I had proposed this before, and now I think that it can really improve the way saidit works.

Basic idea:
Instead of a reply, you can post a link.
You can upvote/downvote a link.

What is it for:
The link can refer to other sources of information.
The link can refer to other discussions on saidit.
The link can refer to related earlier posts.
The link can refer to a funny joke or meme.
Also: The link can refer to a different opinion, viewpoint.

This can form a list right under the submitted text.

Goal

Many topics have many different sources and different viewpoints and long histories. It is valuable to link them together. It can also prevent duplications.

News topics are often followed by official replies and/or actions. It would help greatly, if these topics were linked together.

The idea for the long term is that the posts become a searchable database of good information.

Abuse

If abused or too controversial the sub moderators can transform the link into a normal reply. Other people can eventually start a discussion around that link/reply.

Why?

Often in the news we have forgotten about the history of the situation. Countries often have a long history and many different aspects. The same is with politicians.

And the same is with news. As new information leaks through, the value of the news can completely change. And if you have not followed the news closely, you can not even know what it was all about.