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The state of discourse on Free Republic

Posted on 06/08/2024 2:35:05 PM PDT by LukeL

In the past couple of years I have noticed there is a complete lake of regard for other posters on this site. Not only that but swearing seems to be tolerated. In the past day I have been called gay, a lair, that I am talking out of my *** and I am full of ****. Do we even have to go into the fighting on any thread about Ukraine or Russia. Even hard facts from multiple sources no longer seem to matter. Instead it is whoever can come up with the snarkiest reply.


TOPICS: Chit/Chat; Miscellaneous
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To: wildcard_redneck

Dude. You did not need to post that, unless you are trying to prove his point.


301 posted on 06/08/2024 8:09:41 PM PDT by Alas Babylon! (Repeal the Patriot Act; Abolish the DHS; reform FBI top to bottom!)
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To: LukeL
there is a complete lake of regard for other posters on this site.

I promise (🤞) to make my posts shorter from now on.

-PJ

302 posted on 06/08/2024 8:11:47 PM PDT by Political Junkie Too ( * LAAP = Left-wing Activist Agitprop Press (formerly known as the MSM))
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To: Albion Wilde

That is good to know. I am sure I have twisted off others through the years.


303 posted on 06/08/2024 8:14:25 PM PDT by crusty old prospector
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To: mass55th

Agreed. I have fingers left counting on one hand the number of times I’ve hit it myself.

Including one the other day for a resident troll’s post about a video with a fake headline they obviously didn’t watch.

Funny thing: The post is still up.

https://freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/4242791/posts


304 posted on 06/08/2024 8:17:36 PM PDT by logi_cal869 (-cynicus the "concern troll" a/o 10/03/2018 /!i!! &@$%&*(@ -)
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To: Thank You Rush

I was going to post that. There was the earlier one (I believe), which was right before Christmas, ironically. It was either 2019 or maybe earlier?

I like that those rules existed but not sure much enforced. Hence I don’t come here as much anymore.


305 posted on 06/08/2024 8:19:11 PM PDT by the OlLine Rebel (Common sense is an uncommon virtue./Federal-run medical care is as good as state-run DMVs.)
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To: odawg

Saw the whole stage crouch film.

They DID sit down. That’s not to say Biden didn’t have an accident there, or maybe when he was led off, but the film shows him trying to sit too soon. You can’t draw much more from it.

First version I saw conveniently abruptly cut off right then as Biden was strangely stooping, as someone pointed out. Then I got to see the whole thing. The first was part of a YouTuber’s biased take on it.


306 posted on 06/08/2024 8:31:21 PM PDT by the OlLine Rebel (Common sense is an uncommon virtue./Federal-run medical care is as good as state-run DMVs.)
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To: mac_truck
Was the War in Iraq/Afghanistan an example of that small government Reaganism your nostalgic for? 🧐

Orthogonal to it - pretty similar to Reagan supporting those willing to stand against the Soviet Union.

Better example would be Reagan's efforts to cut domestic handouts, while the other guy blasted Senate Republicans for refusing to support his December 2020 push for another round of $2000 check handouts.

Populists love to buy votes.

307 posted on 06/08/2024 8:31:42 PM PDT by Bruce Campbells Chin ( )
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To: rlmorel; spirited irish; rodguy911

I will miss you.


308 posted on 06/08/2024 8:35:14 PM PDT by linMcHlp
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To: Bruce Campbells Chin

Hear hear.


309 posted on 06/08/2024 8:41:35 PM PDT by the OlLine Rebel (Common sense is an uncommon virtue./Federal-run medical care is as good as state-run DMVs.)
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To: Ed Condon

You have a lake of regard for the lair OP!


310 posted on 06/08/2024 8:49:00 PM PDT by Uncle Miltie (Hineni!)
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To: Paladin2

Yuppers
My SP 101 is the Best Amigo!


311 posted on 06/08/2024 9:02:36 PM PDT by Big Red Badger (ALL Things Will be Revealed !)
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To: Reno89519

If you think your comment #21 was any of that then all I can say is. Delusional!


312 posted on 06/08/2024 9:03:15 PM PDT by Revel
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To: Fuzz

Zeepers that care more about what is going on in Russia than the tyranny in their own country have zero credibility to anyone with half a brain.


313 posted on 06/08/2024 9:03:51 PM PDT by Kazan
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To: dforest

Exactly. We’re full of civility. We’re law-abiding, too. Play fair with a cheater, get beaten.


