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I don't follow this stuff very closely. I think there are a lot of examples of politicians who are inconsistent when it comes to deficit/spending issues. I think it is pretty hard to change the minds of people in office already. Politicians tend to be more loyal to their party than their beliefs, in my opinion. I think the examples you gave of the GOP bill increasing the deficit, after the complaints about Obama's deficit spending is a good example of GOP hypocrisy. I also think Obama was hypocritical in supporting increased deficit spending after saying Bush's deficits were unpatriotic and voting against raising the debt ceiling as a senator. That's the nature of politics.

That is a big question. Rather than get into specific issues, I would say my philosophy about political issues tends to be that reasonable, intelligent, and caring people can have very different views about many issues. I have opinions about issues, but I don't assume that all my opinions are correct. Some opinions I have are different than they were ten years ago. I assume that some of my current beliefs will change in the next ten years. I am also aware that my opinions would be very different if I had grown up in a different environment, with different experiences. So I guess I try not to get too upset about politics, and if I am angry about something, I try to remind myself "I could be wrong".

I think a good starting point for changing someone else's political beliefs is to be able to clearly state what their beliefs are, and the reasoning behind those beliefs, in a way they will agree with. I'm no Trump fan, but I live in a red state and have occasional discussions relating to political issues. I just don't see all the racism, ignorance, and hate that so many people on the left assume is behind voting for republicans. Honestly, I hear more hate and disrespect from the left than I do the right. I hear a lot of comments about how horrible/stupid/evil Trump supporters are, and how such terrible people need to be dealt with, so we can live in a tolerant country without hate... How people can express such hatred, while believing they are on the side of tolerance and acceptance, is an amazing thing. I think that before spending too much time figuring out how to educate people that disagree with you, you need to actually be able to articulate the point of view you disagree with in a way that is reasonable to the people you disagree with.

I think it is reasonable if that is the case. I see a lot of "us vs them" in political discussions. It is strange how much negativity there is about the "other" voters.

He seems to hate liberals. How much do you hate him? His post was offensive, but, I have seen similar comments about conservatives. Would you send that screen shot to their employers?

I know nothing about basketball, but I have heard that the result of tonight's game means I get a free taco. Can anyone confirm? It's important...

I actually got interested in seeing it after reading how frustrated people were after seeing it. I read a summary that explained the religious/biblical events that were being referenced on screen. I would have hated the movie, if I didn't know why everyone hated it. But, I was interested once I understood what the strange stuff on screen was alluding to. Having said that, I wouldn't recommend it to anyone. It is very understandable why people don't enjoy it. Very strange movie.

To be honest, I work in the mental health field, so most people I meet are clients. I actively approach interactions with clients with goals of understanding their thoughts and avoiding judgments or biases as best as I can.

As to the main question in this thread, I tend to be optimistic about the direction of society. There is obviously a heightened tone of anger and mistrust between, and within, the political parties. But I have met a ton of people from across the political spectrum, and I find most people to be decent and reasonable. There will always be some percentage of people who will be disruptive or violent, though I don't see that as being a likely path for large numbers of people.

Cowboys and Patriots fans have conspiracy threads as well. For Dallas fans, the Ezekiel Elliot thread was epic. You have an accuser who's texts show her (paraphrasing here) saying... The police are on their way, tell them he hit me... Friend's response "you want me to lie"... Her "yeah". They also have her texts discussing blackmailing him over a sex tape. She refuses to make any accusations under oath. Then, the NFL investigates. Only one person interviews her (I think it was a woman who was a former domestic violence prosecutor). That person says they didn't believe the accuser, and recommend no punishment. So, that investigator is told her services are no longer needed, and is dropped from the investigation. They then suspend him. Zeek and the Cowboys appeal, asking for the right to ask the accuser questions under oath... So, Jerry gets fined for appealing the decision.