The Right to an Opinion

I agree. Emails are the same way. So easy to misunderstand the intent, the heart of the message. Written communication is easily misunderstood.
Thanks for the great post.

Thank you for your kind words. I have found myself in many situations reading what someone wrote in response to me, saying to myself "I didn't say that!" It still happens from time to time, but I am more philosophical about it.

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Unless I'm asking for clarification or having fun you'll rarely see me post more than a couple of times. I've said it before - your not going to change anyone's mind in this forum. I do admit there are Haley-Boppers out there that are ripe for the pickin' but those people are already down that road and aren't going to belabor the point. They will read the post and say to themselves "yeah that sounds right" and will agree with anything you say. As Ozzy Osborne once wrote "Asking who to follow/asking me who is right/don't ask me/I don't know"

When I think of all the knockdown, drag-out arguments I've had here in the past 14 months or so, I cringe a little because I understand how much lost productivity I had. I don't regret it per se because I am learning from it, but it is something that is in the past. All we can really change is today.

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in my humble opinion, +1.

"On a long enough timeline, the survival rate for evryone drops to zero" --Tyler Durden
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At what point would you say that an opinion becomes more than an opinion...it actually becomes fact?

I've seen many times, both on the internet and in real life, where one side will present an argument that is entirely factual and the other person will say, "That's just your opinion." It doesn't matter how much truth is cited and how logical the argument is, to the other person it's all just a matter of subjectivity. It may be due to ignorance or to the refusal to admit when one is wrong...but when can you officially say that an "opinion" crosses the threshold and becomes fact? Or is it even possible? Can you have an argument over facts, or do they simply have to be self-evident, rendering any argument irrelevant?

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I see what you are saying, Publius, but what is a fact but an opinion or perception that is agreed upon by a group of people? Since the perception of an outsider to that group may be different based on experience, does that invalidate that person's perception?

If science once said that the earth was factually flat, based on the opinions of a large group of people and backed by the Church, does that invalidate the findings of Columbus and other sailors who sailed to the perceived edge and did not fall off?

That's one of the reasons I feel that neither science nor religion hold all the cards when it comes to what we think we know in the Universe.

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So, are you along the lines of believing that real facts can't or don't exist? That everything is ultimately just an opinion...that it only becomes a so-called "fact" when enough people agree with it?

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There are natural laws in the Universe. For instance, gravity. A person can argue that there is no such thing as gravity, then step off the top of a tall building. Splat.

Everything else is agreements made in light of common perceptions. Take the Constitution for instance. Those of us who understand history and English common law know that we have rights that our government cannot take from us, certain inalienable rights. If someone in the federal government decides to issue a decree and back up the decree at the point of a bayonet or other use of force, then some people will just accept that decree as fact and change their behavior accordingly. In fact, those people who have been cowed by the threat of violence will stand by and cheer when those of us who love freedom resist the decree get arrested or worse.

That is the long, slow, sad erosion of our rights and liberties in this country.

Unless any of us has ALL the possible information and can prove it, there is always room for argument. Only by constantly challenging what we perceive to be true can we ever be sure that we are living our lives based on all the available evidence.

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At the risk of sounding pretentious, I think it was Voltaire who said, "I don't defend what you say, but I defend--to the death--your right to say it."

Heck, if he didn't say it, I think it's a pretty darn cool quote anyway.

I truly agree with you. We all have the right to our thoughts, opinions, and ways of life as long as they don't infringe on the rights of others.

We all have a lot more power than we know to change our own lives and the lives of those around us. Feeling powerless is no good. I look forward to a gov't that fosters these ideals.

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There were SO many times when I was first writing that I accidentally wrote something that sounded rude when I totally didn't mean too. I think when you are writing it is so important to think about how people will be reading your article, and know in your mind that they cannot "sense" your intentions or mood in your writing.

It's funny, even as I was reading this I found myself in a paradox. I agree with both of the statements that "when something is a fact" it holds greater truth AND with the fact that mosts facts are based on perception....lol.

