I've just been shut out of freerepublic.com!

[thephaseshift]

Yesterday for the first time I checked out what these guys are talking about, and decided to join so that I could have an ongoing discussion with them. Call it an argument if you like - but I never attack somebody who hasn't attacked me first.

I just tried replying to the latest comments in our ongoing discussion, and WHOOPS - my priviliges have been revoked. Not only that - ALL MY POSTS WERE DELETED from the thread! I feel like I've been mugged. My posts were NOT abusive in the least. I was simply generating serious debate, and I put a lot of careful thought into my posts. They were starting to finally generate some interesting comments from the freeper members, especially 1-2 of them. I know the DU forum probably also has an overly-restrictive policy regarding who's allowed to post and who's not, and I don't agree with that sort of stuff either. In fact I hate it. I think it's wimpy.

So it turns out that only Republicans are allowed to post at freerepublic.com. Simple as that. No debate allowed. Tell me - am I dreaming? I honestly didn't think it was this bad in the "free world". Check out the thread, and note the deleted posts. My comments appear occasionally when someone quotes me, but they left out the best parts(!) I wrote LONG and carefully worded mini-essays...all gone. What a waste of time. I was honestly expecting them to enjoy calling me names and such, but I guess they can't handle serious debate.

The last guy to reply to me said this: "I'm surprised that you're still here. I live for political debate and hope you last long enough for me to open your eyes." Now I know why he was surprised I was still there.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/bloggers/1299557/posts?q=1&&page=1#1

[JimmyJazz]

1. Only progressives and democrats can post here.

I'm not sure of your point.

[HEAVYHEART]

3. Huh?

I'm not sure of YOUR point. I thought freerepublic.com is a republican site.

[JimmyJazz]

7. It is - so why is the original poster surprised for getting thrown out?

that is MY point.

[HEAVYHEART]

12. Duh

I reread your post. I thought you said only progressives and democrats can post THERE. You actually said HERE. Never mind. Too early for me.. :silly:

[JimmyJazz]

23. no problem.

[thephaseshift]

8. My point?

Maybe I'm REAL naive since I didn't spend much time on political forums before recently, but I was really surprised to see that NOT ONLY I was shut out their forum for simply debating them, but that my posts were removed by the moderator! It's like wearing a sign on you back saying 'WE WILL NOT TOLERATE DEBATE IN THIS FORUM!'. My point is that the situation concerning free speech and healthy debate is FAR worse than I imagined. I figured they'd LIKE debating me, but I guess not.

[JimmyJazz]

17. But we do the same thing here. If you are a republican and

try to post on this forum, your posts will be deleted and your name removed. So, it seems you are offended that they do something that is done here as well.

BTW - I got thrown out too - apparently, they are serious when they say that gays "recruit" - it's not a big deal

Now, go delouse yourself and forget about it. :)

[papau]

44. For Democratic Party folks does not mean GOPers are excluded!

"disrupters" are removed

GOPers do not always equate to "disrupters"

Indeed there are a few hundred GOPers who post regularly who I enjoy debating.

:-)

[Selwynn]

31. WE DO THE EXACT SAME THING

There are plenty of places you can go and get into left vs. right flame fests. This progressive community is for progressives, a retreat from all that kind of garbage we can get anywhere else and a place to work through our thoughts and ideas in a comfortable and reasonably welcoming community. It's a good thing. But I can't be all outraged if a different community does the same thing.

[jamboi]

10. Obviously not true. n/t

[JimmyJazz]

22. Yeah, where could I have gotten that idea - not from the RULES:

1. This is a message board for Democrats and other progressives.
2. Treat people with respect. Don't be rude or bigoted. Discuss the message, not the messenger.
3. Don't post entire articles. Instead, post short excerpts (not exceeding 4 paragraphs) with links.
4. Respect the wishes of the moderators and administrators.

[thephaseshift]

11. Come again?

Are you telling me there's actually a RULE stating that if you're a Republican then you can't post here? That would be just as bad.

[JimmyJazz]

18. Yes. That is the rule - didn't you read the rules before you

signed on? - this board is for progressives - left wingers.

[thephaseshift]

27. Geezus, you're right!

That's nuts, actually. I can only agree with such a rule insofar as a poster is becoming too abusive. Name-calling and downright insulting somebody is inexcusable. But reserving a forum for only members of your party? What's THAT about? If we're all in our corner and they're in theirs, where's the main event supposed to take place?? Some OTHER forum? Why not here, or there, or anywhere? Debate is the ONLY way to make sure that one average, we all know what's true and what's not. That's precisely how science works. With proper guidelines, I don't see why active debate should be discouraged, period.

