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How to avoid politics at the dinner table?


MacinVic
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Just now, wwcruisers said:

And a Poodle owner, to boot! 😉 Just kidding -- LOVE your avatar picture!

He's a year old and his name is "Hairy Red Dog" and I'm sure he's a liberal also.  He loves Rachel Maddow!!!

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2 minutes ago, wwcruisers said:

And a Poodle owner, to boot! 😉 Just kidding -- LOVE your avatar picture!

Yeah and who’d own a Poodle when you could have a cute little Schnauzer it even a spotted monster Dalmatian.

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3 hours ago, navybankerteacher said:

This is the thing - it is entirely possible to have a rational discussion about politics - even with someone with different views.  It takes a willingness (on both sides) to listen, a commitment to facts, and (most important) avoidance of pushing a personal view.   

 

Sadly, the levels of intelligence, courtesy and self discipline necessary to achieve this are rarely found.

 

 

 

It is not possible with blind partisans of the type described in the original post.   Nor it is possible to have a rational discussion on many subjects such as abortion, religion, gun control, gay marriage, race or other topics where people are intensely committed to a single position whether through dogma, devotion, fear, intolerance or simply bigotry.

 

It is however quite possible to amuse oneself at their expense and anyone proselytizing on any of the above subjects generally deserves it.     

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16 minutes ago, K32682 said:

 

It is not possible with blind partisans of the type described in the original post.   Nor it is possible to have a rational discussion on many subjects such as abortion, religion, gun control, gay marriage, race or other topics where people are intensely committed to a single position whether through dogma, devotion, fear, intolerance or simply bigotry. [emphasis added by me for this post]

 

It is however quite possible to amuse oneself at their expense and anyone proselytizing on any of the above subjects generally deserves it.     

 

Sorry. I can't accept that my single position on civil and human rights, and hence some of those topics is attributable to any of those descriptors.

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4 hours ago, clo said:

Yeah, I love listening to "BBC World" IIRC on our local NPR.  Definitely a different perspective.

 

 

My cable tv provider airs  both BBC/world AND   BBC/America.  I very much   enjoy listening to  both and do so often.

 

 

 

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sail.noordam@gmail.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited by sail7seas
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10 hours ago, lenquixote66 said:

I guess I am in the minority because I have never been on a cruise where politics was a discussion at a dining table.

I have cruised many times and have, in fact, encountered  a few people who wanted to push political agendas at meal time - but none who refused to accept suggestion (from me and/or others) that the table was not an appropriate forum. 

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The closest thing to a political discussion that we were ever involved in was during the U.S. Obama care debate. As we introduced ourselves as Canadian, a couple of Americans at our table wanted to know if our healthcare systems was as bad as some anti Obama care people were saying or as good as some pro Obama care advocates were claiming. It was a civil discussion and I just told them both sides in your debate were right and both sides were also wrong. The truth about the Canadian system (and probably any 'universal' healthcare system) was in the middle somewhere. 

 

As I recall, that discussion was on the first night and we didn't discuss 'politics' again that cruise.

 

 

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56 minutes ago, ed01106 said:

 

Does that include my hat that says, Morons Are Governing America?

 

 

 

Then,  why  have one? 😕

 

 

 

 

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4 hours ago, DirtyDawg said:

The closest thing to a political discussion that we were ever involved in was during the U.S. Obama care debate. As we introduced ourselves as Canadian, a couple of Americans at our table wanted to know if our healthcare systems was as bad as some anti Obama care people were saying or as good as some pro Obama care advocates were claiming. It was a civil discussion and I just told them both sides in your debate were right and both sides were also wrong. The truth about the Canadian system (and probably any 'universal' healthcare system) was in the middle somewhere. 

 

As I recall, that discussion was on the first night and we didn't discuss 'politics' again that cruise.

 

 

That sounds like a very reasonable conversation.

 

 

 

 

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The Art of Conversation has fallen by the wayside. When I was young we traveled quite a bit and even lived overseas for a bit. My parents encouraged my sister and I (when appropriate - there was a lot of "girls go and play") to listen to the adult conversation. We were curious and luckily the adults were courteous and informative. I also was on the debate team in high school and learned to rely on FACTS, rather than emotion.

 

True conversation, not idle chit chat, takes work on both parties. First, being the ability to LISTEN. Second, the ability to express your beliefs. This to be done in a thoughtful manner. Thoughtful in this instance being two fold; one, you have put thought into your belief and two, you are conscious of those to whom you are speaking. Lastly, the ability to question the reasons behind the thoughts shared by others.

 

In my opinion, this is not something that has deteriorated in 2-3 years. This has transpired over decades. As someone mentioned earlier, most folks take what they read in a headline or hear on a "teaser" as fact. There is very little research and thought put into beliefs. This leads to uninformed beliefs on any  number of issues. Part of the issue is we are inundated (internet, television, radio) with inaccurate information. Newspapers and news programs used to be unbiased, reliable vessels for facts. Currently, we must seek information beyond what we're "fed". The truth is whether the lack of seeking is due to laziness, time constraints, blind trust, etc., it's happening/happened.

Edited by JennyB1977
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21 hours ago, clo said:

He's a year old and his name is "Hairy Red Dog" and I'm sure he's a liberal also.  He loves Rachel Maddow!!!

I love that he's "Hairy RED Dog" and he's a liberal :classic_biggrin:   Dream pairing at a conference here in town last year - Rachel Maddow and Anna Navarro...  He would have enjoyed that one!!

 

Full disclosure:  I don't sit at large tables, I do a 2-top for myself.   But, I have been in other social situations on board and on land where discussions on "forbidden" subjects happen.  If they are civil and thought-provoking, I'm fine with them and wiling to contribute.  

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11 hours ago, GUT2407 said:

Dumb question maybe, but what is a maga hat??

It is a red baseball hat, with "Make America Great Again" printed on it.  It started as a campaign hat for Trump in 2015.  It was made in China.  It is still worn by rabid Trump followers.  It is known to provoke fights in the US (honestly) when it is worn out in public and not at a Trump rally.   

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1 minute ago, clo said:

Talk about 'take no prisoners"!!!

 

At least on Oceania it's open seating in the MDR.

Yeah, I had to work at the Front Desk that night, so I couldn't sneak in and listen to them.  

 

Well, just about everyone has open seating options now.  I just don't like to start out at one table, get insulted or bored and have to move...  

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1 hour ago, ed01106 said:

 

Does that include my hat that says, Morons Are Governing America?

 

You can always buy the baseball hat from Andy Borowitz - it's blue and says "Make America Not Embarrassing Again"...

What's a little odd is that I rarely see someone from another country wearing a blatantly political baseball hat.  

 

Now, do you wear your baseball hat into the MDR to assist with starting table conversation??? 😉

 

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