at the time when we could have a reasonable well thought out conversation about politics and trains without throwing our beer into peoples faces.
No matter if you want Trump or hate him, it is sad to think that sensible discussions about politics are almost impossible since his election. I can only hope that time will settle some of this angry behavior. Or maybe this is the way things will be, and polite interactions on politics are a thing of the past. I don't have a solution, but I can only hope someone like Don Phillips will be able to calm the rude behavior.
Name calling in politics starts at the top.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
What's the backstory here?
Not that I'm a fan of the Potomac Pundit. I fear my young mind was warped by John G. Kneiling. (which would put me closer to "Drain the Swamp! Drain the Swamp!" mode) (we all have our issues I guess)
CandOforprogress2well thought out conversation about politics and trains without throwing our beer into peoples faces.
Let us prey.
Once the swamp's drained you have to get rid of the weeds.
As the man with the herbicide said, "Let us spray!"
LensCapOnWhat's the backstory here? Not that I'm a fan of the Potomac Pundit. I fear my young mind was warped by John G. Kneiling. (which would put me closer to "Drain the Swamp! Drain the Swamp!" mode) (we all have our issues I guess)
I don't care for Phillips either. But in my last issue of Trains his column was present. How can anyone miss him if he hasn't gone away.
For the record, I hope no misfortune or ill health has come to Mr. Phillips.
Firelock76 Once the swamp's drained you have to get rid of the weeds. As the man with the herbicide said, "Let us spray!"
It seems that even the political class must punctuate their points of view with fisticufs, verbal or physical.
samfp1943 Firelock76 Once the swamp's drained you have to get rid of the weeds. As the man with the herbicide said, "Let us spray!" To Wayne's (Firelock76) comment.... In this day and time it seems that Political duscussion is now the poison ivy in the garden of Eden... to be sprayed, and wiped out, rather than barely tolerated. It seems that even the political class must punctuate their points of view with fisticufs, verbal or physical.
To Wayne's (Firelock76) comment.... In this day and time it seems that Political duscussion is now the poison ivy in the garden of Eden... to be sprayed, and wiped out, rather than barely tolerated.
Hi Sam! Listen, if you're a student of history like I am you know that the present poisonous atmosphere of political discussion is really nothing new.
Look way back in the history of this country even to the founding period and you'll see things were said about some of the great men of the time, men that we admire now, that would make your hair stand on end! Hey, there were even fistfights and fights with canes on the floor of Congress!
People don't change. All through history we've had wise ones, petty ones, mean ones, and downright stupid one that have found their way into positions of responsibility. Some succeed, some fail, but they always seem to be around in one form or another.
The main difference between today and say the year 1800 is back then if you shot your mouth off too unwisely you'd find yourself staring down the sights of a dueling pistol! Who knows? Maybe that fact kept people a little more circumspect than they are right now?
Here's a fun fact. In the rotunda of the state capitol building in Richmond VA there's a magnificent statue of George Washington. There's a little nick on the generals walking stick that was caused in the 1850's by a bullet fired at a local newspaper editor by a very, very PO'd politician who didn't like that editor's unflattering description of him!
Luckily for the editor that politician wasn't any better at shootin' than he was at legislating! Missed him. Matter of fact, at the time it was said if you wanted to run a newspaper you needed two things, a printing press and a set of duelling pistols!
Wayne
PS: On topic, I really like Don Phillip's columns and enjoy every one of them.
1) Don is still a Trains Magazine columnist.
2) This is a thinly veiled attempt to start a political discussion.
3) Locking.
Brian Schmidt, Editor, Classic Trains magazine
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