Old Time Here - Concerned for Lack of Real Difference of Opinion

[texaszman]

Feedback from Old Time User

[fella]

The Liveleak snarkiness drove out a lot of thinking Freepers during the last election.

[Lorianne]

Thanks of posting.
People here have strong opinions, me included, and that is a good thing. However, some are not open to reading things after forming a quick judgment, without reading an article, because they don’t like the title for example, or the read something from a site or author once long ago that they did not agree with.

And people here, like everywhere, are fickle. For example, if you posted anything even hinting against the Iraq war 10 years ago you’d be zotted, possibly banned. Then along comes Trump and says maybe Iraq war wasn’t such a good thing or wasn’t handled well .... presto. It’s accepted.

So that’s just the way it goes here. It’s not ideal but it is the best place on the web to get a good range of conservative news and opinion. And you get a good read on the mood of the nation IMO. If the campaigns had read every single post and comment here on FR they would have known a lot more about the mood of the nation. I suspect the Trump campaign did just that and also tested out ideas here to gage the reaction.

I have also recommended the site to others and they came away less than impressed, even though they are conservative. I tell them to stick with it but few have.

I don’t know what the answer is. In the end it is what it is. There are some fantastic posters here. I have learned so much from them and gotten such wonderful leads to other sites and reading material that I wouldn’t have found otherwise. So it’s worth it for that alone.

[af_vet_1981]

I see your point; another facet of the problem is the preponderance of overly dramatic and unbelievable memes posted as news.

[MrEdd]

Ooh.

We lack “diversity” do we?
Don’t tolerate open borders scum and idiots who refuse to admit that Islam in any form is an existential threat anymore here. You don’t like that?

Well, too damned bad.
Take your effing “diversity” and shove it.

[TTFlyer]

. As a Cruz supporter I was shocked & dismayed at the vile comments made of our other very good conservative candidates.

It was Ted Cruz that blamed Trump(and therefore his supporters)for the violence perpetrated against the Trump supporters in Chicago. I will not stand for that and millions of others didn't either. I still like Cruz but I won't be lectured on "nastiness" by Cruz supporters either.

Free Republic is not a "safe space" for milquetoast "conservatives." It is not a "safe space" for establishment GOP supporters and "hands-across-the-aisle" spineless GOP "moderates" who cave on Planned Parenthood, Obamacare, and other Leftist atrocities

The day Free Republic becomes a "safe space" for weakling "conservatives" is the day it dies for me. This country is on the brink of Neo-Marxist tyranny. It is war. And I intend to fight it.

[Leep]

Sometimes people say “lack of opinion” when what they really mean is ‘there are to many people here who do not agree with my opinion.’

[Paradox]

I hear ya, some things sure have changed around here. That said, Some of the GOOD things are still here. Some of the analysis and commentary is second to none. The breadth of knowledge on this site is still something to behold.

It takes a discerning eye to pick out the good stuff and disregard the bad, I could see how a noob might be turned off. But once you learn to ignore certain posters, and to "follow" the good ones, there is no better place overall.

[Lazamataz]

My now dead Viet Nam era Dad (Naval Academy, OSI, anti-espionage) turned me and my brothers on to this website before the Bill Clinton election.

Neat trick, what with the Bill Clinton (second) election happening in 1996, and this website going live in 1998.

[Chipper]

There use to be more of a dialectic to the debates on here amongst those on the Right. It has devolved into rhetoric, which is a great weapon to use against the Left, but has no place amongst the Right.

We like to have fun at expense of “Snowflake” Millennials, but there are plenty of “Conservatives” reacting the same way if there is an honest challenge to their views. The attack on Syria being a great example of this. Very little honest debate, and way too many rhetorical attacks happening.

The Left isn’t dead yet. There will be plenty of time for fighting each other when that is finally done. Too many want to take the “easy” fight and hit the person standing in front of them, facing the same way. The true enemy are those facing you trying to tear down every single thing you care for, not just a handful of issues of disagreement.

[outofsalt]

"and am writing this now while in Saigon."
Is that in Thailand?

A little FReeper humor... I share your opinion that too often this site and conservatives generally tend to form circular firing squads. Your daughter is right.

