This thread has raised some interesting and relevent points but like nearly every other thread to do with politics on this forum, it turned into a farce because some people just can't help but be offensive, ruining good discussion with name calling and racist comments. The art of good debate is to raise good, well founded points that inspire inteligent discussion. I don't understand what Walter was trying to achieve with his sexist, racist rant. Did he think we'd all fall off our chairs pissing ourselves laughing? Well I saw it as offensive and going by my PM's this morning I'm not the only one.
I'll go on record and declare that I like Walter. I have his shocks on a couple of my bikes and we've always got on extremely well face to face. The difference between Walter and I is that his philosophy and mine are diametrically opposed and what he sees as a funny throwaway line I find offensive. The term "raghead" harks back to our previous immigration debate and our vilification of "slopeheads" from South East Aisia and the "wogs" and "spicks" from a decade beforee that. Namecalling was as wrong then as it is today. It's not so much the name that's offensive as is the hate hidden within it.
The thing that pisses me off is that this forum is dedicated purely to Vintage Dirt Bikes. Like all facets of society we all possess different philosophical ideals but
the common denominator that's drawn us all here is our love and interest in old dirt bikes...full stop. While our political thoughts and ideals are important to us, they don't belong on this forum. These discussions do nothing but raise predjudices that wouldn't come to the surface if we just stuck to old bikes and avoided divisive subject matter. I've been called a commo, lefty and pinko by people whom I lknow and like but who don't agree with my politics. The names don't hurt me but it annoys me that someone has made their mind up of where I lean politically without delving deeper....I'm automatically branded in their minds. In the end, debates like this sometimes turn
very nice people, very very ugly, very very quickly. I'm disappointed in myself for breaking my personal vow not to post on these threads any more but when I saw negativity festering and my country being hammered, I jumped in head first. It ain't going to happen again Yesiree, Bob.
I repeat...politics has no place on this forum.........now, to make myself feel better I'll now go over and buy something off Marks Swapmeet