When a person is so rude to break that social contract, it is no longer necessary to be civil to them. Furthermore treating that person who broke the social contract the same as everyone else means you don't recolonize the importance of civility, you do not recognize virtue.
When we're not civil, we're letting go of our own civility. Two wrongs don't make a right. However in practice, it's tough to figure out the appropriate coarse of action. If you treat the other person well while you're being treated badly it could be seen as acceptance. So the only solution is not to interact with that person at all, to the extent that it's possible.
And then there's practicality. Just the other day some man called me rude because apparently he said hello to me and I did not notice, let alone respond- I only noticed when he started yelling at me. Sorry, I am under no obligation to be friendly. However, I suppose that in theory it does seem rude- I mean a person gives me a friendly greeting to me and I completely ignore him. So, technically uncivil but perfectly acceptable once you take into account the environment. The fact that he started yelling at me is reason enough not to feel bad about ignoring stuff like that in the first place.
But wait- according to your social contract theory, I was uncivil to this man by not greeting him back, so he was perfectly within his rights to be uncivil to me by yelling at me?
Santorum is #2 in Iowa
- 04/01/2012 01:24:13 PM
1890 Views
would you stop using that word? It is gross. *NM*
- 04/01/2012 01:48:45 PM
650 Views
What's your word for it? *NM*
- 04/01/2012 03:43:44 PM
594 Views
Well, there's nothing wrong with Santoruming in the privacy of one's home.
- 04/01/2012 02:35:56 PM
1223 Views
yeah that it so funny
- 04/01/2012 03:05:59 PM
1092 Views
he kind of brought it on himself by being so decidedly anti-gay that it pissed lots of people off
- 04/01/2012 04:36:39 PM
1124 Views
maybe the gays brought all the gay bashing on themselves
- 05/01/2012 03:18:15 PM
1343 Views
Civility is a social contract
- 05/01/2012 04:39:46 PM
1091 Views
so now that the gays have broken that contract they are fair game?
- 05/01/2012 06:37:52 PM
833 Views
Re: so now that the gays have broken that contract they are fair game?
- 06/01/2012 05:29:49 PM
1109 Views
So is it OK if just insult the gays who are politically active and push their agenda?
- 06/01/2012 06:16:30 PM
1118 Views
If you call them out by name for hypocrisy, then sure.
- 10/01/2012 05:22:34 PM
1150 Views
yes but once you have thrown out all civil decency why start getting nuanced?
- 11/01/2012 09:09:13 PM
1068 Views
That's too harsh.
- 06/01/2012 07:29:05 PM
1078 Views
Actually, your response was expected
- 04/01/2012 10:08:33 PM
1189 Views
do you still pretend that it isn't political?
- 05/01/2012 03:14:25 PM
988 Views
I'm sorry
- 05/01/2012 03:52:57 PM
1139 Views
funny how it always woks out that way
- 05/01/2012 06:44:55 PM
918 Views
Believe what you will, but my wok skills are poor
- 05/01/2012 07:32:17 PM
1089 Views
- 05/01/2012 07:32:17 PM
1089 Views
You should ask one of the gays to help you. I hear the gays are good at cooking. *NM*
- 06/01/2012 01:54:21 AM
684 Views
Santorum is a man who believes you must compare homosexual love to bestiality and pedophilia
- 05/01/2012 04:42:26 AM
1100 Views
and Savage is a Man who believes that vulgar personal attacks
- 05/01/2012 03:12:42 PM
1242 Views
Why should a person tolerate intolerance? (Serious question.) *NM*
- 05/01/2012 08:46:05 PM
736 Views
The question boils down to why should someone tolerate what they think is wrong.
- 05/01/2012 10:53:40 PM
1063 Views
and when santorum tells you that your lifestyle is worse than pedophilia and bestiality?
- 06/01/2012 03:34:52 AM
1009 Views
To be fair...
- 06/01/2012 05:32:31 AM
1153 Views
You are correct
- 06/01/2012 01:21:18 PM
1193 Views
Then it seems like it's a problem of definitions more than anything else.
- 06/01/2012 09:48:49 PM
1129 Views
Following the logic to its bitter end. Why do I do this to myself???
- 06/01/2012 10:14:01 PM
1171 Views
Following the logic to its bitter end. Why do I do this to myself???
- 06/01/2012 10:14:01 PM
1171 Views
so Obama offended me by attending a racist America hating church
- 06/01/2012 05:32:14 PM
1039 Views
Those are really not equivalent.
- 06/01/2012 04:18:37 PM
970 Views
Re: Those are really not equivalent.
- 06/01/2012 10:27:11 PM
1122 Views
I don't like your definition of tolerance and you're not consistent with it anyway.
- 07/01/2012 01:49:05 AM
1131 Views
In case you were curious, I really disagree with your understanding of tolerance. *NM*
- 09/01/2012 08:24:45 PM
701 Views
So at this point, most of the candidates had a moment at the top. Kind of awesome.
- 05/01/2012 11:22:50 PM
1080 Views
that is why Perry is staying in the race
- 06/01/2012 06:20:54 PM
1044 Views
He should stay, they should all stay. Trump should get back into it and Palin should jump in too.
- 06/01/2012 07:00:52 PM
978 Views
It would be the joke of the year if Huntsman got a turn.
- 06/01/2012 10:59:36 PM
988 Views
Is he a bigger long shot than Santorum, though? Gingrich? Bachman? CAIN!?
- 07/01/2012 01:34:47 AM
1109 Views
Yes, for the reason you state.
- 07/01/2012 03:04:39 PM
1085 Views
I really do not agree.
- 09/01/2012 08:51:46 PM
1106 Views
Like I said, check Obamas numbers any time in the last year and a half.
- 10/01/2012 11:41:47 AM
977 Views
More like everyone has had a moment running second to Romney.
- 07/01/2012 01:59:25 PM
1001 Views
It's not a foregone conclusion yet.
- 07/01/2012 04:03:51 PM
1110 Views
It kinda is; Paul cannot even win a majority of Republicans, let alone the country.
- 07/01/2012 09:09:07 PM
1100 Views
Ironically, Paul has a better chance of winning the general election than the republican primary.
- 07/01/2012 10:14:07 PM
1156 Views
What's the likelihood of Paul running as an independent/3rd party if he doesn't get the GOP nod? *NM*
- 07/01/2012 10:21:23 PM
414 Views
Not very high, I think. He didn't try it last time either, and it would hand Obama the election. *NM*
- 08/01/2012 01:29:01 AM
548 Views
many states have laws that you cannot run 3rd party after being on the ballot for a party primary
- 08/01/2012 06:12:36 AM
1199 Views
Yes, he and Romney have that in common, but Pauls positions are (mostly) sincere.
- 10/01/2012 03:46:04 PM
1194 Views
give up the hope it is nothing more than a pipe dream
- 09/01/2012 02:57:03 PM
1106 Views
All of the republican candidates are pipe dreams.
- 09/01/2012 08:56:57 PM
911 Views
I find Ron Paul absolutely infuriating.
- 09/01/2012 10:44:09 PM
1193 Views
Um...
- 10/01/2012 03:54:53 PM
1027 Views
Paul is an equal opportunity infuriator, to borrow Vivien's word.
- 09/01/2012 10:56:57 PM
1061 Views
The original santorum 2003 interview for those who want to know
- 07/01/2012 05:32:00 AM
1300 Views
And here is the 2002 op ed where he blamed liberalism causing the Catholic Church sex abuse scandal
- 07/01/2012 05:36:39 AM
1110 Views


I find myself agreeing with you recently