Here's a devils-advocate opinion with respect to the "politics in postings"
issue...
This is the Passagemaking Under Power forum, not the Fix Your Boat forum.
Inherent in any form of passagemaking is traveling great distances and
getting to a new place, with a new culture, and a new way of doing things.
That's part of what makes passagemaking fun. It's the sense of adventure
when you arrive in a new country and discover new ways of looking at things.
I've hit this issue many times while posting my blog, and have always
struggled with it. For instance, while traveling through Alaska and the
Aleutians. Many of the towns and islands we visited were Indian. It is
impossible, at least for me, to comment on the living conditions on Indian
reservations, social environment and their culture without offending someone
somewhere. In Russia, we moored next to warships. Russia is a decade into
the transition from communism to socialism, and capitalism. How could I not
comment on my perceptions as to their economy and culture? We then arrived
in Japan during one of their most important elections in modern history. We
were confronted with demonstrations at every major train station. Japan is a
decade into a real estate crash somewhat analogous to our own. To not
comment on their fiscal policies of the past decade, and the choices offered
to voters, felt criminal.
On my blog, I try to offer an objective opinion of these things, but find it
impossible. I would also argue that news services (CNN, Fox News, the New
York Times and the TV networks) have found it impossible to avoid having
opinion filter into the reporting.
On my blog, I try to stick to boating related issues for the most part, and
bend over backwards to be objective in commenting on cultural issues, but
I'm confident there are times when my politics have peeked through, and I've
lost readers over it. My blog gathers readers much faster than I lose them,
so I don't worry about it, other than to be somewhat amused at how easily
people take offense when something doesn't exactly match their own view of
the world. I aggressively seek out opinions that challenge my assumptions.
How does one learn if they don't question their perception of the world?
(Oops .. a political opinion crept in there!)
Back to boating...
Ken Williams
Nordhavn 68, Sans Souci
www.kensblog.com
Here's a devils-advocate opinion with respect to the "politics in postings"
issue...
This is the Passagemaking Under Power forum, not the Fix Your Boat forum.
Inherent in any form of passagemaking is traveling great distances and
getting to a new place, with a new culture, and a new way of doing things.
That's part of what makes passagemaking fun. It's the sense of adventure
when you arrive in a new country and discover new ways of looking at things.
I've hit this issue many times while posting my blog, and have always
struggled with it. For instance, while traveling through Alaska and the
Aleutians. Many of the towns and islands we visited were Indian. It is
impossible, at least for me, to comment on the living conditions on Indian
reservations, social environment and their culture without offending someone
somewhere. In Russia, we moored next to warships. Russia is a decade into
the transition from communism to socialism, and capitalism. How could I not
comment on my perceptions as to their economy and culture? We then arrived
in Japan during one of their most important elections in modern history. We
were confronted with demonstrations at every major train station. Japan is a
decade into a real estate crash somewhat analogous to our own. To not
comment on their fiscal policies of the past decade, and the choices offered
to voters, felt criminal.
On my blog, I try to offer an objective opinion of these things, but find it
impossible. I would also argue that news services (CNN, Fox News, the New
York Times and the TV networks) have found it impossible to avoid having
opinion filter into the reporting.
On my blog, I try to stick to boating related issues for the most part, and
bend over backwards to be objective in commenting on cultural issues, but
I'm confident there are times when my politics have peeked through, and I've
lost readers over it. My blog gathers readers much faster than I lose them,
so I don't worry about it, other than to be somewhat amused at how easily
people take offense when something doesn't exactly match their own view of
the world. I aggressively seek out opinions that challenge my assumptions.
How does one learn if they don't question their perception of the world?
(Oops .. a political opinion crept in there!)
Back to boating...
Ken Williams
Nordhavn 68, Sans Souci
www.kensblog.com