I'll try to explain what I mean. If you are having a disagreement with someone if the Beatles sold more albums than Led Zeppelin, it is a fact that the Beatles have sold more over all. However, people will still argue the point because it is still the perception of the person as to the time frame in question and possible inflation etc.

I think of myself as a very factual person. It annoys me when people think they know something about computers and argue with me when I know factual proof that goes against what they are saying. Or about how many bones there are in the body. Or about the fact that NCIS comes on at 7:00 pm cst on Tues nights at my house in Alabama....lol. There are things that are facts that if someone argues against they are just being naive.

That being said, I am also a "the ball looks like it is there, but really it isn't"...kind of gal. I believe that many of the things we hold as facts, are in fact opinions help by the great masses. And I truly believe that many of these "facts" will be proven otherwise in our lifetime.

But I also believe in the power of facts.

I think the biggest problem is people don't know when to stop arguing and back away. Even if it is a fact, if someone doesn't agree with you, it really doesn't matter. It doesn't make the fact any less of a fact.

I said it on an earlier post, but I find it fitting to say here as well.... "The greatest thing of all is Love"... :)

What kind of training? Haaaaaarmy training, Sir!

Thank you for your kind words, SaraJoy. I find that intellectual discussions on Xomba are the most rewarding for personal growth. This is no exception. There are times when I can sit in total silence (mostly after my son has gone to bed LOL) and just ponder how much we really don't know about how the world works. It is more than a reality check for me, I guess, but it really helps me to reflect back on my day and put things in their proper perspective in order to open my mind and Higher Self to what is out there while I sleep.

So much of what we think we know isn't anything at all. But, acknowledging that lack of knowledge and that things change is scary for many people, which is why self-paradigms are rarely challenged. I used to go through life with blinders on, but I've been blessed with a son whose future is too important for me to let approach passively and that drives me to challenge anything and everything, especially authority. Not easy, not always pretty, but totally worth it in the end.

Anyway, I've rambled a bit, but thank you very much for your comment.

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Maybe I've had professors say to think of the people reading your essay, but I forgot it quickly. Essays--to me--have always seemed to be ruled by "reason" and/or "evidence." They weren't so much about 'how I make you feel about the subject' as 'how well my personal understanding--as it's communicated--flows with the cited quotations I gather.'

"Thinking of how the audience feels" seems more of an ad-writing exercise.

... signed, Uncle MythMan---Big Fan of stars like Hot-Hottie Eva Mendes & Vanessa Montagne & Lena Li--Xombie Plan

I know that what that movie portrayed wasn't 'really' what happened, but it DID get sort of a point across---Jesus would've been the Sacrificed Christ *even if He HAD managed to call upon an angel to save him!*

It's sort of like Evolution: for all I care, everything was created as-is yesterday; but there are reams-and-reams of reasoning declaring Evolution the way of the past to the present, so I accept it as 'fact.'

... signed, Uncle MythMan---Big Fan of stars like Hot-Hottie Eva Mendes & Vanessa Montagne & Lena Li--Xombie Plan

We can write a top-notch article on the specifics of interstellar space travel because it is something we know very well. However, if we expect the article is written for a peer group of astrophysicists, it probably wouldn't be of much use to a middle school student doing a report on rockets. When we write (or even before, while we are conceptualizing) our article, we need to have someone in mind that is going to read it.

That's the difference between a blog entry which can be as detailed as it needs to be for its field. A general article here on Xomba and other similar sites, on the other hand, should be written with a lower common denominator.

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Good post. But if the author is not following his own advice and recommendation, then what is the message he is sending?

The fact that you hijacked a thread of mine without contributing to the thread in any meaningful way is not the same as me "not following his own advice and recommendation".

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To the above poster that said that the author doesn't follow his own advice, you are mistaken, and yes that is my opinion, but one I hold as a fact...lol. :)

With everything we do know, we really don't know anything. It's a mater of questioning the reality of what everyone holds as truth. And if you had read more of Jdubhub's posts you would realize that he, out of anyone, holds to what he says, and learns from everything that is written and discussed.

Jbudhub is one of the best writers on here, and one of the most open minded, interesting people that I have met.

