POTWR: Inaugural Address 2019

[InternetHero]

It's always refreshing to talk with other historians that get this shit, man
Your points above are a big part of why i'm in a public history track right now. A lot of my colleagues are medievalists that have pretty much resigned themselves to writing about stuff almost nobody will ever want to read, or would understand anyway. Being a Native historian of Native history, it was very important to me that I develop the communication skills- in person and on the page- to make connections to the lay audiences that I want interacting with my work. This was particularly important given that my research focus brings me right into policy implications for the present day; i'm trying to put stuff together that can make a case for actual structural improvement in my own demographics (I came up through an Indian Ed program and want to help fix them).

I bailed on history to study culture. However, I am happy I stuck around for my MA in History. History is an amazing base for all knowledge and one of the real, true shames of American culture is that the left/right divide can not be sorted out enough to teach an accurate good, neutral, bad, and ugly picture of the American story.

Keep up the good fight. The plight of the Natives, institutional, as well as self wounded, is maybe the hardest and most misunderstood subject of American history. The more solutions and answers, the more people you will give real hope to.

I never really understand that, most Americans would have some sympathy and understanding of Natives as an idea, and then ignore or despise the real people.

A magnification of the very human dilemma - I love my idea of Utopia, I do not like the people who want to inhabit my idea of Utopia. Uncool.

Cheers to shinning more light on things, Mr. Pete.

 

[Islam Imamate]

That option is called not voting. Cheers.




Great! What particular topics might be fun? @Kafir-kun may have an interest in exploring some history. What do you think Kafir? Interested in a short debate, or possibly finding something you and Pete disagree on and then jointly crafting an OP for discussion?

Who else likes history?

I like the idea of history discussions but not sure I want to get in a debate with someone like @Limbo Pete who works in the field, seems like he'd be in a higher weight class.

 

[JDragon]

I like the idea of history discussions but not sure I want to get in a debate with someone like @Limbo Pete who works in the field, seems like he'd be in a higher weight class.

Just bleed imo

 

[Trotsky]

My preferences:

1. Feel good stories - it's a depressing world and, frankly, the sort of willful ignorance prevalent in the War Room's membership is one of the main engines in what makes the world so depressing.

2. OP jointly composed of alternative viewpoints - this would hopefully cut down on substantive discussions being derailed, whether by outsiders or the participants themselves, and would lay bare attempts to obfuscate or move goal posts.

3. Hot-button issues - on a lot of these issues, like for instance the migrant crisis, it is oftentimes the least informed posters who are the most passionate and entrenched.

4. Common misconceptions

5. Change my mind - but this really depends on how genuine the TS is.

 

[Limbo Pete]

I like the idea of history discussions but not sure I want to get in a debate with someone like @Limbo Pete who works in the field, seems like he'd be in a higher weight class.

I'd much rather moderate tbh. Do enough writing as is lol. And any history debate with me would be a real one, by which I mean presenting an actual thesis and then supporting it. I think a lot of the critters that skulk around on here could do well by learning the distinction between an argument and a debate.

 

[Trotsky]

I like the idea of history discussions but not sure I want to get in a debate with someone like @Limbo Pete who works in the field, seems like he'd be in a higher weight class.

That's very offensive.

It's well known that @Limbo Pete is Samoan and that polynesian people tend to struggle with their weight.

I'd much rather moderate tbh. Do enough writing as is lol. And any history debate with me would be a real one, by which I mean presenting an actual thesis and then supporting it. I think a lot of the critters that skulk around on here could do well by learning the distinction between an argument and a debate.

The Civil War had nothing to do with slavery imo.

 

[Limbo Pete]

The Civil War had nothing to do with slavery imo.

Something something tariffs

 

[irish_thug]

i would only endorse cubo if he subscribed to my youtube channel.

lol

I looked at it, but I have less than no interest in video games.

 

[JDragon]

I file that under "educational."

