— thedissenter

thedissenter is for those who want to get a lively debate going and are frustrated about the arguments being lost in a mist of obfuscation. Issues, topics and discussions are clouded in a variety of ways:

• social, economic and political cliché is presented for public consumption as intelligent comment.
• there is an overwhelming profusion of self-adsorbed, self-satisfied, self-indulgent dinner table chitter-chatter that is offered as self-evident truth.
• too often questions are asked to confirm the cleverness of the interviewer, rather than the intellectual integrity of the interviewee’s position; or, more often, the interviewer lacks the intellectual rigour to be able to incisively probe the issue at hand.

So thedissenter will be seeking out views and commentary from a variety of sources. Some may be insiders, so thedissenter respects the necessity of the pseudonym. Most will need no such protection.

The Editor started thedissenter to spark some debate into the Northern Ireland arena, where it sometimes seems there is only one permitted official opinion. thedissenter wishes to reach out beyond this small corner to open up a wider world of ideas and dissent from received wisdom. Most of all it is for commentary that lacks a platform, or commentary that deserves to be accessible to a wider audience.

The Editor will always seek constructive, intelligent, thought-provoking viewpoints, and will seek to avoid articles that focus on an individual rather than the issue unless the individual is the issue. The emphasis will be on articles that add something new, so that readers will sense that whether or not they agree with the article that they have learned something either way.

For the sad individuals who spend their evenings seeking attention through fatuous or acerbic comment, and hoping for a response (we’ve all know what is meant here), this site will only publish comment from those it knows or are recommended to it by those it knows. Occasionally, constructive comment that adds to a debate will be added regardless – the rest haven’t a prayer; tough love. For those with an opinion to offer there are plenty of opportunities elsewhere if you fail to gain attention on thedissenter.co.uk.

While the object of thedissenter is to generate debate through the site, the wider debate is out there, not here in webspace. Let the people decide.