It is clear, but misguided. Here's why:

1) No religion? This just barely passes muster, but only because all religious claims are equally impossible to prove. How can one debate something for which no evidence exists?

2) No racism/sexism? This makes sense. Racist and sexist statements are meant to bully or provoke people. They add nothing of value to any debate.

3) No trolling. I am a little uneasy about this one because "trolling" is often in the eye of the beholder. That said, if you mean kicking out people with no other goal that to annoy others, I am all for it.

4) No poltics? This is just absurd. Talking politics is so basic to democratic discourse it is enshrined in the First Amendment. Are the moderators at fightingarts.com wiser than the founding fathers? I really doubt it.

The real issue here is a peculiar American obsession with avoiding conflict at all costs, even if doing so leaves critical issues unresolved. Unfortunately, when the general public becomes politically disengaged, that leaves an open field for elites and special interests to have their way. I hoped this website wanted to fight this trend, not capitulate to it. Guess I was wrong.

Cord, there are those for whom politics is religion. But they are the minority, I am not among them.

Unlike religious ideas, political statements, opinions, and policies are subject to fact checking and rational analysis. Political debates may not result in neat answers but they are still fruitful.

I am indeed familiar with the last 60 years of US history. However, I was not referring to national policy but a cultural trend that has gained ground in the US over the last generation or more. Americans today often feel keeping people happy is more important than telling them the truth.

Recently, British ex-pat Hugh Laurie was aksed what he missed most about life in the UK. His answer: "The buildings and the cruelty." His point was that in the UK, being nice was not the ultimate goal of all human interaction. If someone is being an ass, it is GOOD thing to say so, so long as you can back up your reasoning.

THis thread has not been locked down yet, but calls for it to be locked down have already sounded. I have seen many threads on here locked down prematurely (at least in my judgement) in order to prserve this idiotic niceness.

What were we talking about?

Crab,

I have several CN t-shirts.

One where he is doing a flying sidekick on a deer reads: Extreme hunting

One says "Chuck does all my stunts" with a character of him.

One says "If you can see CN, he can see you, if you cannor see him you may only be seconds away from death.

I can't remember the other three right now.

However, None of them are offensive to anyone including Cuck Norris. That's just wrong, period.

Fileboy, you just don't get it. This forum has NOTHING to do with a democracy, America, or the First Amendment. This website is none of the above. It is a privately owned website. One of the rules of this private website is no politics. End of discussion.

No politics is a rule that has been in this forum for a long time and has been enforced up until recently. And now is seems only after an arguement has gotten way out of hand does a political thread get locked.

Quote:

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The real issue here is a peculiar American obsession with avoiding conflict at all costs

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No, the real issue at hand is the rules of the forum. Period. Get off of your American high horse and use your brain.

You do realise we are all b1tching on a thread that revolves around Chuck Norris declaring independance from the US, and starting the Kingdom of Chuckland.

That is the reason political discussion is largely frowned upon on here - because it ends up being humourless and dumb as a bag of hammers.

Well, I'll admit the idea of Chuck Norris leading a successful campaign to create Chuckand is far-fetched. But to say that means all political threads are a bad idea? Sorry, but that just doesn't follow.

Let me ask you this.

Based on the fact that our political beliefs tend to be ingrained at an early age through exposure to family opinion, and personal experience of the environment we grow up in; could any post, by me, or by anyone else on this forum, that contradicted your view of the world, make you re-think your whole idealogical system?

Or, no matter how in depth such arguments get, and no matter how eloquently the posts may be on both sides; are such threads merely, in essence, post after post saying 'NO, I AM RIGHT!'

Thats the reason such threads are on such a short leash - they lead to nothing but acrimony where there need be none.

Its not about being nice for nice's sake, its about not rowing over that which cannot be solved other than in agreeing to disagree.

We can all do that without the b1tching to get us to that point.

What type of card will you get in Chuckland, the US have a Green Card will Chuckland have a Camo card

Cord,

The short answer to your question is yes.

My political beliefs have changed a great deal over the course of my lifetime, from moderate right in my youth to far left today. These changes have come about as a result of my life experiences, my education, and my contact with others. Your (apparent) belief that political views are carved in stone is just wrong.

We've all met people who insist on being right at all costs. But these folks are unable to seperate their ideas from their identity. Their beliefs about religion, politics, gender relations, etc are so bound up with who they feel they are they regard all challenges to their beliefs as personal assults. This is pure idiocy, and letting people like this think whatever they like is the WORST possible strategy we can take. People die because of it--literally.

For example, the prevelance of bellicose, love-it-or-leave-it patriotism in the US has made it very, very easy for the US government to mete out horrific levels violence all over the world. You are well aware of this: you proved it when you asked me to review the last 60 years of US history. Please don't ask my to just keep my mouth shut.