Are Political Discussions Bad For Us?

[Marie Mallory]

I usually stay out of them but lately I find myself more involved. And I wonder if it is wise to discuss things we have no control over at all.

 

[Jacob Petersheim]

I usually stay out of them but lately I find myself more involved. And I wonder if it is wise to discuss things we have no control over at all.

I think it depends.

For some of us it may produce unproductive anxiety. It might tend to radicalize others. There is no question that much of it tends to be very negative.

So it has to be an individual choice whether stay informed or try to hide from the world. But information can also be empowering, keeping one alert and prepared if something comes your way personally.

Right now it feels like we're going through severe weather mixed up with a zombie apocalypse. Turning our backs on that until we're forced to flee our homes could end up badly for us in the giant traffic jam of late-fleeing hordes... if we even get that far out of the driveway.

Not to mention local elections and Congressional midterms coming up before we know it. Making poor choices here or sitting on your hands could prove costly.

 

[Marie Mallory]

I think it depends.

For some of us it may produce unproductive anxiety. It might tend to radicalize others. There is no question that much of it tends to be very negative.

So it has to be an individual choice whether stay informed or try to hide from the world. But information can also be empowering, keeping one alert and prepared if something comes your way personally.

Right now it feels like we're going through severe weather mixed up with a zombie apocalypse. Turning our backs on that until we're forced to flee our homes could end up badly for us in the giant traffic jam of late-fleeing hordes... if we even get that far out of the driveway.

Not to mention local elections and Congressional midterms coming up before we know it. Making poor choices here or sitting on your hands could prove costly.

I may as well be standing on my head.For some reason they don't listen to me.

 

[Don Alaska]

As @Jacob Petersheim mentioned, political discussions can cause unnecessary and unhealthy anxiety in some people, but being totally unaware of what is happening around you can be dangerous. If there were a serial killer loose in your neighborhood, you would be better off knowing about it so you could be aware of things around you. The same goes for rogue (in your opinion) politicians and legislators. Sometime there are taxes going through locally that you wish to avoid, or bond issues to vote on that you should be aware of. Of course, the midterms are coming up, and it could be your chance to vote or work and campaign for or against particular politicians.

Open discussions should be what politics is about. That is what Charlie kirk stood for and why he was so admired by many. He did hold positions and argue those positions that some on the Left hated, and thus they hated the man who advocated for those positions...enough to kill him for what he believed, even though he was not a politician and had no power to implement anything he believed. The last prominent non-politician to be assassinated that I recall was MLK. He was similar to Charlie, but King made his point by argument in speeches rather than discussions on college campuses.

 

[Marie Mallory]

As @Jacob Petersheim mentioned, political discussions can cause unnecessary and unhealthy anxiety in some people, but being totally unaware of what is happening around you can be dangerous. If there were a serial killer loose in your neighborhood, you would be better off knowing about it so you could be aware of things around you. The same goes for rogue (in your opinion) politicians and legislators. Sometime there are taxes going through locally that you wish to avoid, or bond issues to vote on that you should be aware of. Of course, the midterms are coming up, and it could be your chance to vote or work and campaign for or against particular politicians.

Open discussions should be what politics is about. That is what Charlie kirk stood for and why he was so admired by many. He did hold positions and argue those positions that some on the Left hated, and thus they hated the man who advocated for those positions...enough to kill him for what he believed, even though he was not a politician and had no power to implement anything he believed. The last prominent non-politician to be assassinated that I recall was MLK. He was similar to Charlie, but King made his point by argument in speeches rather than discussions on college campuses.

What I liked the most about Charlie was he was a great debater, something that's missing in this nation of so-called free speech now. Far as I know he also practiced what he preached and was a good man.
Few Americans are willing to speak out in fear of "offending" someone. Not to speak of how dangerous it can be to radicals or even in some cases illegal speech.

 

[Jacob Petersheim]

The pressures come in a number of ways, through our finances and buying power as well.

It's a rigged game.

The Great Melt-Up Continues — Fed Rate Cuts to Fuel Stocks, Gold, Bitcoin

 

[Yvonne Smith]

I may as well be standing on my head.For some reason they don't listen to me.

I think that people have to come to their own conclusions, and if they are close-minded, some people never will see anything differently, even if the truth is right in their faces.
One of the other problems is that most of the media is controlled by liberals, so everything that is on television is pretty much from the liberal point of view, and edited to make conservative people look bad. If the only way people get information is from their TV, they are only ever going to see and hear one side of things.
You pretty much have to read several different viewpoints and then draw your own conclusions about what is actually going on in this world, and having discussions can facilitate that because it might open up people’s minds to look for more information.

 

[Marie Mallory]

I think that people have to come to their own conclusions, and if they are close-minded, some people never will see anything differently, even if the truth is right in their faces.
One of the other problems is that most of the media is controlled by liberals, so everything that is on television is pretty much from the liberal pint of view, and edited to make conservative people look bad. If the only way people get information is from their TV, they are only ever going to see and hear one side of things.
You pretty much have to read several different viewpoints and then draw your own conclusions about that is actually going on in this world, and having discussions can facilitate that becasue it might open up people’s minds to look for more information.

I seldom watch major media; I watch several podcasts for news. Some are extreme left some extreme right.
Most are conservative but since its wise to see what the 'enemy' is up to, a couple liberal ' Young Turks' . most are conservative, Micael Savage, The Cartier Family, and others.

 

[Kyng]

I think they're good if everyone involved has an open mind, and is willing to listen to (and learn from) people with different perspectives from themselves.

I think they're bad if people aren't willing to listen - so they either descend into mudslinging, or they're just an echo chamber where only one side is involved.

