Someone asked me why, if I am so intently interested in current events and social issues, I dont comment much about them on Facebook. Theres a pretty simple reason for that. I dont believe that comments sections are a useful vehicle for meaningful discourse, and they generally serve at best as a series of soapbox posts in a popularity contest of opinion, and at worst as a breeding ground for flame wars and manufactured conflicts. Thats not the sort of thing Id like to invite amongst my friends and acquaintances. Im not really interested in classical debate or arguments so much as I am interested in synthesis of new theory by examining the perspectives of existing schools of thought on a subject. To that end, Facebook comes up short as a platform. I tend to be socially liberal, economically conservative, and generally an advocate of laissez-faire, cooperative, and scientifically sound solutions to problems. My News Feed indicates that most of my acquaintances disagree with me on at least one of these five. Thats fine. Everyones entitled to an opinion and I believe firmly in freedom of speech, because its the best way to winnow out unsound and prejudiced ideas. That said, I dont intend to make policing the commentary of my friends, family, and colleagues a significant portion of my time. If you want to discuss anything in the news or trending in Internet discussions with me, Id be glad to. Shoot me a message or invite me to a discussion board. But be aware that I will not host those discussions on my Timeline.
Posted on: Wed, 17 Dec 2014 19:32:11 +0000
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