We all personally know about .0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000001% (I should probably double the zeros.) of human understanding over the millennium, therefore, should in theory be open to new ideas and historical as well as cultural education.

At the same time, the War Room is about holding your own in discussions on controversial topics. So the best way to start such a thread would be for someone to come forward and admit there is some topic where he/she has an opinion based on a gut feeling or general political direction but has not thought about in depth yet.

 

[JDragon]

I looked at it, but I have less than no interest in video games.

So if your interest in video games were to increase, it might become zero?

 

[JDragon]

Tbh I think some of those threads are needed more than others, but all of them could be good if done right.

 

[RockstarChris]

I looked at it, but I have less than no interest in video games.

it was just a joke. myyoutube channel is nearing meme status i almost have 100k views and nobody likes me. IMA NICE GUY!

 

[Jack V Savage]

I want to see @Jack V Savage and @Greoric have a one on one debate thread. There fight are always so savage no pun intended.

I'm open, but really, I don't see how all of our disagreements aren't objectively and definitively decided.

http://forums.sherdog.com/threads/w...iggest-crash-the-world-has-ever-seen.2938613/

Is the big one. He made several firm predictions in that one, and I made countering ones, and I was right about 100% of them. Game over. Also, every little bit of bad news since Feb. 2015 (well, he actually started wrongly calling for a big crash before that) got him hard (for example and here). If he had any integrity, he'd admit that maybe people who actually study the issue seriously know more than crankish talk-show hosts back in 2016 like he said he would. He gets super nasty on a personal level when his arguments are shown to be wrong, but on a substantive level, it's over.

 

[Sara]

I would like the meme thread to be stickies so it's easier to find, and I would like more funny memes to be posted.


Make it happen.

 

[JDragon]

I would like the meme thread to be stickies so it's easier to find, and I would like more funny memes to be posted.


Make it happen.

I agree. Let's move the meme thread to the OT and sticky it. Win-win.

 

[Sara]

I agree. Let's move the meme thread to the OT and sticky it. Win-win.

You know you don't have to go into threads you don't enjoy right? Even if they're stickied.

 

[JDragon]

You know you don't have to go into threads you don't enjoy right? Even if they're stickied.

But you do enjoy both the OT and the Meme thread, right?

 

[Cubo de Sangre]

I have no issues talking about areas i'm at least somewhat knowledgeable in, so long as the format isn't just a bunch of turds badgering me to prove every thought. I'd be interested in presenting a topic or figure and offering my own analysis, or perhaps doing something similar to what was done in the debate league. My biggest issue is workload, because getting on the internet and writing about history is a lot less appealing when i'm in the middle of a bunch of serious research or whatever. I'm an Americanist that specializes in Native history, specifically Indian Education, but i've got a decent working knowledge of a variety of other topics. Between me, you, and Pupi (if he in interested) we could cover a lot of turf. In my experience, though, much of what people seem interested in is heavily Eurocentric, modern or medieval, and i'm not great with much of that outside some familiarity with middle ages Britain. We had good success with the Civil War debate, and that's a topic I can definitely wrangle. I've toyed heavily with the idea of finding a way to make a thread about William Walker and maybe I could put something together there. Both the character and the context there is damn fascinating.
Edit: I'm also definitely not interested in discussing the history of philosophy (any philosophy). I know there are a decent amount of people on here that like to talk/argue about philosophy.

With 10 months of threads to fill, I'm open to ideas. And from my experience it'll be the ones that don't sound that awesome to begin with that turn out the best.

Since you're an expert on Native Americans, how about the topic of poverty on reservations and what can be done about it (if anything). Or more specifically, is segregation bad for them and should something be done?

If I were to make "any" thread that was vast and all encompassing it would probably be a 10,000 word construction of the diametric directions of modern philosophy and how we should encourage different viewpoints in republicanism and for the Western/world sense of freedom.

