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Thread: Politics for dummies

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    Veteran Member Jenn1981's Avatar
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    Default Politics for dummies

    I am trying to learn more about politics, the war, the govt in general.
    I want to find a website with a neutral view however. No far left or far right.
    Anyone know of a good place to start??

    thanks

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    God/dess Trem's Avatar
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    Default Re: Politics for dummies

    If you just want to learn about things i think wikipedia is a good start. As far as news go just expose yourself to everything you can, everyone will just tell you whatever news agrees with their views is the only "unbiased" source otherwise. Complex issues can't be boiled down to simple sound bites, read as much as you can and form your own informed opinions.

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    Banned Melonie's Avatar
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    Default Re: Politics for dummies

    I have to take issue with Wiki ... see

    As far as mainstream US news sources go, there really isn't any such thing as a 'neutral' source. And there certainly isn't an 'equal distribution' of left vs right leaning sources

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    Featured Member sxcbbw's Avatar
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    Default Re: Politics for dummies

    ^See Conservapedia for a neutral view on the online encyclopedia widely hailed as the most accurate and comprehensive of our times? Um? You realise Conservapedia has come under an awful lot of flak for being, in short, a crock, especially with regards to their "scientific" articles which are usually not even trying to be based on facts?

    OP, look up as many sources as you can - even non-US sources. Read every scrap of info you come across and make up your own opinion.
    Get the fuck off my harbl, yo'.

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    God/dess Trem's Avatar
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    Default Re: Politics for dummies

    I thought conservapidea was a joke site until right this moment.

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    Featured Member sxcbbw's Avatar
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    Default Re: Politics for dummies

    Deaaadly serious.
    Get the fuck off my harbl, yo'.

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    Default Re: Politics for dummies

    ^^^ I see that my point was taken !!! No matter what the source where political issues are concerned, somebody will always attack their 'biased' content. The bottom line is that with both politics and religion, each individual must ask their own questions, must formulate their own values etc.


    look up as many sources as you can - even non-US sources
    Agreed that non-US sources discussing US politics often offer valuable insights. Not to say that non-US sources don't sometimes have their own 'agenda' to promote !!!

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    Default Re: Politics for dummies

    Conservapedia is a joke. Look at one of the"theories" they have listed for the origin of kangaroos:

    http://www.conservapedia.com/Kangaro...nd_Creationism

    According to the origins theory model used by young earth creation scientists, modern kangaroos are the descendants of the two founding members of the modern kangaroo baramin that were taken aboard Noah's Ark prior to the Great Flood. It has not yet been determined by baraminologists whether kangaroos form a holobaramin with the wallaby, tree-kangaroo, wallaroo, pademelon and quokka, or if all these species are in fact apobaraminic or polybaraminic.

    After the Flood, these kangaroos, bred from the Ark passengers, migrated to Australia. There is debate whether this migration happened over land[6] with lower sea levels during the post-flood ice age, or before the super-continent of Pangea broke apart.[7].

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    Default Re: Politics for dummies

    Holy crap!

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    Default Re: Politics for dummies

    No, sorry i'm going to keep believing that site is an onion style parody of what crazy right wing people are like. There is no way that can be serious.

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    Senior Member Avery90's Avatar
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    Default Re: Politics for dummies

    I know Fox News has both Conservative and Liberal Contributors so you get both sides of the story on there. But check all sources with any site.

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    Featured Member sxcbbw's Avatar
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    Default Re: Politics for dummies

    ^You also get Glenn Beck crying. I love Fox News solely for that.
    Get the fuck off my harbl, yo'.

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    Senior Member Avery90's Avatar
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    Default Re: Politics for dummies

    Aww I like him hes sensitive. He also has some good points and is funny I laugh so much

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    God/dess 4everresolutions's Avatar
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    Default Re: Politics for dummies

    I hate Glenn Beck with a passion. That man is propganda to the max.

    If you're in the US; Fox is Super Right, MSNBC is Super Left, and CNN is moderately Left. I would usually watch a combination of Fox and CNN and read between the lines. If you can't trust them to be netural at least you can trust that they'll be leaning towards a specific bias.

    The most I learned about politics was from a college course in American Politics. My teacher was a liberal, but I was able to build a skeleton of facts on different topics without feeling she swayed me too much. From there I fleshed out my ideals with whatever I read and viewed from an assortment of news sources.

    When it comes to politics it's very difficult not to be influenced by the person delivering the 'facts'. Just do your best to become aware of where their loyalties lie, and judge accordingly. Good luck!
    Last edited by 4everresolutions; 06-29-2010 at 01:39 PM.



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    Default Re: Politics for dummies

    Quote Originally Posted by Jenn1981 View Post
    I am trying to learn more about politics, the war, the govt in general.
    I want to find a website with a neutral view however. No far left or far right.
    Anyone know of a good place to start??

    thanks
    Study Finance.

    Politics is about the distribution of money and resources. Who gains directly and indirectly.

    Example: A capitalist corporation want to open a plant, a socialist leaning got wants compensation. Capitalist corporation opens a school for under privileged kids. The Director of the school is a relative of the Congressman on the govt body that grants business licenses to foreign companies.

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    God/dess Mr Hyde's Avatar
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    Default Re: Politics for dummies

    Quote Originally Posted by Trem View Post
    No, sorry i'm going to keep believing that site is an onion style parody of what crazy right wing people are like. There is no way that can be serious.
    It's serious, sadly. And I'm a right-leaning moderate.

