learned anything from an adversary on a messageboard? I don't mean things such as "I know now conservatives/liberals are stupid". I mean really learned something.

Me? I always thought gun registration would be a good idea, but over the years, gunnies have convinced me it is a stupid idea - waste of money and time.

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Empires expand for as long as they have the power to do so.

I find that on most issues we are pretty much entrenched. But the issue my mind was changed about was also a gun issue. I used to reflexively think that the Automatic Weapons Ban was a good thing. Then on one messageboard, I was given the opportunity to actually read and discuss it. One person in particular changed my mind on the subject.

Now I just think it's a pointless law and we should simply enforce the laws we have.

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"artists use lies to tell the truth while politicians use them to cover the truth up" "V" in V for Vendetta

672 days to go.
http://www.backwardsbush.com/?gclid=...FRQxSgodT0dCxw

Can't say that my mind was changed on any issues, just broaden.

I always question and ponder both sides of a coin, so to speak, so I am not sure if there was a time where someone got me to change my mind....There was probably one or two, but I don't recall it/them.

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Anyone who thinks freedom comes cheap, please put the blindfold on and stand against the wall.

Many times I believe Americans will have to take back the country and start a new government.

Learn something from other posters or have them change my position about an issue? I'd say I have learned from other posters (at least they've made me aware of facts about which I previously new little or nothing). On issues that interest me, I'd say arguments from others occassionally have tempered my stance, but nobody has caused me to completely change my position.

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There you are!

Couple of the mods managed to convince me that the US wasn't the only one supplying precursors to chemical weapons to Iraq.

I'm pretty sure I've learnt more than that, though ... In fact, I just saw some numbers on the demographic make up of the US military (posted by Thorhammer) which I had not seen earlier ...

People are usually too afraid to let in information that goes against something so ingrained as their belief system. It's why nothing ever changes. I try to be as fair and balanced as I can, but I know that even I cave in to old habits plenty of times.

I've learned a lot from "adversaries" though. I like to learn new things. Sometimes the info is genuinely interesting, and sometimes it shows you just how wrong a person could be.

But no one should be afraid to challenge their own thoughts and viewpoints. It's sad that so many do...

I actually changed my position on universal health care after someone on another board appealed to my more pragmatic side. The pragmatic usually takes precedence over the ideological with me, and someone p[ointed out things that made sense.

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If common sense were common, we would all have it (including me).

Not on a messageboard. I used to be very pro-Israel but after discussing the issue with an Irish-Persion arab, I've come to the conclusion that we should scale back some of our support to Israel. I still think the average arab in the M.E. is a religious fundie who can't be reasoned with, but maybe Israel will tone it down a notch if we cool relations with Israel a little.

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Is our children learning? -George W. Bush

"I think—tide turning—see, as I remember—I was raised in the desert, but tides kind of—it's easy to see a tide turn—did I say those words?"—Washington, D.C., June 14, 2006

"[T]he illiteracy level of our children are appalling."—Washington, D.C., Jan. 23, 2004

I don't know that I've had people change my mind on general philosophies of governance, etc. But, I've certainly had my mind changed on particular matters by people with whom I was "debating".

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"Government big enough to supply everything you need is big enough to take everything you have... The course of history shows that as a government grows, liberty decreases."

-Thomas Jefferson

I used to be on the fence about Universal Health Care, but now I'm against it. The problem with healthcare isn't that people don't have access. People do have access to healthcare. The problem is the expense of healthcare. God forbid somebody get cancer or have a stroke. Even with the best healthcare in the world, a serious injury will probably ruin you.

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Is our children learning? -George W. Bush

"I think—tide turning—see, as I remember—I was raised in the desert, but tides kind of—it's easy to see a tide turn—did I say those words?"—Washington, D.C., June 14, 2006

"[T]he illiteracy level of our children are appalling."—Washington, D.C., Jan. 23, 2004

I've never had any major reversals, but have certainly had some positions softened (Most notably, Reagan wasn't a saint and the death penalty should be applied more judiciously than I'd previously held.) and/or gained a better understanding of the opposing viewpoint.

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Today's forecast: Government corruption.

Tomorrow's forecast: 100% chance of more 'politics as usual'

Maybe it's finally time to vote Libertarian

I went the opposite way. Someone on another message board went through the trouble of pointing out the fact that we have to pay for universal healthcare anyway, through higher healthcare costs, higher insurance premiums, and taxes. The truth of the matter is this: it is illegal for a health care provider (doctor, EMT, hospital, etc.) to deny anyone emergency medical care. This care is not free or cheap, and if the person in need cannot pay for the service, someone does.

This means you and me, the taxpayers, the payers of insurance premiums, and the people who, for one reason or another, need medical care.

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If common sense were common, we would all have it (including me).

I've changed my mind on the same issue. MattLarson actually made me see the light. If we want our constitution taken seriously and respected, we must insist that ALL of it be followed by the government. Not just select parts.


Do you realize that Persians are not arabs, but caucasians?

That's exactly where I ended up on the issue, too.

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"artists use lies to tell the truth while politicians use them to cover the truth up" "V" in V for Vendetta

672 days to go.
http://www.backwardsbush.com/?gclid=...FRQxSgodT0dCxw

backstreet girl, to end the quote you need to add a /

make it [/quote]

Cheers, we are likeminded