotal cases and the discussions goes from there. People quote Sicko as if it is gospel. Seldom is there what, I would consider, an intelligent discussion of health care. If we were standing in a room we would be shouting at each other, each trying to remember something we had read or seen on TV, attempting to ‘win,’ when in fact, what we write will do little to change the mind of the person on the other end.

Now we know why you don't want politics discussed. Say what you mean; let the made mad political rantings of the extreme right continue.

 

[MasterBlaster]

Now I'll start something but I hope it's not political, I consider myself American since Canada is part of North America. Canadians and Mexicans are Americans too.

from Wikipedia...

The standard way to refer to a citizen of the United States is as an American. Though United States is the formal adjective, American and U.S. are the most common adjectives used to refer to the country ("American values," "U.S. forces"). American is rarely used in English to refer to people not connected to the U.S. The prevailing use of American as synonymous with U.S. citizen has aroused controversy, particularly in Latin America, where Spanish and Portuguese speakers refer to themselves as americanos and use estadounidense to describe a person from the United States.[8]

 

[NinjaPigeon]

I really don't like the political threads. Mainly I consider myself American since Canada is part of North America. Canadians and Mexicans are Americans too.

Funny. I have this discussion with my Canadian GF sometimes. I've grown up saying American my entire life, and in all movies about foreigners I've seen us referred to that way. I always assumed Canadians considered themselves "Canadian" and not "American".

I probably will always think of American as someone from the US, as I believe that is the overwhelming use of the word. But, the one thing she has convinced me to do is to not refer to the US as "America". Instead, when I'm speaking to anyone from Canada, I say "The States".

But I'm not selfish. We can share the terms

 

[Rustic23]

Why stop with Mexico and Canada? Are not Brazil, Panama, Argentina (you get the picture) also Americans? :

 

[Martha]

In western Canada, we refer to 'Unitedstatesians' as 'U Awls'. I know it doesn't really apply to that many of you but you could try it, Eh?

Where I am from we end many sentences with "Eh" and wouldn't be caught dead saying U Awl or y'all or however they say it.

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

Now we know why you don't want politics discussed. Say what you mean; let the made mad political rantings of the extreme right continue.

And stay the hell off his lawn, too!

 

[kumquat]

Why stop with Mexico and Canada? Are not Brazil, Panama, Argentina (you get the picture) also Americans? :

Yes, sorry for missing the all of Central and South America. And I'd better include Saint-Pierre and Miquelon.

 

[chinaco]

Are you guys talking ER Board Politics again?

There is some pretty good pugilism that goes on regarding investment techniques and thoughts on vehicles like annuities. Politics and Religion tend to be inflammatory topics for all of us... probably best to avoid it. Even though I can rant with the best of um.


Still, for a topic that is disdained, it sure has created a buzz with all of the opinions swarming around it! Not to mention the sharp elbows that fly. And this was just a thread about talking about politics.

 

[FinanceDude]

When I was in Mexico, the locals HATE us calling ourselves Americans, they pointed out to me in a nice way that they are Americans too...........

They told us that a good way to handle it is to say we were from the United States. That way, it differentiates us from them. They referred to themselves as Americans living in Mexico, and said their HERITAGE was Mexican, althought they didn't refer to themselves as Mexicans.......

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

Sounds like the sort of thing that happens when people have too much time on their hands and they're in the mood to spend that time with a little passive aggressive complaining.

 

[Webzter]

I don't know about the rest of my countrymen here in the US, but when I'm travelling in a place where one needs to indicate where they're from, I just simplify it by saying that I'm Canadian

 

[honobob]

And if you're unhappy with being on everyone's "Ignore Poster" lists then I suggest that you start your own blog like OldAgePensioner. You can rant & rave to your heart's content and even pick up a little AdSense revenue without having to worry about moderators.

The nice thing about not being a moderator is that I no longer have to feel obligated to pay attention to, let alone do something, about your behavior. You don't have to worry about my "orders"-- just the moderators!

Please do not pretend that you are talking for EVERYONE. You are only talking for yourself and whatever gang/cult you are so desperately trying to establish here.

I've never understood trying to "even" the score by cutting someone down to your level. He/She is on "everybody's" ignore list. Give it a rest and drive down to Waikiki and buy yourself some Aloha.

 

[REWahoo]

Please do not pretend that you are talking for EVERYONE. You are only talking for yourself and whatever gang/cult you are so desperately trying to establish here.

Conspiracy theory?

Heck, I don't like Koolaid at all...

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

Its unfortunate when someone takes a disagreement and turns it into an ongoing personal vendetta.

