Posted on 10/01/2023 6:09:43 AM PDT by canuck_conservative
—”My take. The war is political. “
“War is the continuation of politics by other means”.
Clausewitz
—”It is interesting how the Ukraine-Russia war is being fought in Western media.”
A war for the hearts and minds...
That said, it is a house of mirrors; or maybe not?
How important are the "hearts and minds" on this discussion forum? Unless muckity-mucks in government are trawling for new ideas ( or enemies ) on Free Republic, I suspect much is about conservatives trying to see through the competing information, and others, not so conservative, doing "squirrel, over there in the weeds."
Or all this serves some as open therapy.
—”Or all this serves some as open therapy.”
If only that were the case.
Sadly we are witnessing the end of Freerepublic.
I had a relative who was a heavy in the W. Bush campaigns.
Closed mouth on many topics and was thoughtful before saying ANYTHING.
In the late 1990s, I mentioned FREE REPUBLIC; her eyes lit up, and a pregnant pause... “YOU’RE A FREEPER!”
What followed was a master class on the underbelly of a campaign. (I should have taken notes) I wish she were still here to answer my many questions.
At that time the internet was taking off, and you could read every new post on FR in a short sitting. Letters to the editor of PRINTED PAPERS were a big thing.
Many volunteers and a few looking to move to the few paid positions, they are graded by the number of letters published, the size of the paper, and the content.
Very few are actually paid.
Today the firehose of falsehood is the dominant method, disruption is in second place, and disparagement of America is in third. Stir the pot, and sling the BS in any direction does not make a difference.
Recently two Freepers I knew were doxed.
Not too long ago many were willing to post solid arguments.
Some had a deep knowledge of the topic and were willing to share.
Now it’s mostly fallacious BS and name-calling.
Why take the time to post for that?
And shutting it down is the objective.
Suasion, not so much if at all.
First, I will steal the phrase, "fire hose of falsehood." Concise.
Some idiots -- demonstrably so -- have accused me of being some sort of Russian national acting as a provocateur. Or playing what I now think of as the Cathy Newman BBC game of "so what you're saying is...." Or distracting. Or outright "fire hoses of falsehood."
In the moment, I am willing to read more closely and research and provide citations aplenty. So many assert something, and when asked for documentation, simply disappear. But I know this. True conservatives are not neocons / neolibs nor willing to grow the debt as both parties have been doing for the last 23 years. Moreover true conservatives can argue from principle, and can also from time to time disagree earnestly. Some Freepers, therefore, are not conservatives as I see things. But darn good provocateurs for the Democrats and RINOs.
Stay the course, as you will and can. Best wishes.
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