Progress can only be made by debate and discussion.

I would say calling someone a “left-winger” or “right-winger” actually violates community standards by dehumanizing them. If you read the guidelines, you find that anyone is welcome to participate in IDW if they treat others with respect and civility. In short, don’t be a troll.

I welcome left wingers as long as they are willing to engage in civil discourse and don't lead with I hate Trump in every conversation. It is such a bore!

I enjoy debating leftists. The reason I checked this place out was that usually after debating a leftist friend on Facebook about their false meme or hypocrisy for awhile, they unfriend or block me. I never make personal attacks, yet they easily become offended. I want to speak my mind without losing friends I've known all my life.

No vote...

I don't think anyone would be excluded or discouraged from participation based on their views. It eliminates discussion and debate, which is the point of this forum.

I don't want this group to turn into the conservative version of Twitter, FB, or YouTube. All should feel welcome to openly discuss ideas. Even left wingers. We combat bad ideas with good ideas. Not by silencing those we oppose.

If you're looking for an echo chamber you're probably missing the point of the IDW, what it stands for and why it is necessary.
I'm wondering if you are aware that the term itself was coined by Eric Weinstein, a Sanders supporting Liberal.

Liberalism is a mental disorder. The hate filled posts are not something I care to see. If they would be civil, not hateful and insane it would be fine if a leftist posted.

I'm as left as they come, but I don't believe in the policing of thought and speech that seems to be going on at the moment.

I come from a place with universal healthcare, I believe in a healthcare approach to drugs over a criminal one, I support UBI(at least for a well ran trial).

In the word of true and clear, adult debate I feel more at home with my centrist and moderate right wing friends.

I will listen to anyone's opinion no matter how stupid. BUT I will not tolerate an atmospere of anti America.

There are many different types of left wingers, U.S left wingers are different to U.K lefties. Middle class left different to working class left, myself being U.K working class tend to be socially liberal and economically centerist but still describe myself as a leftie.

A fifth vote could have been freedom of speech to all. ?

Just joined myself, many of the IDW members that people are fans of are self proclaimed lefties. Should be chill.

"...bring together people who want to improve society by solving problems with honest and civil debate...to become the preeminent politically-unaffiliated space to propose - and intelligently adjudicate - specific policy recommendations..."

That is the mission statement isn't it? If the mission is to create a space to excluding/eliminating/purging opinions we do not agree with, what else would we gain here aside from a(nother) friendly echo chamber with nothing new to move us forward with? Might as well advertise IDW as a dating site.

Echo chambers are boring and freedom of speech is vital. I disagree with most left wing opinions but they should have the right to be heard here. How else do we administer red pills?

Honest question to the 7 people who voted to exclude Lefties from IDW or who prefer them not to post.

How would you propose to test people for worthiness to join or to be allowed to post?
How does that position fit in with a place that is supposed to be forwarding free speech and open dialog?

I would love it if some rational left wingers joined this site and engaged in a civil debate over the issues. This is rare because they have been taught to silence us, shun us or ignore us, basically to label us as crazy, evil or stupid. We need a healthy exchange of ideas in this country but you can see what goes on on our college campuses. Contrary thought is no longer welcome in the eyes of the left

If left wingers are in here, I look at it as a chance to educate them, or if you will deprogram them.

Looks like everyone is about in agreement.

I have no problem with people having different political views as I do. So long as they're actually political views, and not parroted talking points from one news source or another, be it either side of the isle.

I think the founders of the US had it right when they decided to make the ruling body of the nation be formed of different backgrounds, views and opinions on matters, so long as the debate and reason were enshrined as they should be.

From classical liberal to leftist, everyone on the left are welcome here, unless you would like create an ideological blindspot in your own thinking. Plus I think it would be interesting if we could have open, honest, and ideally polite and honest dialogue with everybody.

Besides, it would be cowardly to chastise a set of ideas without having an adequate representative of those ideas here to defend them.

I would like to have more "left wingers" participate.

I find myself scrolling through posts and passing over many of the typical "right winger" topics simply because I have read or discussed many of them at nauseam on other even more conservative sites then this one.

I don't think, however, that there needs to be changes to the name or any other area of the site to cater more to "left wingers". I think we should be true to who we are, which is a forum based on the principles of the IDW.

Did not vote as I don't feel any of the statements apply to my feelings. Honestly, when I joined, I did not think of the political orientation of the site. Seemed like it was a site that welcomed free speech..but that encouraged reason. I have reasonable liberal and conservative friends. I would like to believe that both would be welcome here.

I wouldn’t like to see more. You can see the left everywhere. But for me all are welcome as long as it remains respectable and not constant trolling

I think more civil left wingers should be here. But, I doubt that will happen because, in my experience, many left wingers cannot discuss topics without taking it personally and then lashing out because they get their feelings hurt.

It will only be short conversations anyways before they fly off into a rage .