Online places for non-nasty political discussion?
May 12, 2017 12:35 PM Subscribe
I'm interested in finding online forums or the like where I can try to understand the viewpoints of people of different (American) political persuasions. My goal is to understand others and try to get others to understand me - and NOT sling invective - so I would be respectful of my interlocutors and expect the same of them. Ideas?
The comments section on Rod Dreher's blog are usually pretty civil. He moderates them, so anyone too vitriolic gets deleted. As you'd expect, most commenters agree with him, but there are some dissenters. He will also respond to commenters if they make especially interesting points, so it's not just you talking to a bunch of other commenters.
For more about Rod, check out this recent profile from the New Yorker.
posted by kevinbelt at 1:00 PM on May 12, 2017 [1 favorite]
For more about Rod, check out this recent profile from the New Yorker.
posted by kevinbelt at 1:00 PM on May 12, 2017 [1 favorite]
I used to contribute here: http://www.watchblog.com It's a mix of color coded conservative, independent, and liberal articles, contributed by members. You may find that even when discussion is civil it is still infuriating.
posted by xammerboy at 1:05 PM on May 12, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by xammerboy at 1:05 PM on May 12, 2017 [1 favorite]
"A heavily polarized country of three hundred million people, split pretty evenly into two sides and obsessed with politics, blessed with the strongest free speech laws in the world, and people are complaining that I can’t change my comment policy because this one small blog is the only place they know where they can debate people from the other side." --Slate Star Codex
posted by Paddle to Sea at 3:03 PM on May 12, 2017
posted by Paddle to Sea at 3:03 PM on May 12, 2017
Well, uh...
Metafilter?
Speaking as someone who's probably more conservative than most people here, I find it pretty civil, and most sides are represented most of the time.
posted by randomkeystrike at 8:48 PM on May 12, 2017 [1 favorite]
Metafilter?
Speaking as someone who's probably more conservative than most people here, I find it pretty civil, and most sides are represented most of the time.
posted by randomkeystrike at 8:48 PM on May 12, 2017 [1 favorite]
Metafilter?
Eh. The level of political discourse here tends to be pretty high, but it skews really liberal, and I find there are certain shibboleths that you basically can't question no matter how polite and reasonable you are about it (you probably won't get banned or reprimanded by mods for doing this; but you'll be subject to a an exhausting and snarky pile-on). I consider myself a liberal - although I am probably to the right of the MeFi median - and I find the political threads here exhausting to read after awhile, though I have participated at times.
I find that, speaking very generally, places with an unorthodox right-ish/libertarian-ish slant (Dreher's blog, SlateStarCodex, Marginal Revolution) tend to have a decent intersection of diversity of views and civility in the comments. I don't know why this is, and it's really just an unconfirmed personal observation, but it's something I've noticed. So maybe look for that? Leftish spaces often operate more-or-less like MeFi (high level of discourse, but certain things are Not Subject To Debate); truly right-wing spaces are basically insufferable.
That said, annoying jerkasses exist in the comments section of pretty much any political blog or website anywhere. It comes with the territory. Sometimes I like to read comments sections, but I'm careful about when I opt to weigh in.
posted by breakin' the law at 9:18 AM on May 13, 2017 [3 favorites]
Eh. The level of political discourse here tends to be pretty high, but it skews really liberal, and I find there are certain shibboleths that you basically can't question no matter how polite and reasonable you are about it (you probably won't get banned or reprimanded by mods for doing this; but you'll be subject to a an exhausting and snarky pile-on). I consider myself a liberal - although I am probably to the right of the MeFi median - and I find the political threads here exhausting to read after awhile, though I have participated at times.
I find that, speaking very generally, places with an unorthodox right-ish/libertarian-ish slant (Dreher's blog, SlateStarCodex, Marginal Revolution) tend to have a decent intersection of diversity of views and civility in the comments. I don't know why this is, and it's really just an unconfirmed personal observation, but it's something I've noticed. So maybe look for that? Leftish spaces often operate more-or-less like MeFi (high level of discourse, but certain things are Not Subject To Debate); truly right-wing spaces are basically insufferable.
That said, annoying jerkasses exist in the comments section of pretty much any political blog or website anywhere. It comes with the territory. Sometimes I like to read comments sections, but I'm careful about when I opt to weigh in.
posted by breakin' the law at 9:18 AM on May 13, 2017 [3 favorites]
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posted by valannc at 12:50 PM on May 12, 2017