politics as usual!

The main focus of our site is food, cooking and culinary. There are plenty (PLENTY) of political based forums to discuss those topics. They have never ever done well here and that is why we do not allow those discussions.

It is a nice idea, but a community forum can't be all things to all people.

If you don't want political discussion don't allow it. I took part in a discussion here and got bitched at for it yet another person is allowed to keep on going and I just stated facts. Believe me if I had got political everyone would have known it as I hate both parties equally. 

Either no politics or don't get upset when someone discusses it as it will come up in a off topic forum unless it is not allowed at all. Even a discussion on investments will turn political so if you have a rule of no politics enforce it. 

It is clearly stated in our guidelines. "No religious or political topics what so ever". Did it many years ago, all the mods agreed it was the right decision. Too many painful discussion where people were very hurt afterwards. 

Keep in mind everyone the following. In an online (semi-anonymous setting) people do not conduct themselves in the same way they do in a face to face discussion. And, in online communications (especially email) I have found that meaning and words are often misunderstood. After years of running an online community it really is just better all around not to open these types of discussions up. 

Now here is what you can do if you want to. You can send a private message to someone you would like to talk to about that topic and start a group conversation.

Joey,

To tell you the truth it was not one or two bad apples it was just about everyone who participated in those threads including myself. What I have come to realize with online personas is that people will say things online that they would never say in person. In some ways I think the anonymity of the internet reveals what is truly in the heart.

Other people's beliefs hold a lot more interest than sharing my own; and I still completely agree with Nicko.   Funny though, I think he, durangojo, and I are probably largely in agreement on the issues of the day.

I've spent time (too much!) in political forums and chat rooms.  The people who disagree with one another rapidly go from civil disagreement to insult.  Partly it's frustration, but mostly sheer tribalism as identity and group identification merge; maybe not so much "the heart" as the submergence of ego in favor of id. 

The people who agree with one another have little to talk about, and after a pro-forma wave to how stupid everyone else is, they end up discussing recipes, spouses, hobbies and the [sigh] children.

Here, we skip the insults.

BDL