Sadly, it feels like the 'good' kind is increasingly hard to come by these days - especially on social media .

 

[Marie Mallory]

I think they're good if everyone involved has an open mind, and is willing to listen to (and learn from) people with different perspectives from themselves.

I think they're bad if people aren't willing to listen - so they either descend into mudslinging, or they're just an echo chamber where only one side is involved.

Sadly, it feels like the 'good' kind is increasingly hard to come by these days - especially on social media .

Who do you think is good? I put up a couple, not that I agree with everything they say all the time or that i agree with them at all, just seeing whats up.

 

[Marie Mallory]

I was wrong about no major media news, I, forgot Jake has to watch ABC's David Muir every night. I like him too so far he hasn't been pushing any liberal agendas that I know of. Also they are short, never longer than 20 minutes.

 

[Don Alaska]

I was wrong about no major media news, I, forgot Jake has to watch ABC's David Muir every night. I like him too so far he hasn't been pushing any liberal agendas that I know of. Also they are short, never longer than 20 minutes.

David Muir is very left-wing. Be careful.

 

[Marie Mallory]

David Muir is very left-wing. Be careful.

Don so far, he doesn't comment that much but yes, he work's for one of the most liberal news stations, ABC. His shows are only on 18 to 20 minutes.
Sometimes to Fox Five but Gutfield can be very course and common at times.
We have become a very divided nation full of violence, 'mostly from the left'.
It is very bad for the youth who are being radicalized.

I listen to some of the most far right podcast, like Lilly Gaddis she can really be out there far as race goes. Then I listen to some who are just as bad that are black and those in between.
Mostly I listen to music and Tic Tok short video's that make me smile.

 

[Yvonne Smith]

It seems like , as more people are becoming open-minded to listen to conservative speakers, or just from taking a hard look at what the liberals are promoting in this country, more and more people are becoming conservative. We have some pretty well known Democrats who have announced a change over to supporting conservative views, and some have been literally abandoned by their own party, like happened to RFK Jr when he ran for president in 2024. If he had had the support of the Democratic Party behind him, as well as the independents who didn’t support Trump, Kennedy might well have won the election; but he was rejected by his own party, and even denied security, which he was entitled to, as a presidential candidate.

One of the left-wing people that i find interesting is Cenk Uygar, who runs a program called “The Young Turks” (TYT), and has had the platform for around 20 years. Even though he is a liberal, he is very anti-violence, and agrees with a lot of the things that conservatives support, and I think it kind of surprises him sometimes. He was horrified that Charlie Kirk was assassinated because of people disagreeing with what Charlie said and believed, and he says we need to have discussions about things we disagree on, not violence (and i totally agree).

 

[Marie Mallory]

It seems like , as more people are becoming open-minded to listen to conservative speakers, or just from taking a hard look at what the liberals are promoting in this country, more and more people are becoming conservative. We have some pretty well known Democrats who have announced a change over to supporting conservative views, and some have been literally abandoned by their own party, like happened to RFK Jr when he ran for president in 2024. If he had had the support of the Democratic Party behind him, as well as the independents who didn’t support Trump, Kennedy might well have won the election; but he was rejected by his own party, and even denied security, which he was entitled to, as a presidential candidate.

One of the left-wing people that i find interesting is Cenk Uygar, who runs a program called “The Young Turks” (TYT), and has had the platform for around 20 years. Even though he is a liberal, he is very anti-violence, and agrees with a lot of the things that conservatives support, and I think it kind of surprises him sometimes. He was horrified that Charlie Kirk was assassinated because of people disagreeing with what Charlie said and believed, and he says we need to have discussions about things we disagree on, not violence (and i totally agree).

We listen to The Young Turks now and them too.Like you said, some libs are more radical than others.
Far as JF Kennedy, democrats back then were more like republican's now.

 

[Jacob Petersheim]

I'm not a fan of Cenk, and it's just too bad he's now to old to go back out on the small-town Mexican Wrestler circuit now.

I followed him off and on for a long time, and he has taken incredibly sick and disturbing political positions. He's also notoriously slow at moving where political winds are blowing, probably to hang onto one source of funding before another has been firmly established - or something. I was more surprised to see Ana K. from his show move more quickly in the last year or so. She's gone from parrot on Cenk's shoulder to a sort of a more centrist foil for him very rapidly considering her emotionalism and excitability.

But I'm getting a little frustrated myself. I've been watching other quarters where deeper probing of anti-America forces takes place. Disillusion has disenchantment has come in for me because I'm seeing weird trends pushing for "a Christian America" and steadfastly apologizing for Netanyahu.

I find myself growingly suspicious. I'm at a point where I almost can't comment any more without offending everyone with my political incorrectness.

 

[Don Alaska]

Don so far, he doesn't comment that much but yes, he work's for one of the most liberal news stations, ABC. His shows are only on 18 to 20 minutes.
Sometimes to Fox Five but Gutfield can be very course and common at times.
We have become a very divided nation full of violence, 'mostly from the left'.
It is very bad for the youth who are being radicalized.

I listen to some of the most far right podcast, like Lilly Gaddis she can really be out there far as race goes. Then I listen to some who are just as bad that are black and those in between.
Mostly I listen to music and Tic Tok short video's that make me smile.

Gutfeld is certainly course, but that is part of his appeal to many. There is more to Fox than the Five and Gutfeld, however. Outnumbered is pretty good , and most of the financial news shows are okay. Each to their own though @Marie Mallory. The Fox News shows are pretty much straight news programs as opposed to the opinion stuff that is conservative in nature.