It does strike a nerve with me

[valvatica]

Originally I was going to post this into the FightingAtheist thread but I decided it was better to make this its own thread, seeing how the point about dogmatism in the political arena but not in the science/religion/nature/whatever one can't be emphasized enough. Someone else here pointed out how with a lot of the political dogmatists (especially those who have an entire YouTube career and history on it), that even if they are eventually convinced otherwise and mentally don't accept their positions anymore, they've come too far to go back now. None of them are going to risk looking like they were idiots for being wrong. So I figured I'd bring up some info about myself in efforts to address this.

I supported the public option (though not universal health care) for awhile. While I don't know every single argument for either side just yet, I eventually found my position indefensible due to the number of times opponents would bring up the point about the HMO act and the proponents never answered it. A lot of the arguments I still think are rubbish (comparing it to rationing grocery store food... I mean not in a food stamps way), or people buying car insurance after an accident (a la HTWW). Though HTWW did point out regarding the public option: If it's voluntary, why even pay until you get sick? Why not just wait till it happens?

Regarding food stamps: I was on it for 3 months because there were no other options. I don't defend food stamps, I defend having had to be on it due to no other options at the time. I couldn't find a job anywhere and I'm a college grad (I guess minimum wage is to blame? among other things), no family or friends to help, and so on. Seeing the opinions of YouTubers like the hard-line Republicans, HTWW, or those who comment on TheModernMystic's videos repelled me from joining the non-bogus side for a good amount of time because the attitudes of those I saw disgusted me. "Poor people should be killed/die", "If you're on food stamps why are you at mommy and daddy's house using a computer you spoiled kid?", "you stole from my paycheck!"... assuming stuff without knowing me. First of all, I was well off prior to succumbing to a poor position, assholes. I wasn't poor right when the umbilical cord was snipped. I worked many jobs just like the rest of you! Claiming "I stole from your paycheck" is also rubbish. I worked all the years before I needed food stamps, so unless I never worked a day in my life, I "stole" from my own paycheck as well as yours. Third, I committed no crime. I went and applied legitimately, I showed all my past paychecks, work history, income, social security #, etc. Not a lot of room to con it IMO. Blame their stupid clerks who can't do basic math, not me. Fourth, I wasn't at "mommy and daddy's". I used my laptop most of the time (looking for work!!), and when I moved to a nearby town, used their work source stations with free computer access to find jobs.

Yes, it touches a nerve with me. Not with health care, but with the attitude that's SO prevalent among partisan and otherwise ignorant thinkers. In my quest for intellectual honesty it was hard to accept certain positions due to their having been soiled for me by idiots, but as I've always said I'd rather be right than be a fool for a lifetime. To this day the partisan thinkers still make me vomit in my mouth a little. I know you guys aren't partisan, but will still vouch for partisan thinkers if they have a point right. After all, "give credit where credit is due." I just can't stand that those kinds of people are big voices. I see it as doing more damage to the reputation of the position that political dogmatists (on the wrong side... the atheists) could have come to if it wasn't so soiled. Hell, I could have come to it sooner if it wasn't for these cretins ruining it for me. But maybe that's just my fault?

My point is, I can understand why politically-dogmatic atheists wouldn't want to embrace intellectual honesty. On the same note though, I don't want to be represented by clowns like Fox News, or Limbaugh, or Steven Crowder. It's hard to make an argument about healthcare or the poor and successfully convince people to switch sides, because to them it means embracing what certain clowns like 024redrum believe (who made the kinds of comments to me I showed you above).

[Lord T Hawkeye]

Just gotta remember, even clowns do get the right answer every so often so just because you agree with them on one thing doesn't make you one of them wholly.  To think so IS dogmatism as well.

[valvatica]

You're right. It's just difficult for me to uncouple myself from that annoyance.

[MrBogosity]

Here's what you have to remember: it's not partisan dogmatists on one side and rational people on the other; it's partisan dogmatists on one side and rational people AND OTHER partisan dogmatists on the other.