[JimmyJazz]

28. Read the rules - Skinner gives a good explanation as to why

this site exists. Also, read the hate mail bag - you'll learn why repukes aren't welcome.

And, welcome to DU - I'm sure you'll find lots to debate here! :hi:

[geomon666]

36. Yeah...But,

The Hate Mail Bag hasn't been updated in ages. And let's be honest, the DU responses to the swill are classic. I think we should allow the monkeys to have their own section here. Just so we can absolutely embarrass them. I know just doing that will make some on here feel a lot better. :)

[Selwynn]

33. Deal with it.

There are plenty of places on the web and everywhere else to get into left vs. right flame fests. This is one of the very, very few places that isn't about that. That is a place for progressives to share information, reasearch, ideas, coodinate action, etc. The ACLU doesn't open up its private organization strategy meetings and planning sessions to the public, or invite conservative groups to come participate in them in the interest of all the things you are arguing for. Sometimes that kind of open debate is welcome and called for, and sometimes it isn't. This is a place where it isn't.

[datasuspect]

37. there is no debate

with knuckle draggers.

they're drunk on fallacy and superstition.

[papau]

42. For Democratic Party folks does not mean GOPers are excluded!

:-)

[Cheswick2.0]

25. liberal republicans who are disgusted with bush and voting for democrats

can post here. Other wise we have heard and read their dumbass opinions enough to last a life time. Not interested. There are other places on the web where you can "debate" republicans.

[papau]

41. No it does not state that - but GOP common wisdom is not permitted w/o

links to a real source.

Challenge the Democratic Party member - but not with bullshit.

The place is "for" Dems to discuss political and other topics - and we discuss based on facts and reason - not assertion.

I have never known an GOPer to be tossed for being a GOPer - indeed the more intelligent GOPers that do get tossed are allowed to come back under a different ID after a period of time.

Skinner has not up to now been after much more tham a factual civil debate - GOP CW and assertions are just not permitted (this is not a mass media outlet like the networks, the newspapers, and radio, that usually assume GOP statements are totally true).

[papau]

21. "Only progressives and democrats can post here." -NO - not the DU rule

At DU anyone can post

you can not be a disruptor of be attacking an another person and expect to remain on the board.

DU encourages discussions of ideas - but unless you have links, a simple assertion will be read as disruptive and indeed you will be banned.

Fact based discussion is always welcome - by anyone.

but attempts to scream, yell, assert without a relatively non-partisan link to a fact, are disruptive (so links to sites that lie for the GOP - Newsmax, Drudge, Free Republic -Fox News - do not help with "simple assertion-disruptor" charge)

[JimmyJazz]

24. see my prior post. It is in the rules.

[papau]

43. For Democratic Party folks does not mean GOPers are excluded!

:-)

[Cheswick2.0]

26. read the rules

[Selwynn]

34. That's not actually true -- read the rules.

[knowbody0]

2. dialog is what we need indeed

with out condecending remarks, and an open mind. good for you for trying.

[Not_Giving_Up]

4. I particularly like the doofus who wishes DU girls were pretty

so he could touch our boobs (to comfort us). I think I need a shower now (shudder).

[buzzard]

5. That happened to me as well.

I don't think they are really in the forum for a debate, in fact most won't even contemplate a view other than the one they currently hold. Facts are another thing that don't get in the way of their beliefs. Sandy

[ecoalex]

6. Intolerance abounds

There and here. What do you expect with a divided country?

I joined to harmeless ask some questions, I never got past one post, and was deleted in their puter.

The reps started all this intolerance stuff, they like being a bubble boy

[Catherine Vincent]

19. I've had an account there for a while.

You have to know what to say, in other words, freerepublic speak....talk about * like he's some kind of god and throw in a slam or two about the Clinton's (or Kerry).

[loupe-garou]

9. Maybe you should look for a forum that is intended to be a

meeting of the unlikeminded. I have a friend who runs one of these. It's called "The Colliseum", but I forget where it is posted. She loves that sort of blood sport, but I get creeped out by knowing how ignorant some people are, and often those are the loudest and pushiest people....

[FredStembottom]

32. We started a special list-serve at a music website recently

just so the members of the music site could bash away at politics away from the main music discussion (of the 70's band Gentle Giant). It's enjoyable for me to do a little pol. debate but still have the music forum intact. So, in other words, the Forum "market" will provide anyone that wants to go head-to-head with Righties a place to do it.

