Pipes Over Personalities and Politics

[finnian3]

All,
I am a delicate flower and a snowflake. I like my aromatics to sing of Unicorns and Smurfs with a hints of vanilla.
My politics are center left. As a social creature I tend to congregate in the smoky dens of fellow pipe enthusiasts.
I have noticed that many of my compatriots tend to be conservative. Our society has lost much of its fabled civility, but among my local cohort civility still reigns. Pipes over personalities and politics one could say. I am opinionated but not forcefully so. Perhaps this is why I still get along with a wide variety of individuals. A good pipe, a good cup of coffee and a great conversation, of these is a great moment composed.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

I just don't remember anyone ever being a single party fanboy as I grew up. Everyone I knew just voted for whoever's policies they were attracted to at the time. But, that may be because in my state, individuals cannot register by parties in any way.

But, I refuse to pick between Alabama and Auburn. I refuse to be a fanboy of just one type of music, nor just one type of movie genre.

I am just not attracted to fan boys of things. I sort of think my neighbor looks silly with his University of Alabama ballcap, tshirt, sweat pants, even his truck is crimson with a big A on the side. And, you will see people walking around like that with orange and blue for Auburn also. Even people adorning themselves with band tshirts, like walking billboards makes me chuckle. Who on earth is impressed about your willingness to be market for a band? Ha ha! I mean, there are bands and musicians that I really like, but I'm not about to pledge my clothing to any of them.

So, I am dead center. I also coach a debate team, so in studying deeply into policies for LD debates, I know that neither party is really what all they tell us they are. And, I have to set an example for my students, whom it is required that they know policies well enough to debate either side of the coin.

But, here at Pipesmagazine, mentioning politics is off limits. It seems like some people can't even handle seeing a picture of someone who doesn't align to their political preferences.

 

[briarbuck]

 

[ashdigger]

I’m all for reasoned discussion unless you like Savinelli pipes or Haddos Delight, then you will be treated with the disdain that junkyard dogs and the criminally insane deserve.

So essentially I’m a moderate too.

 

[kcghost]

I think talking (argue) politics to be the biggest waste of time on the planet. People yap about this stuff as if delivering the Sermon on the Mount. You aren't going to change anyone's mind. And they aren't going to change yours.

 

[sablebrush52]

I am a delicate flower and a snowflake. I like my aromatics to sing of Unicorns and Smurfs with a hints of vanilla.
My politics are center left. As a social creature I tend to congregate in the smoky dens of fellow pipe enthusiasts.
I have noticed that many of my compatriots tend to be conservative.

Finnian3, dear, dear Finnian3, have you noticed that this forum has some posting rules and amongst them is an all out ban on any political discussion? Do you know why this is, Finnian3? It's because such discussions always and without reservation lead to explosions of an extremely toxic nature. Think of political discussion on this forum as the fart of death.
It is an unfortunate, but repeatedly observable fact that people cling strongly onto whatever form of delusion their political views have metastasized into. Therefore it is politic to avoid politics.

 

[captainsousie]

Finnian3, dear, dear Finnian3, have you noticed that this forum has some posting rules and amongst them is an all out ban on any political discussion? Do you know why this is, Finnian3? It's because such discussions always and without reservation lead to explosions of an extremely toxic nature. Think of political discussion on this forum as the fart of death.
It is an unfortunate, but repeatedly observable fact that people cling strongly onto whatever form of delusion their political views have metastasized into. Therefore it is politic to avoid politics.

Well put. However well intentioned, this will not end well.

 

[mikethompson]

A post about how politics don't matter to you will almost certainly descend into political chaos.

 

[finnian3]

Pipes over politics and personalities. It has worked for our club.....

 

[verporchting]

IBTL

 

[mikethompson]

Pipes over politics and personalities. It has worked for our club.....

 

[wyfbane]

In before the inevitable lock on any post with even the word politics in it.

I am a cold war surviving, retired Army guy applying for refugee status in TN from the people's republic of wa... if you wanted to guess my politics.

But this is a peaceful place to smoke and mingle in one of the last arenas where that is possible for folks of differing opinions.

Thank you Kevin and the Mods!

 

[finnian3]

The internet, a repository for the collected knowledge of human existence. At your fingertips one can find almost anything about anything, and yet it is mostly used for the most trivial of queries.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Pipes over politics and personalities. It has worked for our club.....

Yes, ours as well, but when it is to me unmentioned, mentioning it is against the rules. Also, be careful not to post pictures of political leaders of any sort, nor musicians or actors who may have ever mentioned something political, and please avoid ever using the colors red or blue. Unfortunately, some people can't handle it.

 

[sablebrush52]

Pipes over politics and personalities. It has worked for our club.....

Pipe clubs are one thing. You generally know each other, where most of you live, etc. Firebombing an enemy's house isn't that difficult under those circumstances, so everyone has a motive to keep it clean.
A forum is a virtual expanse that goes world wide. People are less connected and less inclined to regulate themselves.

It's been tried both here and elsewhere and it not only doesn't work, but it's a proven forum killer.
A little over 6 years ago a political discussion here ended in close to 20 people getting banned, many others quitting, and posting going down to single digits for a couple of weeks. We were getting mostly postings about recipes for various bland concoctions. It took months for this forum to recover.

I've also been a supporter of a forum that allowed political discussion. I wanted to see if it could be done. It couldn't. It didn't end well and I had to pull my support which caused the forum to chose.

 

[gamzultovah]

@PipeIT

 

[sablebrush52]

The internet, a repository for the collected knowledge of human existence. At your fingertips one can find almost anything about anything, and yet it is mostly used for the most trivial of queries.

You're kind of proving our point.

 

[tschiraldi]

I’m all for reasoned discussion unless you like Savinelli pipes or Haddos Delight, then you will be treated with the disdain that junkyard dogs and the criminally insane deserve.

So essentially I’m a moderate too.

Change that to Peterson pipes and Royal Yuck and I'm with you, lol!

 

[warren]

IBTL and it's too early in the morning, up here for a purely political discussion. What were you thinking finnian?

 

[SoddenJack]

How many posts before this one gets locked? Anyone care to take a guess?