You think we'd know better by now.
Posted on 12/30/2024 7:37:45 AM PST by Lazamataz
I've noticed, as of late, the quality of the arguments on Free Republic have declined. This is especially true as regards the H1B argument.
I have no intention of rehashing this argument, nor the points therein. I am speaking only to the tone and tenor of our forum participants.
Musk did us no favors by being so confrontational about this issue, and may have inadvertently sparked the furor. I fault him for that. I see he's trying to cool this down now, and that is to his credit.
However, it is my belief that the Deep State saw an opening and drove a wedge into it, to separate people on different sides of the argument, who normally would be backing Trump.
As I wrote elsewhere:
It's kinda amazing that the Deep State can ring a bell and we salivate like a Pavlovian dog.
You think we'd know better by now.
That point aside, repeatedly, I'm seeing a lot of posters lately are being rather personal as opposed to arguing the merits of their case. That behavior sheds a lot more heat than light.
It’s as if attorneys were to argue in court:
Atty 1: “Where’d you get your law degree, you fat loser? A crackerjack box? Your client is GUILTY and you are a blind FREAK if you can’t see that!”
Atty 2: “Oh, talk about blind! I understand you are a faggot in your personal life, too! Do you molest boys, you creep? YOU should be the one on trial!”
Judge: “Gentlemen, can we return to the facts of th...”
Atty 1: “Oh just shut the eff up, judge, and play with yourself under your robe, like you always do.”
Atty 2: “Yeah, shut up, you twatwaffle! I never liked you, now I know why!”
In short, I hope that people can dial things down a notch and present their cases with a lot less invective.
I myself have been guilty over the years of being nothing less than an online terrorist, but I do now see the errors of that path, especially here, where we are all one big family.
This is an important issue and we need to discuss it. I suggest we at least wait until our President is inaugurated, or, if it is important to discuss now, that we do so with a lot less invective. We are not Democrat Underground.
Very positive post. Thank you.
The soundbites popular on X and similar media don't do much but stir up emotions.
I think it was Mike or Mark Davis who told them to stay in their lane
Sure you can. Trump needs to, gently of course, remind Musk that he is a pure savant in business... but he, Trump, is a pure savant in politics.
And we're talking politics, not business, Mr. Musk.
How about this.
The US economy is going to crater because of the debt.
This other stuff will be off the front page, and 2nd page and 3rd page.
Vivek lit the H1-B fuse over on Twitter and Elon poured gasoline on it.
These were unforced errors by those two, the Left didn’t have to lift a finger.
The Tech Bros vs MAGA H1-B war was on at that point. And it spilled over onto every conservative forum.
Tell 'em to come back. We need more civil people, not less.
Getting nasty and personal demonstrates lack of complete counter argument. Doing so also is a demonstration of a lack of understanding that not all reasons for taking a postion come from the same space politically. Different people coming from a different political perspective can favor an idea for different reasons, yet some folks thinking that is never possible try to slander someone as a member of the “other camp”. and that THAT is why they have taken the position they do, when nothing could be further from the truth.
Absolutely.
However, the Deep State definitely leaned into the curve.
I'm glad you hit it.
Well stated.
Being able to argue with civility does seem to be a lost art these days.
I always hit it. :^)
I think the thread poster went out of his way to be transparent. Great thread to which I previously posted a link and all his conclusions can be replicated & supported. IMO his thread perfectly encapsulates the issues.
I am glad this controversy emerged. Rather than being a minor issue I think it is fundamental. It discriminates between people who are truly Americ first and people who walk the MAGA path until there is profit by taking a very non-Maga divergence.
No need for venom but an airing of this issue will make it more likely that an eventual solution will benefit Americans. We must be ready to hold Congress to account. Forewarned is forearmed.
The ways Vivek & Elon reacted tells me a lot about them.
Elon is a complex human being with good instincts but some unexamined positions. When challenged he is aggressive but he thinks about the issues and recalibrates. I still believe he will make choices to benefit Americans and America.
IMO Vivek’s motivations were exposed by this controversy. His MAGA commitment is secondary to his profit motive and his desire to promote Indians in America. He can be an asset in a defined role but I would hate to see him in a position where he wields sole power.
Quick question: Are there any FR Moderators anymore, or have most been advised to ‘Stand Fast’ and observe.
I don’t mean the exaggerated judgements, from the old days, where the Viking Kitties would celebrate when somebody was,..what was that term?..Zonked? or expelled from the website.
“However, it is my belief that the Deep State saw an opening and drove a wedge into it, to separate people on different sides of the argument, who normally would be backing Trump.”
It’s not just a belief. It’s factual. We know, by now, how the DS leftists (commies) roll. And they’ve been taking full advantage of this latest controversy and ‘rolling with it’ on the forum.
One good thing to come out of it... you can more clearly tell who the trolls are by how they use this latest fiasco. It’s nice that they self-identify.... and yes, many of us are paying close attention.
Thanks for the post.
When Heckle met Jeckle.
I'm bringing civil back (Yeah)
Them other posters don't know how to act (Yeah)
Lets have a discuss without personal attack (Yeah)
So post with wisdom and I'll pick up the slack (yeah)
Take 'em to the bridge
Angry dude (uh-huh)
You can post better so don't be so rude (uh-huh)
People hate it when your post is viewed (uh-huh)
You just need a better attitude (uh-huh)
Take 'em to the chorus
Hahaha...what a creepy character he played.
On a related note, this past weekend, I went to a WWII museum near me that had a...well, not quite re-enactment, but they had encampments dug out in the nearby woods, a Nazi one and an American one. There was only a tiny bit of snow, but a good amount of mud.
(you may recall a news item a few months back about some people complaining to police that, at a nearby coffee shop that guys dressed in Nazi gear were buying cups of coffee...same museum, probably same guys. I had to shake my head at that.)
The event cost $35, and they gave you a ride out on a halftrack, the guy driving and the person talking to us were dressed in the battle garb of the day, complete with white helmet covers and such.
He told us that we would be stopping at a Nazi checkpoint, and he would tell them we were non-combatant Red Cross types, so they would let us through.
Sure enough, we came to their checkpoint, they had dug emplacements with an MG-42, anti-tank guns, panzerfaust, etc, all aimed our way on the road as we approached.
But...I found something odd, and amusing to me.
As we approached, with these “Nazis” standing in the road in front of a barrier lowered across the road, that...I didn’t want to make eye contact with them!
It was completely unconscious, I didn’t think they were really Nazis, but...when I realized what I was doing, I nearly spit out laughing! Hey, I have seen enough movies where you approach a Nazi checkpoint, and the actors were always keen to avoid noticing or being noticed by the Nazis!
Say what you will about Quentin Tarentino, but Hanz Landa is an iconic character, masterfully played by the actor.
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