Normally I wouldn't jump in and say anything about such a short unfounded post, but I guess you caught me in a feisty mood. :)

Oh, and I think it is always a good idea to know your audience whether you are writing a romance novel, an article on fly fishing, or a blog on what you ate for dinner and why you hated it. Not doing so is like opening a pork only restaurant in the middle of a Kosher town. It doesn't matter how great the food/content is if the wrong audience is targeted. It's one of the greatest reasons websites don't get traffic. People create what they think should be a GREAT website, without doing proper research as to potential traffic and the amount of competing websites, and seo done on them, and end up falling dead in the water, despite the fact that their site may be amazing and what they are saying may be valid and great.

oops... I wrote a page again... sorry...lol. I do have to say Jdubhub that this article kept me thinking all day and night and left me what about 50 more posts and thoughts I could add. You are welcome for the response. I always find your ideas enlightening and very refreshing. It's always great to open your mind and think away from the pack. Well done!! :)

SK I feel emails provide an excellent opportunity to reach a broad consensus on a particular view,if only you can understand writer's sensitivity,his cultural backround,his environment,etc.This was not possible earlier when there was no internet.As writers we have to grow everyday by understanding each other's opinion.The more we think about others' perspectives,the more we enrich ourselves.In times to come,Xomba is bound to graow,and become a great debating platform.For my posts visit www.xomba.com/user/sanjay

My comment regarding the author following his own advice was right on spot, given the fact that he is the first to show reckless disregard against anyone expressing an opinion contrary to his own. Personal attacks, insults, name calling and especially, labeling people, is what he practices. So, what should we believe? What he says or what he does?

I have no doubt he is a good writer. But his bias against the reality we live in is so strong that makes him so one sided that any opinion contrary to his own is considered an insult to his intelligence. with his background and experience, he should know that no one can please everyone all the time.

Calling our President a murderer and a thief is not dignifying, regardless of which side of the political spectrum he stands. His hatred towards the current Administration and anyone who dares to hold a different view than his places him in a defensive position from which the only escape he sees is attacking the messenger. He has his opinions, you have yours, I have mine. None of us is in possession of the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

I could write a beautiful article anytime. Would you then believe me and judge me for what I wrote or for the manner in which I apply the principles I describe in it while interacting with other members?

You may agree and sympathize with his opinions, but that is not an excuse to discard the opinions of others simply because you don't agree. I receive and read all opinions, good or bad, agree or disagree, like it or not, because there is always something to learn from everyone's posts. Sticking to one position and discarding all the rest is simply close minded and a deterrent from increasing the knowledge and understanding of things.

I hope you take this post in the spirit in which was written.

Patriotism is not blind obedience to tyranny. You lament the current state of affairs in this country, yet you have no problem with what our country does to other people in other countries. You feel that you are educated on what our country does, yet you profess ignorance about the internal affairs of other countries. Anything you don't want to know about other countries and about people resisting naked aggression in their countries, you chalk up to the devil that you purport that I wouldn't understand.

Your own biases keep you from acknowledging that our foreign and domestic policies are intertwined. Do you feel happy about the Patriot Acts? Do you feel happy about our country being a police state thanks to laws enabled by both political parties? Wait, you answered that question already. You feel that our country and the world are better off now than before 9/11. I have asked you repeatedly to qualify that answer, yet you take those repeated questions as hatred.

Your entire religion is built on "sticking to one position and discarding all the rest is simply close minded and a deterrent from increasing the knowledge and understanding of things." Then, you have the audacity to project all of that onto me because you don't want to know the whole truth about things because it fosters inconvenient truths to what you believe to be true.

I never begrudged you the right to an opinion. Your own articles and responses to mine reflect that you view everything through a religious lens. If you want to, that's your choice and your right. But for you to judge me by that same system of beliefs, beliefs which I don't believe apply to me, is rather disingenuous.

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Say what you wish, you have proven your closed mindedness and intolerance to opinions contrary to yours.

On the contrary. I am against war, which is a government and country inflicting its political views on other governments and countries. By our troops illegally invading Iraq and continuing to occupy that sovereign country over five years after the Great Decider called Mission Accomplished, we are forcing our narrow opinion on ALL Iraqis. How is that approaching things with an open mind? How is that showing tolerance for people that look different or speak a different language than us?