[drpix]

Hello texaszman! Are you still there?

You opened you FR account today, posted this one thread (against FReepers) and now nearly 2 hours later you make no reply to the comments.

I brought up but one obvious falsehood in the 1st sentence of your post and you're gone. Should it be assumed that it was not worth your effort to respond here on FR where you face questioning - when he can go elsewhere to places where the facts of so called 'caring' and 'open-minded' posts are never questioned or challenged. Hell, in liberal/RINO internet and media circles even completely false narratives can get you every - even to a Pulitzer Prize.

[drpix]

CORRECTION: can get you every = can get you everything

[blueunicorn6]

Welcome back to Free Republic.

Using a search engine for Free Republic shows that it is a site for “conservatism”.

Do you live in Vietnam or are you just visiting?

There are, unfortunately, several people who have citizenship in other countries and come on to this American site trying to make everyone believe that they are Americans. That is disingenuous.

I have had the opportunity to move to a different country and make more money, but I prefer to live in the good old USA.

So, I thought they had renamed Saigon?

[Baynative]

"...core fundamentals of treating everyone as a “User” and not a person. It’s vitriol. The internet has made younger people utter a-holes when it comes to speaking their fellow man."

There is something about the anonymity of the web that gives people a boldness and obnoxious tenor that they would never exhibit in a personal setting. I also sense a tendency of many to need to prove a superiority in intelligence, or knowledge than everyone else.

My wife an I use Facebook quite a bit in order to communicate with specific groups such as property rights organizations, pet rescue and our rural county in the Idaho panhandle. I also follow several groups specific to hot rodding and classic cars.

In browsing around on various links that po up I've noticed that for every thoughtful and helpful comment there are just as many that immediately have a need to prove someone wrong or lacking in experience. There is a lot of "my idea is better", "try my recipe", or "do it this way" - all of which I think is just human nature.

But when it comes to politics which is the foundation of this website community, people are more rigid and quick to attack. That seems to be because we are by far more conservative and largely sick and tired of being picked on in all other venues including around the clock in the media.

[drpix]

CORRECTION: can get you every = can get you everywhere

[Company Man]

Free Republic is not a "safe space" for milquetoast "conservatives."

[vetvetdoug]

I’ve been here awhile. I don’t see much different between 1998 and now. Only when this was new there were several posters that had significant notoriety and now there are more places for them to visit. Levin and Limbaugh still use this site. I can see where someone indoctrinated into liberalism would say there isn’t much diversity of opinion here because they would not agree with much said.

[trebb]

Nice story - lots of inference with no meat.

Help us understand your beef or stay home.

[Mrs. Don-o]

Actually, every man I've known and respected (my father, husband, brother, son, men I dated before I was married, men I've worked with professionally or politically, men in our parish, etc. etc) have ALL kept themselves civil and respectful in their speech, especially in the company of females of whatever age.

Keep this in mind: on FR you are always in the presence of the equivalent of your mother, sister, wife and daughter.

Men who permit themselves to become vulgar, verbally aggressive/bullying, contemptuous of other's legitimate sensitivities -- I'm not speaking of accommodating the constant grievances of snowflakes --- can hardly be called conservative. They might vote "right" but they are as corrosive of society as the trashmouth Left.

[poconopundit]

FR is great for sharpening your English and political wits.  Tremendous. 

Maybe all of us have posted stuff we regret sending.  But, it's like a family - after you argue, you apologize and move on.  Very few drag out fights on FR, which shows how civil we really are.

I agree with others: to remove the snarkiness, is to take some of the color and humor out of FR.  I have not seen the "misogynist" strain.  A few weeks back some comments about Mochelle's fashion were over the top.  But please don't take away pics of Melania, Ivanka, and Tiffany ;-)

I have posted many mashup pictures on FR.  And a couple rules I try to follow:

• Once a Never-Trumper accepts the legitimacy of Trump and behaves, I post no more tough pic of them.  ONE EXCEPTION: I will continue to taunt John McCain until he goes back to Hanoi Hilton for good :- )
  
  
• The best political pictures are tough, but also in good taste such as on: Macavity: The Mystery Cat -- Never Found at the Scene of the Crime or my fake book cover for All the President's Spies.