I joined here to get straight shots of Lefty news and discussion. My life, my radio, my job are saturated with Righty viewpoints. I'm drowning in the crap! So I "vacation" here from all that.

:party:

[Razorback_Democrat]

13. Don't worry there are so many spies on their forums

they don't really know who to trust over there anymore

Lots of imposters posting at Freeperland

[Chimpanzee]

14. We should be wary of intruders - here is their strategy

Here is what I think some of our strategy should be in order to ensure Democrat party's disarray:

1. The DP activists are in a tizzy about the "election fraud". They are all tangled up in "statistical analysis" of the election results and exit polls that they think "proves" that there was fraud, are pushing recounts, etc. This is good and should be encouraged. Let them recount and "crunch numbers" - it is harmless, will not change anything, and keeps them concentrated on the past. Even better, it keeps them frustrated, because they are so sure that fraud happened, but cannot find any proof of it (since none exists).

2. Keep this "fraud" hysteria going. Infiltrate their forums, like democraticunderground.com and push the fraud theory. We already have some people flooding that forum with bogus "statistical analysis" posts. Support these people when you see them. Keep telling Democrats on these forums that there is no way that Bush could have won without fraud, that the exit polls were right, that mathematics show that there is a trillion to one chance that the election results were legitimate etc. The more their activists sink into the morass of despair over how they were "cheated out of the presidency" the less actual thinking and planning they will be doing for their political future.

3. There are some clear thinkers among the Democrats, even on du.com. They may turn the thinking towards future elections, political strategies, etc. Disrupt that. Accuse them of being "freepers" for daring to think there was no fraud. Promote the idea that anyone who does not believe in the "fraud" meme is a stooge of the Republicans. With enough attacks, this will either convert them into the "fraud" brigade, or drive them away - either way, a plus.

4. Longer term, the "fraud" advocates will not go away. These people are so married to that idea that nothing will convince them. Encourage that. Since no proof of fraud exists, they will go deep into conspiratorial theories. Encourage that. People who think that way will be discouraged from general political activism - hell, why vote if "they" will cheat you out of the vote anyway, right? With luck, we can extend this all the way to 2008 elections.

5. The hatred of Bush - this is very useful. Keep fanning it. Their hatred is what lost them these elections, and their hatred, if maintained, will extend their losing streak. Post inflammatory anti-Bush rhetoric. Start threads with topics like "How much do you hate Bush?" and "I hate him, I just hate him". Don't shrink from the task. The more they hate, the more they will lose.

So - go to it. Don't underestimate the power of a well-placed conspiracy theory, it may work wonders in despiriting the other camp.

[thephaseshift]

20. Glad to be back anyhow

After a day of posting there and getting back cold comments for all my hard work, it's nice to be back here.

[BlueJazz]

15. You're a silly, silly person.

You need to understand that over at Freeperville the gist of the conversation usually needs to be something like
"Ugh...Fire Bad...Nascar Good"
:)

[Kralizec]

16. "Have I told you today how much I HATE these people?" n/t

[Selwynn]

29. Umm we do the same thing here, and I'm glad. :)

I'm not going to post fake outrage at the fact that they banned you - we do the same thing here, and I'm glad we do.

[SueZhope]

30. I took a quick look

did you guys read this post?..
Is this for real?Or is this just O'Reilly leading the way..into hell
Is this a group for adolescent boys who wanna be Republicans?


"Didn't Bush win like 3 million votes more? (popular vote) This is funny. I wish some of the girls at DU were pretty. It would be my citizen's duty to comfort them and touch their boobs. But no such luck."

[antigone382]

35. The purpose of this site is not to debate which side is right.

It's for Democrats to discuss platforms and strategies within the Democratic party (or occasionally other left-wing parties, like the Greens). If we allowed right-wingers in here, they would in effect take over, and time would be wasted in pointless debates that would not convince anyone. There are plenty of forums that allow people of all political stripes, and that's a good thing. This forum has a different purpose, and therefore requires different rules. Free Republic is the same concept, but for Republicans.

Edited for spelling.

[Name removed]

38. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Name removed]

39. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Endangered Specie]

40. heh, welcome to DU, enjoy your stay...brief as it may be.

[DS1]

45. *yawn* They come here, post what they consider well-thought

out arguments, get banned, have all their arguments deleted and complain about the exact same thing on FR.