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    God/dess Mr Hyde's Avatar
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    Default Re: Politics for dummies

    To the OP...here's a few places you can check out...

    http://themoderatevoice.com/
    http://realclearpolitics.com/
    http://www.factcheck.org/

    I would also recommend checking out John Stossel's TV show. It seems to air mostly on Sunday nights.

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    Default Re: Politics for dummies

    Oh, and one more site...Larry Sabato's Crystal Ball is unparalleled as a source for political forecasting, and it's pretty non-partisan.

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    Default Re: Politics for dummies


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    Senior Member Avery90's Avatar
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    Default Re: Politics for dummies

    Quote Originally Posted by 4everresolutions View Post
    I hate Glenn Beck with a passion. That man is propganda to the max.

    If you're in the US; Fox is Super Right, CSNBC is Super Left, and CNN is moderately Left. I would usually watch a combination of Fox and CNN and read between the lines. If you can't trust them to be netural at least you can trust that they'll be leaning towards a specific bias.

    The most I learned about politics was from a college course in American Politics. My teacher was a liberal, but I was able to build a skeleton of facts on different topics without feeling she swayed me too much. From there I fleshed out my ideals with whatever I read and viewed from an assortment of news sources.

    When it comes to politics it's very difficult not to be influenced by the person delivering the 'facts'. Just do your best to become aware of where their loyalties lie, and judge accordingly. Good luck!
    Yeah he is a bit crazy but he actually tells his viewers to research it for themselves...you dont see anyone else doing that. Im not a fan of CNNs interviewing techniques Iv seen in the past I also feel like they are talking to me the viewer like Im a child whos stupid...Maybe its just me. Pros and Cons to um all. Just research a bunch...All sides.

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    Default Re: Politics for dummies

    Quote Originally Posted by Jenn1981 View Post
    I am trying to learn more about politics, the war, the govt in general.
    I want to find a website with a neutral view however. No far left or far right.
    Anyone know of a good place to start??

    thanks
    I'd say read the US Constitution for starters.
    "never trust a big butt and a smile"-- Bell Biv DeVoe

    If you're in your twenties and aren't a liberal, you have no heart. If you're in you're forties and aren't a conservative, you have no brain - Winston Churchill

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    Veteran Member person's Avatar
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    Default Re: Politics for dummies

    My tip would be to avoid the "there are 2 sides" mentality. So many people talk about "left vs right", "conservative vs liberal", "consider both sides of the issue" as if it's a damn football game. You cannot reduce complicated things to 2 teams!
    Once again, the conservative, sandwich-heavy portfolio pays off for the hungry investor
    - Dr John Zoidberg

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    God/dess Deogol's Avatar
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    Default Re: Politics for dummies

    Quote Originally Posted by person View Post
    My tip would be to avoid the "there are 2 sides" mentality. So many people talk about "left vs right", "conservative vs liberal", "consider both sides of the issue" as if it's a damn football game. You cannot reduce complicated things to 2 teams!
    So true. Politics is about resources such as Army Sgt said. It is also about what is moral and fair. It is about where the line is between what you can do and what others say you cannot do. In the US, its about coalitions of people to get something done and making sure there are checks so one coalition cannot get over on another (mob rule.) It is about definitions (and unfortunately re-definition depending on what rhetoric is being used.) It is about sociology and human psychology. It is about what do we shout about v what do we shoot about? How do we get along with each other when we are all just trying to figure it out. It is how we are idealistic on a full stomach, and how that gets thrown out when our stomachs are empty and aching.

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    Default Re: Politics for dummies

    I'd say read the US Constitution for starters.
    ^^^ this would probably just increase the confusion factor ... given that a whole lot of recent political developments from National Health Care to the GM/Chrysler bailout arguably blatantly violate provisions of the US Constitution !

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    Default Re: Politics for dummies

    I would also add that where politics are concered, in the 'real world' some votes count more than others ...

    (snip)"The London Telegraph reported this weekend that Michael Oren, Israel’s ambassador to the United States, described the state of U.S.-Israeli relations in bleak terms, saying the two nations “are in a state of tectonic rift in which continents are drifting apart.” While Oren since has asserted that he was misquoted and that his words were less incendiary than reported, even relatively disinterested observers can see that relations between the allies are strained.

    McLaughlin & Associates, a national polling company, recently released the “National Survey of Jewish Voters” which reported that while Jewish voters favored Obama 78 percent to 12 percent in the 2008 presidential exit polls, currently, “only 42 percent of voters would re-elect him, while the plurality (46 percent) would consider voting for someone else.”

    Ed Koch, former New York mayor, campaigned for Obama in the 2008 presidential election but told The Daily Caller that he believes the Obama presidency represents a very serious problem for supporters of Israel.

    “His campaign promises and image as a friend to Israel during the election were one thing, his actions have been very different,” Koch said. Koch does not believe he was misguided during the campaign, but rather that the president’s views had shifted, the first indication of which, Koch noted, was the Obama’s Cairo speech. “The No. 1 problem I see with Obama is that he is not willing to stand up to Islamic terrorism, he conveys weakness and his Israel policy is a subset of that failure.” Despite his frustrations, Koch was coy on whether he would support Obama in the future: “It depends on who was running.”"(snip) ... from

    While the 'some votes count more than others' comment should NOT be taken literally, an understanding of politics requires an acknowledgement that a disproportionately high amount of political lobbying and contributions originate with Jewish Americans ... that a disproportionately high amount of US media is owned by Jewish Americans etc. ... and as such they are able to exert a disproportionately high degree political influence per registered Jewish America voter.

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