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The death of civilized discussion

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Re: The death of civilized discussion
Post by C. O. Thompson   » Sun Nov 27, 2016 12:24 pm

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<SNIP>
I see. You are all making up your own definitions of socialism, which are less evil than the real one.[/quote]

No, we actually try to use the REAL WORLD factual definition, without the rabid prejudice you prefer to glue on.[/quote]
Who do you think you are, Tweedledum, or Tweedledee? If you change the meanings of words, communication is impossible. Everybody is speaking foreign languages while pretending they're all the same one.[/quote]

<SNIP>

dscott8,

I presume you had something like the above in mind when you posted your question. :twisted:
Just my 2 ₡ worth
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Re: The death of civilized discussion
Post by C. O. Thompson   » Sun Nov 27, 2016 12:38 pm

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Well stated! (IMHO)
Yet even the Platonic example of socialism or communism is "only a shadow of" meeting social responsibility that the Christians showed before they got "bylaws" and traditions...
Acts 2:43 Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe; and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles. 44 And all those who had believed were together and had all things in common; 45 and they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need. 46 Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.



Daryl wrote:The word "awful" used to mean inspiring awe, or super impressive.
To most of the english speaking world socialism is a system used by democratic countries to ensure that the less fortunate citizens don't starve or die unnecessarily. It has been around for a century or so with no slide to totalitarianism.
To some in the US the word socialism indicates taking the hard earned money off the doers and giving it to the lazy. This then apparently spirals down until hardly anyone works as they are content to live on welfare.
This has been proven false in the real world, as countries with a strong socialist welfare net have high workplace participation. People want to get ahead and be gainfully occupied. In any society there are a small percentage who don't want to work. Much cheaper to park them on the dole with KFC and TV (beer and circuses), than to lock them up as in the US.
Just my 2 ₡ worth
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Re: The death of civilized discussion
Post by Imaginos1892   » Sun Nov 27, 2016 12:46 pm

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munroburton wrote:And that's before we explore the "subcultures" which take words and turn their meanings upside down. Wicked, sick, etc. to mean nice, wonderful. Slang like this eventually becomes proper words.

And why do they do that? To prevent communication. To exclude everybody who is 'not them'. They twist language from a tool of communication into one of estrangement and alienation.

I suppose that could be considered communication, of a sort.

And when their slang becomes common, when everybody knows what it means, they have to find new ways to not communicate.

Why are they 'subcultures'? Because they feel inferior. They feel excluded, so they need to pretend that they are excluding everybody else.

If words do not mean the same thing to speaker and listener, writer and reader, they are not communicating.
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If you want to learn, the worst teachers and schools in the world can't stop you. If you don't want to learn, the best can't help you.
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Re: The death of civilized discussion
Post by Daryl   » Sun Nov 27, 2016 8:44 pm

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Words can be slippery. In Australia Durex means sticky tape, yet in the UK it means condoms. Our thongs are simple sandals (flip flops), yet others call G strings thongs.
Where I come from we pack the port to have a fortnight's break. You probably pack the suitcase to have a two week vacation. Our cars have mudguards not fenders, and boots not trunks. Our pavement is what we drive cars on, but we walk on the footpath next to it.
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Re: The death of civilized discussion
Post by Imaginos1892   » Sun Nov 27, 2016 10:44 pm

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Boots are worn on feet, but fortnight is specific and unique. Some people may not know what it means, but they won't think it means something else.
---------------
[I'm following up on a scam phone call I received]
Detective: "What was the first thing that made you suspicious?"
Me: "Hell, I wake up suspicious."
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Re: The death of civilized discussion
Post by C. O. Thompson   » Mon Nov 28, 2016 12:33 am

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One thing I just observed (again) is the short attention span syndrome...
I was looking for information on a map from the Safehold universe and was amused by the divergent discussion threads that the forum takes...

OH!!! SHINNY!

As I said earlier on this forum, people seem to lock onto one word or phrase that serves as a HOT BUTTON and... away they go.
It is increasingly difficult to hold a civilized discussion with someone that cannot even follow a train of thought to its' conclusion.
Just my 2 ₡ worth
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Re: The death of civilized discussion
Post by Imaginos1892   » Mon Nov 28, 2016 12:48 pm

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C. O. Thompson wrote:One thing I just observed (again) is the short attention span syndrome...
I was looking for information on a map from the Safehold universe and was amused by the divergent discussion threads that the forum takes...

OH!!! SHINNY!

Around these parts, 'shinny' means the action of climbing up a rope. 'Shiny' means reflective.
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"That's not an argument, that's just contradiction!"
"No, it 'tisn't!"
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Re: The death of civilized discussion
Post by PeterZ   » Mon Nov 28, 2016 1:05 pm

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The word shinny also means a variation of street hockey or the stick used for the game.

Imaginos1892 wrote:
C. O. Thompson wrote:One thing I just observed (again) is the short attention span syndrome...
I was looking for information on a map from the Safehold universe and was amused by the divergent discussion threads that the forum takes...

OH!!! SHINNY!

Around these parts, 'shinny' means the action of climbing up a rope. 'Shiny' means reflective.
-------------
"That's not an argument, that's just contradiction!"
"No, it 'tisn't!"
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Re: The death of civilized discussion
Post by C. O. Thompson   » Sat Dec 03, 2016 5:33 pm

C. O. Thompson
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Often my humor is too subtle to be identified. I deliberately misspelled SHINY to make a point that people jump at partial information...I though it was funny but, I have been wrong before



PeterZ wrote:The word shinny also means a variation of street hockey or the stick used for the game.
C. O. Thompson wrote:One thing I just observed (again) is the short attention span syndrome...
I was looking for information on a map from the Safehold universe and was amused by the divergent discussion threads that the forum takes...

OH!!! SHINNY!

Around these parts, 'shinny' means the action of climbing up a rope. 'Shiny' means reflective.
-------------
"That's not an argument, that's just contradiction!"
"No, it 'tisn't!"
[/quote]
Just my 2 ₡ worth
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Re: The death of civilized discussion
Post by Imaginos1892   » Sun Dec 04, 2016 1:58 pm

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C. O. Thompson wrote:Often my humor is too subtle to be identified. I deliberately misspelled SHINY to make a point that people jump at partial information...I though it was funny but, I have been wrong before

While also making the point that far too many people don't check their spelling, or anything else?

Misspelled words, wrong words, missing or extra words, badly constructed sentences, all make it more difficult to figure out what they're trying to say.

If the problems are bad enough, some people might conclude that they don't know what they're trying to say.
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At my house, the 'things that go bump in the night' are cats.
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