Quote Originally Posted by Andres View Post
I see what you're trying to say.

Are only unpopular opinions to be carefully worded? What about popular opinions? Don't they have to be worded carefully as well? Why is it only the unpopular one that has to be carefully worded?

Yes, that phrasing leads to confusion. If you're asking that opinions are to be carefully worded, then you have to ask that all opinions have to be carefully worded, not just the unpopular ones.

You raise a valid point :bow"

Eh.. not really. How does one know what opinions are popular and which are not before they are posted? It is pretty clear that BQ was actually broadcasting to those who do not fall in line with the completely sympathetic viewpoint toward America that is often expected by Americans. He was attempting to open the discussion up as opposed to placing new limitations on it. He was saying that opinions that proved unpopular would not face punishment as long as they were baseline respectful. He was reinforcing a commitment to objective moderation.

Had Shibumi endorsed a version of the 'blowback' theory or any other critique of America and/or its foreign policy in a thoughtful and respectful way, his comments could have been as provocative as he liked and he would have faced no issue - regardless of their popularity with other members. Instead, he chose to shamelessly troll the thread by dropping a three sentence missive into the conversation that served only to insult without adding any depth - as he has done since he joined the backroom. And the thing that trolls feed on is the drama. If they cannot instigate it on the forum, they'll take it to an endless private message game of Hoola Hoop where righteous indignation and equivocation are standard operating procedure. The best way to deal with that tactic is to dismiss it outright.