Do you believe posting a political question here on yahoo makes a difference to anyone?

Question

Or it is a way to "vent" your frustration on the government and see how many people feel like you do?

Answer 1

It's because of the confirmation bias. People don't listen.

Answer 2

I think everyone just likes for their opinion to be heard and this is a format for expressing one's political views without being directly in conflict with or chastized by someone that you know personally. It's a safe place to vent your frustrations with either a person, political party or country OR with the people who oppose your views.

So, yes, I think it makes a difference in that you ARE able to vent your frustration and see how others feel.

Answer 3

I enjoy three different things.

1. Driving the really dumb ones into a rage, and watching them pop. Most of these are our "serial questioners" and they go into rants more and more quickly as time goes on, but they catch on eventually and it loses its fun.
2. Semi arguing with the semi well informed. They tend to sulk, and come up with new ways to ask the same question. Then they sulk some more, but sometimes pop.
3. Having decent communication with the well informed. Mel T is the only one of these so far. I wish there were more.

Answer 4

I doubt it. Only seems to start more bickering back and forth complaining about the president and doesn't help solve a damn thing. Most will just go into the booths and press the party button that they are affiliated with rather thern voting the most valuable running person into office who will actually help this country.

Answer 5

The thing is, it MIGHT make a difference. Someone may read something here, talk about it over drinks some night, and change someone else's life.

Talking about ideas is never a waste of time. Well, almost never.

Answer 6

I think it is obviously a venting thing. It's funny as hell reading the answers. It always amazes me how uninformed people are so willing to demonstrate their stupidity and hate in a public forum.

Answer 7

A person who bases his or her beliefs on how others feel about it, are just sheep following whoever happens to be leading the herd.

I believe the term lost soul may be appropriate.

Darryl S.

Answer 8

I feel we may have saved a few liberals. A couple of them are on the 12 step program:



Step 1: Admitting that you're a liberal

This is the first step for every liberal on the way to recovery. It is important to understand that you're not "progressive," "moderate," or "enlightened." You're a liberal, and you need to be honest with yourself about that fact.

Step 2: Pledge to support your beliefs with facts

Realize that truth is more important than moral superiority and is the only way to come over to reality. You must research beyond propaganda from the Sierra Club, Hillary Clinton, and CNN (the Communist News Network) to understand things as they really exist in the world. You can no longer argue based on "feelings" or emotion. You will actually need to back up your arguments with real information. This is a difficult step, because it means you can't be lazy any more.

Step 3: Love America

This may be the most difficult step for those of you who are hippies and peaceniks. Admitting that the country you hate actually stands as a beacon to defend freedom throughout the world can make some of you physically ill. You might want to make a visit to a military cemetery to better understand that these men and women gave their lives so that you could spew hatred. Otherwise, you would currently be living in a police state that would never let you wear that nasty patchouli oil, let alone speak out against your government.

Step 4: Take a college level economics class

I've always defined a Socialist as someone who's never taken an economics class. Most Socialists I've spoken with would have a hard time balancing their checkbooks, let alone explaining the simple concept of supply-and-demand. It's time to flush your complete ignorance of basic economics down the toilet and understand how the world actually functions. This concept will be very important for the next steps that involve communism, facts about corporations, and the inefficiencies of government.

Step 5: Say "no" to Communism and Socialism

While this concept is obvious to most of the free world, it is an important step in your recovery process. If you have difficulty with this step, spend a week living and working in Cuba.

Step 6: Corporations are not evil

If you're reading this article online or in an e-mail, it's thanks to corporations. If you get some kind of paycheck, you can thank corporations. If you work for a non-profit or the government, you still have to thank corporations. The non-profit sector and the government wouldn't have any money to pay you without corporations. It is also important that you understand that making a profit doesn't equate to "greed" or exploitation. Capitalism has created the greatest society in our world's history. Even communist countries need corporations to survive, so enjoy a nice, hot cup of reality.

Step 7: The government is inefficient

If you are one of those liberals who believe the government should tax us more in order to take care of society, you need to pay special attention to this step. You need to realize that government bureaucracy will waste most of your tax dollars, while the private sector will put your money to much better use. Even most Democrat politicians understand this to some degree, which is why Hillary's socialist health care proposal was voted down by a majority of both Democrats and Republicans. Go to your local post office or call the IRS to ask a tax question if you need a reminder about government inefficiency.

Step 8: The earth is not your "mother," and she's not dying

The time has now come to stop your donations to Greenpeace, the Sierra Club, and every other EnviroNazi organization to which you belong. Face the reality that the earth, society, and our environment are better off today than ever in recorded history and that they are continuing to improve. I realize that many of you tree huggers will have a very difficult time letting go of the Douglas Fir on this one. I would suggest reading The Skeptical Environmentalist by Bjorn Lomborg. Mr. Lomborg is a former member of Greenpeace and is currently a statistics professor at a university in Denmark. He set out to prove the world was in bad shape and ended up surprising himself by proving the exact opposite.

Step 9: Stop smoking the wacky tobaccy

Okay, some of you might need to enter another 12-step program to complete this step. Marijuana is distorting your sense of reality, and you need to stop using it. Besides, you'll save a fortune on snacks.

Step 10: Eat a hamburger

If God didn't intend for us to eat animals, he wouldn't have made them out of meat. You can put your sprouts and tofu on the hamburger, but get some meat into you. You'll look and feel better than you ever imagined. You can always remind yourself that Adolf Hitler was a vegetarian to get you through this step.

Step 11: Stop re-writing political history

It's now time to admit that Bill Clinton is a lying-cheating-sexist racist rapist jackass, Hillary Clinton is one of the worst role models for women in this country, Al Gore really did lose the 2000 election by every vote tabulation you attempt, Ronald Reagan ended the Cold War and didn't create the homeless problem, John McCain is not a typical Republican, and Jimmy Carter is a nice man but has one of the worst presidential records of anyone in history.

Step 12: Be a missionary

Once you have completed the previous steps to overcoming liberalism, it's time for you to share this awakening with others who are not as fortunate. Go out amongst the liberal sheep and spread the good word of your freedom from the chains of ignorance that once bound you. Congratulations, and welcome to reality.

Answer 9

It makes a difference to the people who post the question and those who read and reply to it

Answer 10

All I have ever seen here, on any controversial issue, is just a hardening of opinions. It is rare to see somebody admit that their opposition may have made a valid point.

Answer 11

Yes, I don't. But you never know, I think. Don't you?

(That's right, I'm counting the number of people who think like me. So far, it's 200 million. And that's just here in America.)