I love it when conservitives come on TYT and when conservitive hosts have liberals on their shows, But it is the exception when these debates don't devolve into shouting interuptions and name calling.  That sends me back to NPR, PBS, BBC and such bland but civil forums where they practice what Cenk calls the "fake neutrality.  Cenk's interview with Morton Klein was very good, some other interviews have not gone as well.  Here are some rules that if we all followed might just help us make it throught the disscussion.  I know this might be too much to ask but dream with me for a minute.


1. Don't call your opponent a Nazi, or use an analogy with the Nazi's or ever use the word Nazi when you are not actually disscussion Nazi's. Maybe Facist, but never Nazi.  I know this is hard to refrain from especially when discussing G. W. Bush but in the mythology of our culture Nazi's are the absolute worst.  They are in a class of their own so leave them their.  These analogies are usually over the top or at least not constructive. 

2. Don't call people terrorists. (Cent Has made this point)Terrorism is a specific tactic of asymetrical warfare.  It is genreally lothsome and counterproductive but so is overuse of the word terrorism.  In this day and political climate it amounts to saying they are terrorist therfore they are like Osama Bin Ladin.  Well the Weatherman planted bombs and blew up stuff to create fear, but do they have anything in common with Islamists politically.  How about Geronimo, the IRA, the Boston tea party, the KKK, the armed members of the ANC, the Black panthers, etc  All vilolent to variouly degrees, but all very different politically.  Wha t degree of violents deserves the title terrorist depends mainly on whether you simpathize with their politics, so the term in not useful.  

3. Do not use "it is is the Bible/Koran/Book of Morman/other old book" as a reason.  You must actually explain why the idea in the book is a good one. in short, the book is good because it has this goog idea, not this idea is good because it is in this good book.  Remember  there are lots of there books going around. Better yet just say you idea and leave out the religiouly book it may have come from. 

4.  Be ready with your suggestion for what the other side should do.  If all you have is they should just not exist because they are terrorists who hate our freedom or they are all a bunch of Hitlers or are all going to hell than maybe this discussion is not destined to be constructive.

Well maybe it is would insulting if Ana asked all the guests to consider these rules before coming on the show, but it would be great if we could.  These are my preconditions before negotiating.  In a perfect world.  Maybe Obama is right and there should be no preconditions.  I am going to unilateraly abide by these rules except for maybe calling Bush a Nazi here and there on the liberal blogs.  Sometimes it helps to let it out.