Interesting how our view of ourselves can be at odds with reality, isn’t it?

I said below that I’ve tried to avoid the same old partisan feces-flinging, and in practice that meant almost no engagement with Tom. If we cop out and play false equivalency, we were both partisan feces-flingers. But I’ve tried to reform and looked for more substantive topics to chew on, on the infrequent occasions when I post, and nothing’s stopping Tom from doing the same.

You speculated about a lack of a social connection as a factor in Tom’s staying away, and perhaps so, Frank. In a forum like this, discussion is how we socialize, and passive lack of engagement could easily be mistaken for active shunning. But that wasn’t the case here, and I think what we’re seeing is just the “marketplace of ideas” in action–customers stopped buying, and more pointedly, stopped paying with the currency of social interaction. I think it’s classic market theory, not to mention just plain common sense, that in this circumstance, the smart seller reexamines his product line and makes necessary changes.

A seller in a hole this deep usually has to do something splashy to get noticed and given another chance. I have a suggestion for Tom that would get me engaged again: An admission that he was wrong about climate change. Or any-damn-thing else for that matter. How refreshing would that be? The novelty alone could bring back dozens of former Zoners! Ready the email blaster!

I guess he does not feel a strong social connection here. Hence, he probably looks in occasionally. but has little to say. I miss him but I understand.

I’d like to say I’m “more laid back,” but it’d closer ro the truth to simply admit that I have a much harder time caring about a lot of things than I used to. I figure the future belongs to the young…let them decide what kind of future rhey want that to be.

I noticed he left, and ascribed it to a rather complete collapse of his political views and inability to have that pointed out to him. Economically, he, personally, had been thrown under the bus by the globalization he advocated. And the policies he advocated so strongly inevitably led to a very small wealthy elite and 95, then 96, and then 97% of the world living in poverty and he wasn’t one of the elite.

He, personally, received Union benefits including health insurance and vacations while condemning Unions.

His “follow the money” argument that the people who pointed out that there is man-caused global warming were getting rich and ignoring the legitimate evidence and the fact that those benefiting from the status quo were the ones posting record profits was/is clearly ridiculous. If “stumps don’t lie”, neither do glaciers. His stance on medical care was also demonstrably silly – the most expensive in the world and 37th in outcomes as measured by long-standing indicators was the best to him.

He condemned government interference with business, yet said that his wife’s employer had to make accommodations for her. As well they should, by the way. But it ran counter to his beliefs, as do Unions, and he was benefiting from those same regulations.

Conservatives benefit enormously from those programs they condemn (who owns the companies who build public housing, paves the roads, build public buildings, supplies food for school lunches?) and somehow it’s difficult for them to admit they may just be talking the talk and not be walking the walk.

He had not read much history, and didn’t have a perspective on historical events. He believed what he wanted to believe, and was immune to hearing what actual participants in the events might have had to say.

TB was/is a great guy, and one of HZs bigger assets. I believe he just painted himself into a corner and had no great way out except to smash out the wall and leave.

I miss him and wish he’d post more, myself. Nice guy, in spite of his political stuff. A super addition to this place in many ways, but had views which could not stand examination and he couldn’t live with himself. Nor could he see that his views weren’t all absolutely correct and the others weren’t absolutely wrong, and it may have been smart to take advantage of the good side of that which he disliked.