Comment 8 by sirmailbox :

Oye. I've watched over the years as the users of this website have shifted further and further away from reasonableness. It used to be a forum.

No it used to be an unmoderated front page and a forum. They were quite distinct. It is not a lightly moderated front page and the forum was closed. But this is rather old news.

Now it's an echo chamber. I'm not trolling anyone. I'm seriously, seriously just disappointed. If you read what HRW said, they're telling western nations to pressure Islamist groups to grant basic rights, but respect the democratic process. And the reaction is what--outrage. Total outrage. HRW is called disgusting, and a user pledges to never make another donation.

I am not entirely sure what you mean by an echo chamber. News items are posted. Is that what you mean by echo ? Comments on the news items are not always in agreement if that is what you mean by echo. HRW was called disgusting by Maryann Namazie whose comment was being posted.

I'm sure I'll just get insulted for saying this--but that's really the problem, isn't it? Remember that the core value that we're supposed to embrace is skepticism. But all I see is dismissive attitudes, quick judgment, easy partitions of people into categories of "with us" or "against us". Generalizations, oversimplifications.. it just sucks. I wish this forum were as it used to be.

But it isn't. Are the off shoots of the old forum still around ? Maybe try this one if this place is not to your liking.

Returning to the topic at hand we are seeing a move to democracy in nations where:

(1) the only well organised opposition groups are Islamist

(2) the institutions of democracy, like a free press, are not well organised, and

(3) the electorate are unfamiliar with democracy

So don't you think there is a risk that the result might be the election of a government that institutes strongly Islamist and essentially anti-democratic policies ? Democracy does't always end well for example the Russians had some from of democracy in the early 1900s and even Hitler started out participating in the democratic process in the 1930s.

Michael