Is political tolerance a virtue?

[el_bryanto]

By political tolerance i mean being able to disagree respectfully but still deal with right wingers in social or economic spheres. I am not arguing for being a doormat or for letting yourself get beaten up verbally without defending yourself.

A second question is - do you feel like it's changed recently - at one time you could get along with right wingers, but now that has passed. Or you used to hate right wingers, but now you can be friends with them so long as you don't bring up politics.

Bryant

3 votes, 0 passes | Time left: Unlimited
	Political Tolerance is definitely a vice
	1 (33%)
	Political Tolerance is usually a vice
	0 (0%)
	Political Tolerance is neither a virtue or a vice
	0 (0%)
	Political Tolerance is sometimes a virtue and sometimes a vice
	0 (0%)
	Political Tolerance is usually a virtue
	1 (33%)
	Political Tolerance is definitely a virtue
	1 (33%)
	There can be no tolerance for these bullshit polls
	0 (0%)
	I like to vote!
	0 (0%)
	0 DU members did not wish to select any of the options provided.
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[murielm99]

1. It used to be a virtue.

Newt Gingrich changed all that. If I hate republican scum now, it is their own fault. They started the war. I am defending myself.

[el_bryanto]

3. What about the argument that we need to be better than they are for it to matter? nt

[Fearless]

2. Do unto others... n/t

[truebrit71]

4. So if they continually punch you in the mouth, do you get to hit back?

If so, when they fuck are the Democrats going to start "doing unto" the republican obstructionist bastards?

[Fearless]

6. False equivelence.

I would act in a professional manner and shine a light on their ignorance not muckrake.

Edit to add: That does not mean I'm not fighting for what's right. It means that I keep the moral high ground. The ends rarely if ever justify the means. A properly executed moral high ground limits blow back. For instance, the way Democrats have shown a light on the Tea Party movement instead of stooping to their level of crazy. Because of this the Republican Party is one of declining membership and relevance. Had all we done was muckrake them, then we'd harden their followers' resolve and look unreasonable. As long as we have the moral high ground, we look like the reasonable option for voters. That is what is most important.

[Zorra]

5. Right wingers are responsible for almost every problem on the planet.

I have zero tolerance for their conscienceless omnipresent lies, greed, deceit, violence, repression, oppression, pollution, bigotry, hatred, ignorance, and corruption. If it was a mere matter of opinion, that would be a different story; but the indisputable physical evidence supporting our case is overwhelming and undeniable, and obvious to any informed, perceptive, reasonable person.

Our way, no one gets killed, our home planet earth gets nurtured and protected, everyone has greater opportunity to meet their basic needs and the needs of their families, the hungry get fed, people are free to be who they are as long as they don't harm anyone, kids get educated, and the old and sick get cared for.

In short, the greatest number of people are given the greatest possibility for life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

I have always tried to avoid right wingers whenever possible, and have managed to remain cordial with them unless they do or say something political, ie, expressing an idea that can inevitably lead to harm, or acting in a harmful manner.

Right wingers, in totally overwhelming majority numbers, are, and have always been, the most deceitful, violent, and destructive people on the planet.

Personally, far too much of my life has been dedicated to keeping the right wing from gaining enough power to produce for themselves another violent, destructive state similar to the the right wing fascist states of the early to mid 19th century that unleashed an unspeakably wicked horror on the people of this planet, the like of which was never seen before then, or been seen since then.

I'm really tired of preventing them from doing harm. I am tired of having to always remain vigilant, of cleaning up the messes that, like toddlers in their terrible twos, the right wing cannot control themselves from making.

Right wingers said they didn't know what was going on. But they knew god damned well what was going on, and they approved of it, and they'll do it again in a heartbeat if we don't hold them in check.



Rant over.

[Savannahmann]

7. Political Tolerance as a virtue or vice depends on the issue doesn't it?

If there is a small amount of difference between the two positions, then tolerance allows compromise, and compromise is better than gridlock. The idea that some progress is better than none for the sake of political perfection. For example, by giving up the most objectionable portions of the post Newton anti-gun push, we thought we had gotten agreement, and we did from a few of the more moderates, on background checks. The public seems annoyed that this compromise failed, and we'll have to see if this turns into problems at the ballot box, I'd say it won't, but I've been wrong before.

On the other hand, that virtue is a vice if we completely sell out our principles. As happened with the PATRIOT ACT. We objected to the abuses within it, and then when President Obama had the chance, he compromised. We took an abusive piece of legislation, and softened the abuses somewhat, and declared victory. That was not a virtue, that was a vice.