A summary of the relationship between Aristotle/Nietzsche, Mills/Burke, and Rousseau/Locke, all riding as an encouragement, reaction to, or criticism of the deeper waters of religion and cultural change.

To provide a framework where posters of all backgrounds could see the genesis and trends of all their views to better find answers to such questions as:

"When is political violence acceptable in the face of oppression? What is the standard..." because that standard is incredibly watery and ambiguous, are are many things underpinning the left/right slap fests we see daily.

If people could understand in a very basic way "why" and "who" created the thoughts they have for FREEDOM! and EQUALITY! as absolutes they are willing to turn into rage infested weevils over, we might all plot a greater understanding of life.







I think three or four people might read that thread, and I would get 1 or 2 likes.

Totally worth it!

Sounds good to me. Ain't nobody saving the world by posting on Sherdog anyway.

All hail the chief.

Can you add a mailing drive to the options?

I would be interested in seeing who is really interested in that.

I'm sure I can drive some interest by topic, but would be curious who the general idea appeals to.

Can you lay out the specifics a bit more?

I like the idea of history discussions but not sure I want to get in a debate with someone like @Limbo Pete who works in the field, seems like he'd be in a higher weight class.

Write a joint OP with @Limbo Pete or @InternetHero or somebody on a topic you may not necessarily agree on. Shit, or just offer up your own idea and make it an educational piece. If it's something that interests you then chances are there's others who feel the same.

My preferences:

1. Feel good stories - it's a depressing world and, frankly, the sort of willful ignorance prevalent in the War Room's membership is one of the main engines in what makes the world so depressing.

2. OP jointly composed of alternative viewpoints - this would hopefully cut down on substantive discussions being derailed, whether by outsiders or the participants themselves, and would lay bare attempts to obfuscate or move goal posts.

3. Hot-button issues - on a lot of these issues, like for instance the migrant crisis, it is oftentimes the least informed posters who are the most passionate and entrenched.

4. Common misconceptions

5. Change my mind - but this really depends on how genuine the TS is.

Pretty sure the four I voted for are among your five. I'm actually a little surprised the feel good stories option has done as well as it has. That one's easy to do and doesn't require coordinating participation so I'll make that thread for sure.

As you know, I'd love for you to be involved in creating a thread and driving discussion. No idea is too big or small.

it was just a joke. myyoutube channel is nearing meme status i almost have 100k views and nobody likes me. IMA NICE GUY!

One more off topic comment and you'll be my first reply ban. Please, don't.

 

[Higus]

I've been pondering a lot on the subject of free speech and the paradoxes that come from it. One of the conclusions that I've come to is that a lot of the current "free speech" advocates are acting in bad faith to further a political or cultural agenda, and that these actors are a greater existential threat to free speech than the people trying to silence them. Good debates require moderation, and moderation is not the same as censorship.

This might be an interesting exercise. I see 2 possible outcomes for these threads: They will either be highly moderated and high quality, or poorly moderated and poor quality (quality being a measure of enlightened exchanges of ideas and not entertainment). In the former, trolls and low quality posters will complain of censorship and bias, and in the latter the quality voices will be turned off. At least for now, Cubo seems to be dedicated to the former and the thread will be better for it.

 

[Cubo de Sangre]

I've been pondering a lot on the subject of free speech and the paradoxes that come from it. One of the conclusions that I've come to is that a lot of the current "free speech" advocates are acting in bad faith to further a political or cultural agenda, and that these actors are a greater existential threat to free speech than the people trying to silence them. Good debates require moderation, and moderation is not the same as censorship.

This might be an interesting exercise. I see 2 possible outcomes for these threads: They will either be highly moderated and high quality, or poorly moderated and poor quality (quality being a measure of enlightened exchanges of ideas and not entertainment). In the former, trolls and low quality posters will complain of censorship and bias, and in the latter the quality voices will be turned off. At least for now, Cubo seems to be dedicated to the former and the thread will be better for it.

Great observation and thank you.