You support murder and forcing beliefs on other people, when it comes down to it. You turn a blind eye to the horrors of war because you don't want to believe that you were fooled into supporting the wholesale slaughter of innocent people.

What I attempted to show, by this article and the comments I left in it, was the narrow=mindedness of those who support the war without finding out for themselves the true reasons for the war.

That's the opinion you've rendered without having to walk your talk. Fine. Whatever.

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You are only concentrating on local issues and limited issues. I am talking about global issues. Like it or not, the world has become a global community, where an act in one part of it has repercussions and consequences on another part of it, or other parts of it. Iran is a global threat, not a local one, and you know it. Iran must be kept in check and our presence in Iraq and Afghanistan serve the purpose. Not to mention the readiness for a contingent action required if Iran makes a bad move. Our presence in the region is a deterrent and is vitally necessary for the preservation of peace world wide. same as our presence in South Korea and in Europe. Thank God our President and his Administration have a wider, open minded vision for the safety of the world.

'Essays'--I vaguely remember--were usually '5-paragraphs: Introduction, Argument/Statement, Argument/Statement, Argument/Statement, Conclusion.' (Ahhh, school days ...)

I remember some 'advanced' classes mentioned that EVERY PARAGRAPH ought to have a miniature of the 5-paragraph setup within it; and I think that applies even more heavily in blog-writing, because I know I usually read articles like a person with 'something better to do' lol--look through the first paragraph or two, get an idea of what the article is saying, scan through to verify how right I am lol, and maybe dig deeper anyplace that looks interesting.

Maybe I already write to that kind of reader subconsciously, but it's fine to be aware of how/why I'm doing that.

... signed, Uncle MythMan---Big Fan of stars like Hot-Hottie Eva Mendes & Vanessa Montagne & Lena Li--Xombie Plan

I would also suggest you read some of the Founding Fathers' feeling of entangling alliances, endless interventionism, and the dangers of having a large standing military. Every single thing they warned about is what you are supporting in order to maintain Pax Americana.

In my parenting classes I learned, amongst other things, the importance of giving others the room to make mistakes because it is the learning from our mistakes that enable us to grow. With the United States government playing the role of the enabling parent, we are bankrupting ourselves and not giving other countries room to make mistakes and grow. The idea that we've been in Europe--against European wishes--since 1945 and in South Korea--against South Korean wishes--since 1953 (speaking of post-war occupation) have somehow made the world safer is ignoring history and substituting chauvinism for common sense.

Ask yourself how many wars has Iran started? How many countries has Iran invaded in the past hundred years? If Bush's own CIA's National Intelligence Estimate last November, very Fundamentalist Muslim Iran's own doctrine, and the international body IAEA all state that Iran does not have and is not developing nuclear weapons, why does Bush continue to threated Iran with nuclear attack to eliminate a threat Iran does not pose?

Besides, if our mere presence in Iraq and Afghanistan was a deterrent to anything, why are we continuing to look at Iran and Syria as targets with a "when" not "if" date for invasion and occupation?

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I have found that my most poignant and well-received articles have been the result of a minor bit of prep work for background and targeting and just allowing my subconscious to be tapped and words be allowed to flow through my fingers onto the screen via the keyboard. Except for minor backspacing to fix typing errors, I don't even pause while typing until I'm done.

There are times when I do extra work if the subject and reader require it, but I prefer to "go with the flow" as a writing style. By invoking my Higher Self, I write beyond myself and reach out to the more evolved aspects of other people.

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You seem to forget (or omit) the fact that, at the time of the Founding Fathers, England was a world power, followed closely by Spain and France. The US was a simple colony of states which never had any pretension of becoming as prosperous and powerful as they are now. So, nothing in their work approached an issue that was out of the question at the time.

Our presence in Europe against the Europe wishes is a fallacy. Europe would have become red in a few years without our presence there. And you know it. South Korea would be communist now were it not for our welcomed presence there. And you know it.

