Is it ok to call people Loonys and racists based on political persuasion?
 

I notice on here it happens a lot that people of the left political persuasion are commonly called looneys.
Personally i think thats pretty offensive and only used by stupid people that are losing a debate as it refers to someone that is mad or refers to their mental state. I refrain from using the term Racisct Right as i think that is also too desperate but if its ok on here to keep using the term Looney left then the term Racist right is fine too then surely.

Most of the people that call people Looneys based only on their political views rarely get a reply from me anyway but they may be about to start being called the racist right.

those bloody fence sitting middleists too :fist:

Its all about tone and context I think, and that gets lost on forums so easily

I'm up for that, it's upsetting to have your view rubbished and patronised with that phrase, one of my biggest bugbears in SD.

No thats Legit.
Its backed up with Pure Examples
of Failed Left Wing Politics

this falsely labelling people racists bigots sexists etc etc is a dreadfully dangerous path its basically made people and politcians too scared to openly discuss opinions and morality...in short its destroying freedom of speech and that is a tragic thing

I agree labelling people is just not ok.

I hate it but it stems from hardline right wing attitudes in both right wing voters and the media for decades back.

Tony Benn was considered a loony for advocating leaving the EU in the 80s for instance,so following on, those who support left wing polices get termed as loonies and their support for more left of centre policies gets rubbished as looney left policies.

Hey, I never believed a few years ago I would find myself on that side of things but now I am.
if I get thought of as loony and wrong for supporting policies that are seen as far left which include standing up for and fighting for fairness and compassion for the most vulnerable in society,coming from those who support the heartless persecuting govt and party who are doing such heartless policymaking, then I am massively happy to be thought such,indeed actually proud of it too.

I get the impression this wasn't aimed at party policies rather personal views Arista.

Well summed up. To be called a loony for not being selfish just seems so alien to me. I can only put it down to fear and people being afraid of losing what they already have. Some of the propaganda and fear mongering used by the right wing media to scare people sickens me. What sickens me more is the people that are willing to swallow it.

Yes ditto to what Joey said too thanks Bob.

Yeah it really is sad when people have to use terms like 'looney left' in political debates rather than discuss actual policies.. proves theres not much to say I guess :shrug:

...no of course it's not right Bob, no term/words are right as such if they're intentionally used as an insult...although as Arista said earlier, the looney right is an actual term stemming from the 80s I believe, so it would be determining if it was being used in that way and not meant in any other or maybe speak to Admin about it ...about whether it should be used at all..the 'looney' bit...'racist right' though is not something I'm personally familiar with as a 'term' so to call someone a racist could never be anything other than a negative/definite insult..and... a you calling me so I'm calling you is anyway just two people not being 'right' rather than just one.... it's also not right for people to be obviously targeted, sniped and digged at but sadly it happens almost daily as well..(sorry about your recent experience btw..)...but Bob, when you say 'for not being selfish'..isn't that also implying that people who may have an opposing opinion are selfish people ..which is neither true or right either....

He didn't say that and it isn't the loony right :/
Of course it wouldn't be acceptable to call anyone on the right anything at all, I wouldn't want to but it's really upsetting when forum members use this phrase constantly as a means of condescension and it isn't seen as sniping.
Nobody has said that anyone personally is selfish, only that the ideological views of the right do come across that way. It's very easy for things to be misconstrued and taken out of context.

I personally don't usually use 'looney left' or 'racist right' because i'm probably abit of both tbh.
I suppose it all depends on how you view freedom of speech and how far that should go.
Is 'looney left' or 'racist right' hate speech?I don't think so but hey who am i to determine that?
These are terms not exclusive to here and which have been used for years.
Now wether it's 'right' to use these terms and wether they are against the rules are two seperate things.What's offensive to one person is'nt to another.Everyones boundaries are different.If someone calls me racist for my views on immigration for instance i can laugh it off because i know for a fact that i am not.
The thing is.We can't ban everything that anyone may be offended by because then nobody would be able to express an opinion because not everybody agrees with each other.

I may be mistaken, but I thought the Loony tag for a political party was penned by the Sun so we can all have 3 guesses where it was directed :laugh:

I agree with all that.

I am happy to be told I am wrong on issues, whether I take any notice of that or think I am, is down to me.
However the term loony used against someone for their views is an insult.

I don't know about being selfish,I was always brought up to reach out to others,especially those less fortunate than I am.
This is what I have tried to do,even as to my political views and actions now, and I for one could never support heartless,vindictive demonising and persecution of those who are weakest in society.
Neither could I,or even want to, support a political party that engaged in same either.

Many policies,such as the EU,cutting defence as to numbers of servicemen/women, were branded loony left policies against the left in the 80s, now these policies because they are currently being enacted by a right wing govt are seen as not loony at all but acceptable ones.

Minimum Wage, Gay Rights, Womens Rights & NHS were also considered loony left.

They were indeed.

Hi Joey :) Oh I have no problem being on the left either don't get me wrong, however I don't like the fact some attempt to use it as a club to beat me with due to the derogatory connotation provided by the sun 'news' paper in the 80s :laugh:

Blimey, the heterophobia thread must really have taken a nosedive.

On the topic in question I don't think name calling on either side is very productive in debates as it only disenfranchises people even more causing them to dig their heels in.

Edit: reopened

the problem with the left wing is that, they think that violence and intimidation will make them the winners of the election,

The problem with the cheese is that butterflies and rainbows don't know how to solve complex maths equations rabble rabble rabble.

Huh?

Oh sorry, I thought we were just saying random ****. I thought that was what the thread was about.


Anyway, regarding the insults and whatever, yes they're stupid terms and generalising in general is generally stupid. However, I disagree with the entire concept of anything being "allowed" or otherwise. Unless threads have descended into outright jokey trolling, I personally think they should be left open, unedited and uncensored, and that people should be able to say what they want. That's just a personal opinion of mine that applies to all forums etc. I'd love to be able to open 'er up once in a while and see where threads would actually go. I don't think I've ever gotten past 3rd gear on here without the thread getting closed and / or deleted :shrug:.

Essentially, if people want to bleat media soundbites like "looney lefty" then they're simply demonstrating the sort of person that they are. So let them? Better to know than have them hide it, really.

I've been called that in the past.:joker:

..I'm not going to comment on any of the OP or previous posts/comments etc because I don't want to inflame anything that has already been closed/cleaned etc which it obviously has....

..but what you're saying really is a completely un moderated site more or less then...for basically TiBB not to be TiBB at all or anything remotely resembling TiBB...and the sort of site..(when newspaper stories are discussed etc...)..of these 'say anything sites'...that we're all saying they're just awful because of bullying, trolling by some quite sinister people etc and in the extreme, some on them having taken their own lives because of the sites they are and what has been allowed through lack of moderation...because you and I both know that these things to the extent you seem to want , will not stay within a specific thread, I mean let's be honest, they don't anyway....