Why bother with political discussions? Everyone just gets upset or turns nasty

@SunshineGirl you can’t debate on social media. You can’t see the other person’s face, their mannerisms, their emotions. Reasoned debate has to be face to face.

@SW-User I think people behave worse when they do not have a human face in front of them, but we can't all meet face to face all the time.

@Reason10 I think remote debating, like remote working, has tremendous potential for breaking down barriers and increasing understanding. The main drawback at the moment are people that see it as a totem of absolute free speech and deny any responsibility for the consequences that flow from what they write. Just because you cannot see or care less those consequences does not mean they are any less real.

There is a famous case in English law in the 1930s - Donohue v Stevenson - which established that the manufacturer of a drink was liable in law for injury caused to a woman even though there was no contract between the two parties - the drink was purchased from a restaurant. That gave rise to the legal question "Who is my neighbour?" (Answer: potentially anyone). Apply that principle to social media and it might just stand a chance of becoming a cornerstone of civilisation.