Iran has publicly and openly declared its intention to wipe out Israel off the map. You may take it as a joke, but our Administration takes it seriously. As they say, "better safe than sorry". All indications are that Iran has the clear agenda to act upon its threat. And Israel would only be the first step toward Europe. And you know that.

Iran, one of the biggest producers of oil has need for nuclear energy plants? That IS a joke. Their intention is to posses nuclear weapons, especially as Pakistan and India already have them, and they are uncomfortably close to Iran. Hopefully, by the time Iran actually has nuclear capability, the regime would change into a more world friendly one and reduce the risk of a global nuclear confrontation.

But you can continue to deviate from the real issues the world is facing today. You have plenty of supporters and admirers, especially when you call Bush a murderer and a thief. Enjoy your popularity while it lasts. Reality eventually will kick in and then you either adjust to the reality or simply fade away.

Time will tell, not you.

You keep saying "and you know it" based on your own wants and desires, without grounding anything in facts or reality. Plus, you continue to ignore the fact that you are imposing on other countries your wants and your desires. People like you seem to feel that other countries are not capable of taking care of themselves and that we should be their nanny by any means necessary, including lies, innuendo, and subterfuge.

What "indications" are there that Iran has threatened to develop and use nuclear weapons? BE SPECIFIC. When has the current Iranian administration threatened to attack anyone in the world with nuclear weapons? BE SPECIFIC. How can you possibly know what Iran's "intentions" are? BE SPECIFIC.

The irony is that you toss around words like "red" and "communist" freely, yet you ignore that your Republican Party is run by Neoconservatives, who are retread communists who joined the Republicans because it has been the War Party since the time of Reagan and who continue to wrap themselves in the American flag while still pursuing a policy of Israel First.

Lastly, your misapplication of the historical context of the Constitution only proves that you consider the Constitution to be an antiquated document that serves no purpose in today's world. Why is it that you fear other countries taking care of themselves, as in the case of Europe and South Korea? BE SPECIFIC.

You cannot substitute cold, hard facts for "and you know it" because I have show you otherwise and you continue to live in a fairy tale land where the United States can continue to ignore domestic issues while forcing other countries to bend to our will by invoking ghosts and hobgoblins.

"America does not go abroad in search of monsters to destroy. She is the well-wisher to the freedom and independence of all. "--John Quincy Adams

"Governments use national animosities, foreign wars and the glamour of empire-making, in order to...divert rising sentiment against domestic abuses."--J. R. Hobson

"We will bankrupt ourselves in the vain search for absolute security."--Dwight David Eisenhower

"The loss of liberty at home is to be charged to the provisions against danger, real or imagined, from abroad."--James Madison

"America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter, and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves."--Abraham Lincoln

"There were no international terrorists in Iraq until we went in. It was we who gave the perfect conditions in which Al Qaeda could thrive."--Robin Cook, former British Foreign Secretary, who resigned from British Cabinet over the illegal Iraq invasion

"The world should take notice when someone...with a fanatic mind and with powerful means, receives his marching orders from Heaven."--Rodrigue Tremblay

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A 'philosophical friend' of mine (a real person too! lol) whom I've known since grad-school tells me that I've always been an Odinsman---one who regards 'the written word' most-"Holy."

That's kind of true, as I've always felt more-powerful when speaking something that has been written, -when what I say gets written down and/or -when what I write is heavily rehd and spoken about. The truism there is that--when you manifest a message with any meaning in marks made on a page/screen/tablet/etc.--you're commiting that manifestation into existence; if you manifest your 'name' into connection with that message, you commit yourself to that message.

The people who started our nation started it by committing themselves to their writing. ~Maybe~ John Hancock, Samuel Adams and Thomas Jefferson committed their eternal names to the documents that started our nation, because they believed in those documents ... I'm not saying, 'They felt those were best for the time, but it's totally alright to trash `em when you get uncomfortable,' but they believed the way they described was Our Creator's way.

The leaders today aren't seeking Our Creator's way ... that's their right, 'free country'; but their way hinders ~my~ pursuit of Our Creator's way.

... signed, Uncle MythMan---Big Fan of stars like Hottie Kim Kardashian & Vanessa Montagne & Lena Li--Xombie Plan