The Politicon 'debates' are emblematic of everything wrong with political discourse today

[LordKiran]

So question. Does anyone remember what highschool debate looked like? I do, and it didn't look anything like what passes for "Debate" on TV. The purpose of debate is to empower people with information so that they can make an informed decision. When I look at these politicon debates though that's not the impression I am left with. To me Politicon is just yet another ego-driven circle jerk where non-expert talking heads get up on a stage and take turns slinging either shade, empty rhetorical platitudes, or a combination of the two at each other. There is no time made for the presentation of evidence, the moderators are pathetic excuses for just that and frequently let participants talk over each other or run over their allotted time, it's just a chaotic mess that ultimately exists for two things:

So that the American ideologues can find out who's the winner and who's the LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSEEEEEEEEEER!!!!

And so that dipshits like Anne Coulter can sell yet another conceited hardcover book with their faces emblazoned on the front of it. These books aren't particularly substantive either, they're just the CD track of the concert you just finished listening to.

I think I finally snapped and lost my patience for this kind of crap during the ben/cenk argument when the no-name moderator had the gall to get between them and then pat his organization on the back. "Yeah guys! This is what it's all about, debate and stuff!" Even though nobody learned anything substantive and no minds were really changed at all.

It's not just Politicon though, the presidential debates have for a long time been a massive joke. Like last year, when the background of the podiums were like these swaying graphics. Gee, wouldn't it be great if the candidates could use that space to show thier statistics and information to the audience all jumbo-tron like. Oh, no? We can't do that? Debates are supposed to be fun and not informative?

I'm so tired of this superficial crap. I want real debate to make a comeback. A man can dream I guess...

 

[Jolly_Penguin]

What is "politicon" and why are you concerned about it? Who is Ben? Debates have always been bad at informing people, where the point is to "win". You may try looking for "discussion" instead.

 

[SimpleDon]

So question. Does anyone remember what highschool debate looked like? I do, and it didn't look anything like what passes for "Debate" on TV. The purpose of debate is to empower people with information so that they can make an informed decision. When I look at these politicon debates though that's not the impression I am left with. To me Politicon is just yet another ego-driven circle jerk where non-expert talking heads get up on a stage and take turns slinging either shade, empty rhetorical platitudes, or a combination of the two at each other. There is no time made for the presentation of evidence, the moderators are pathetic excuses for just that and frequently let participants talk over each other or run over their allotted time, it's just a chaotic mess that ultimately exists for two things:

So that the American ideologues can find out who's the winner and who's the LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSEEEEEEEEEER!!!!

And so that dipshits like Anne Coulter can sell yet another conceited hardcover book with their faces emblazoned on the front of it. These books aren't particularly substantive either, they're just the CD track of the concert you just finished listening to.

I think I finally snapped and lost my patience for this kind of crap during the ben/cenk argument when the no-name moderator had the gall to get between them and then pat his organization on the back. "Yeah guys! This is what it's all about, debate and stuff!" Even though nobody learned anything substantive and no minds were really changed at all.

It's not just Politicon though, the presidential debates have for a long time been a massive joke. Like last year, when the background of the podiums were like these swaying graphics. Gee, wouldn't it be great if the candidates could use that space to show thier statistics and information to the audience all jumbo-tron like. Oh, no? We can't do that? Debates are supposed to be fun and not informative?

I'm so tired of this superficial crap. I want real debate to make a comeback. A man can dream I guess...

In high school debates you had to come prepared to argue both sides of an issue. You didn't know until 30 minutes or so before the debate which side of the argument you were expected to present. This meant that you had to look at both sides of an issues, something that no one readily admits even exists when we debate issues here.

I think that this should be applied to the talking heads, pundit debates that we have on the 24 hour news channels. Can you imagine Ann Coulter and Micheal Moore debating, but each having to present and to defend the other's arguments?

 

[untermensche]

Advertising learned a long time ago that it is not easy to persuade people with ideas and rational arguments. It is much easier to use emotion.

The use of emotion and emotional imagery to persuade has become a science.

And without some kind of rules to the contrary people living today are not going to abandon a technique that works for one that doesn't.