Yes, I enjoy "the dark side" friendly politics. I don't take it too seriously, nor get offended by ignorant statements. If I did this world would drive me crazy.
An entirely reasonable approach ... the internet is, as a friend of mine likes to say, "the funny papers" ...
Utlimately, one has to be able to take a step back and laugh at it all ... otherwise, like you say, it will drive ya crazy.
Sometimes people have different outlooks and opinions, sometimes they have different facts, and conclusions.
Indeed ... and that is actually the (potential) value of a forum like this.
When it comes to name calling and insults, well, they've showed their hand and should be chastised.
As one of the guilty, you'll get no argument from me on that count.
I'm not sure about being banned.
It's all about the amount of T & E required to maintain and run a forum vs. the perceived benefit.
And that's a call that the site owners have to make.
Politics on a tractor website is a good place to get a pulse or sampling of regular people, versus those who would specifically visit a website devoted to news or a specific topic where everybody is of the same opinion.
Yup ... political and some topical news websites tend to be self-selecting ... a place like TBN is unique in regard in that it has a broad spectrum of political opinions and views.
Sometimes I wonder if my political opinions effect people's opinion of me on the tractor side of the website? I think of them as 2 very different places.
The key to building a civilized society is being able to separate out the commonalities that can be agreed upon from the differences that can't, and not letting the differences
prevent one from agreeing on those things where agreement can be found.
If one can't there at least, there is no civilization possible.