Cant we all just get along?

 

[REWahoo]

Cant we all just get along?

Rodney? Is that you?

 

[REWahoo]

Where I am from we end many sentences with "Eh" and wouldn't be caught dead saying U Awl or y'all or however they say it.

"They"? Didn't you mean to say "...however y'all say it"? Eh?

 

[Joss]

"You are only talking for yourself and whatever gang/cult you are so desperately trying to establish here."


Well it IS a good point. And I can't find my copy of the secret charter at the moment. Were we established as a gang or as a cult? I think there may be tax ramification.

 

[REWahoo]

Were we established as a gang or as a cult? I think there may be tax ramification.

If some of us end up dead and others in prison, it's a gang.
If we all end up dead, it's a cult.

I'm filing as a cult member.

 

[Martha]

"They"? Didn't you mean to say "...however y'all say it"? Eh?

Ee-ya, sure.

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

Ahhl you weeahdo's from othah pahts of the nation ahh shoah hahd to underahstahnd.

 

[Elderdude]

When I discovered this discussion site, I was delighted. Finally, I had found folks of a kindred spirit. Folks preoccupied with freeing themselves from the daily grind. But politics has spoiled the romance. Those once respected colleagues became friends or enemys, depending on which side of the fence they stood.

For a while, I felt like a leper. My strong abhorance of the course this country took after 9/11 separated me from the guys who insist on displaying their war medals as avatars. They don't repect my opinions and I don't respect theirs.

My preference would be that everyone continue to say anything they wanted to, but acknowledge, at the same time, that they might be full of shazzbt! A "your mileage might vary" disclaimer, as it were. When your opinion is self-acknowleged as just that, name calling would be, if not eliminated, less stinging.

You may not agree with me, should agree with my right to have and share my own opinion.

 

[Joss]

"Those once respected colleagues became friends or enemys, depending on which side of the fence they stood."

That's pretty much the size of it.

Looks to me like, when you get down to it, spouting personal political views is a lot like spouting your personal religion. It's your view, sure. But shoved in everyone's face, it's really nothing more than another box to categorize people with. Sadly it just ends up separating people who could have been friends. That's how I see it working here.

Politics and religion, at our age, are really not all that subject to change.
People stay away from these topics in "face to face" encounters because we have learned from hard experience that they just cause unnecessary heartburn. Why everyone figures they can say, on the internet, what they wouldn't dream of saying in person is beyond me.

And unless you're Ghandi or Christ or Mohammed, you're not going to change anyone's mind anyway.

Of course this doesn't account for those of us who THINK they are the "second coming". I think these folks should go start their own forum.

 

[Goonie]

My preference would be that everyone continue to say anything they wanted to, but acknowledge, at the same time, that they might be full of shazzbt! A "your mileage might vary" disclaimer, as it were. When your opinion is self-acknowleged as just that, name calling would be, if not eliminated, less stinging.

You may not agree with me, should agree with my right to have and share my own opinion.

I like Elderdude's angle on the matter. When I read stuff, I can take it with a grain of salt. And if I read something that either doesn't interest me, or starts going off on a (IMHO) weird tangent, I just don't click on that thread again.....kinda like changing the channel......Ain't no biggie!

I haven't put anyone on "ignore" (yet anyway), but if I see a thread posted by someone I don't care to "listen" to, I just don't go there.

As far as discussing politics....or for that matter, making 'poo' of politics and/or politicians....it's part of the fabric of our daily lives. I think that's even more true for us ER folks (though I can only speak for myself). Whether it's SS, Medicare, Insurance, Health Care, Prices of Gas, Food, Energy, the Stock Markets, Immigration, Social Justice, or whatever, the one common thread that runs through them all is Politics.

For every person that visits the E-R forums, there are that many varying opinions. And just like a library has books on just about every subject imaginable, from just about any viewpoint imaginable.....I don't have to read them all, or agree with them all, or for that matter even venture into that section. However, I would never advocate a book burning, or even banning certain books, on the basis that I don't particularly agree (or vehemently disagree) with the subject matter.

Heck, I get a chuckle out of a lot of stuff around the forum, whether it was intended to be funny or not.....it's just that some folks (and subjects) crack me up, although I haven't spewed my juice on the monitor or keyboard yet. Last time I checked, I wasn't under any constitutional obligation to be politically correct OR politically neutral. With all of the issues that affect my life, I CAN'T be politically neutral, and politicians who don't act on behalf of my best interests open themselves up to lambasting.

So in a nutshell....lighten up.