314 posted on 06/08/2024 9:05:33 PM PDT by Buttons12 ( )
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To: Alas Babylon!
The gracious A+Bert called me a communist.

That’s it?

He must have been in a good mood.

315 posted on 06/08/2024 9:06:38 PM PDT by hole_n_one
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To: hole_n_one
Years ago, on this very site, Mark Levin called me A-hole_n_one.

Sorry, but that's pretty funny. It's not nice, but at least it was creative, which puts it well above the current level of discourse.

316 posted on 06/08/2024 9:28:48 PM PDT by Gil4 (And the trees are all kept equal by hatchet, ax and saw)
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To: LukeL
I started lurking on FR in the early 2000’s.

For many years you could bank on finding varied types of news on this forum. People posted just about everything from major news sources. It was varied and interesting. No event or story seemed to escape FReepers.

Over time FR has kind of become something else. There’s a narrower and perhaps more rigid collection of news items. Events take place that are newsworthy, but they no longer appear here.

I have a personal theory as to why this happens.

Over time, the site has essentially been co-opted, and while we’re all still fortunate to have a lot of leeway in sharing our opinions - it ain’t what it used to be.

It seems controlled, for lack of a better word. While as individuals we can pool our thoughts on an issue and be in agreement - or disagree and engage in (ahem) debate - we’re all playing on a field that now has a much smaller perimeter. It has shrunk considerably.

While FR continues to be a conservative news forum, it has also become - as many other online forums have - a controlled source of information, which I personally believe is intentional, but not on the part of the Robinson family.

I think its purpose now is to help shape the (conservative) narrative, and not necessarily be a venue to express and exchange ideas.

As you - and others have said, the tone of FR has changed considerably. Snark and a general nastiness are evident and never used to be. Some have stated that they restricted contributions due to the unpleasantness, and others don’t post as much or at all.

If you want to fundamentally change an online forum like Free Republic and turn it into what amounts to an echo chamber most days - then you would seek to do exactly what has happened: you would make certain that the level of discourse and the overall tone of the forum changes for the worse; that an effort is made to intimidate people for expressing different opinions - in hopes that they would post less or not at all.

This gets rid of the people who are free thinkers and critical thinkers. A closed system has no room for people who tend to be curious and ask questions. People like this don’t conform.

Everything in our world now - what we see, hear, read - is controlled. There’s no big playground to romp around in anymore.

Thanks for posting. I hope some of the responses have been helpful.

317 posted on 06/08/2024 9:31:58 PM PDT by yelostar (TRUMP and only TRUMP 2024)
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To: All

Some of the racism is probably frustration over race baiting and a push back with reality checks about race-hustler narratives. Since those don’t originate here, I don’t believe it’s a problem of low standards on FR, just perhaps that some posting do not realize that outsiders reading FR will not pick up subtle nuances.

As for the pro-Russia stuff, here again it’s being caused by frustration with the globo-homo agenda not being challenged by most mainstream politicians, so any kind of opposition, even Putin’s mad misadventure, is seen as better than globalism, and it’s at least worth an open discussion, perhaps it is true that nothing is worse than the “agenda” of the UN, WEF and crowd.

I am a big believer that robust free speech, even where it steers close to out and out insults and obnoxious rhetoric, is always better than the alternative of turning off one’s mind entirely and swallowing what “experts” tell us to swallow. If we don’t allow for robust exchanges of opinion, we won’t get near the truth, and we will become brainwashed sleepwalking robots. And that’s what the powers-that-be want us to become.

I wouldn’t leave here because somebody offended me or insulted me. That would just surrender high ground to unworthy adversaries. Ignore such trolls and seek out a more authentic set of companions. We aren’t always as well informed on given subjects as we like to think, and being exposed to a wider range of opinions can help avoid the dangers involved in being too set in one’s opinions.


318 posted on 06/08/2024 9:37:06 PM PDT by Peter ODonnell (A conspiracy theory is usually a fact that a leftist cannot endorse)
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To: yldstrk

I didn’t appreciate it when I fell for his “This account has been banned or suspended” home page. :-)


319 posted on 06/08/2024 9:38:54 PM PDT by Gil4 (And the trees are all kept equal by hatchet, ax and saw)
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To: Jeff Chandler
Whatever happened to Humblegummer?

Apparently he has moved to his "luxury compound in Belize." :-)

I also heard his account was banned or suspended.

Seriously, I think it's divinity school.

320 posted on 06/08/2024 9:56:08 PM PDT by Gil4 (And the trees are all kept equal by hatchet, ax and saw)
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