Posted on 03/16/2004 4:38:03 AM PST by bicycle thug
Edited on 03/16/2004 5:17:47 AM PST by Sidebar Moderator. [history]
Mod update: To put this "opus" in perspective, some additional information compliments of a thorough FReeper, dighton.
From a Kerry in 2004 Meetup page, via google cache:
bicyclethug (Eugene, OR)
I am Michael Joseph McCarthy, well known forest activist in Eugene, Oregon who ran against Scott Meisner for City Council last election. I am a Member of the Pacific Green Party who wants this scoundrel in office now thrown out.
72 posted on 03/16/2004 5:05:43 AM PST by dighton
Fascism in Free Republic manifests itself as extreme ideology that celebrates themselves as solely representing the nation as an organic community transcending all other loyalties. It emphasizes a myth of national rebirth after a period of decline or destruction. Liberalism is the prime keyword to represent the "problem" group causing the "decay and disruption of "proper" American life.
The FR reminds me of the typical fascist call for a "spiritual revolution" against signs of moral decay such as individualism and materialism, and calls to purge "alien" forces and groups that threaten the organic community. Fascism tends to celebrate masculinity, mystical unity, and the regenerative power of violence. Often, but not always, it promotes racial superiority doctrines, ethnic persecution, imperialist expansion, and genocide. At the same time, fascists may embrace a form of internationalism based on either racial or ideological solidarity across national boundaries. Usually fascism espouses open male supremacy, though sometimes it may also promote female solidarity and new opportunities for women of the privileged nation or race.
FR's call to purge Liberalism and to install a conservative only lifestyle in these United States is not realistic under the auspices of the U.S. Constitution which is designed for all groups of all types and classes to be protected from the domination and authority of the dominant group.
The FR calls for the establishment of a dominant group - their brand of Conservatives - that keeps all the others in line including conservatives "who don't think right on various topics. The virtual community has degenerated into a witch hunt for any and all "untrue thinkers," who must be purged at all costs.
FR's approach to politics is both populist--in that it seeks to activate "the people" as a whole against perceived oppressors or enemies - and elitist - in that it treats the people's will as embodied in a select group, or often one prime iconic leader whose authority flows downward only. FR, in typical Fascist style seeks to organize a cadre-led mass movement in a drive to seize state power. It seeks to forcibly subordinate all spheres of society to its ideological vision of what a community is, and the end result of their game is totalitarianism, pure and simple.
Both as a movement and a regime, fascism uses mass organizations as a system of integration and control, and uses organized violence to suppress opposition, although the scale of violence varies widely. FReepers unethically disrupts polls, hacks and disrupts other sites, and uses real or perceived disruption by others of their site as a rallying point to drive home a wedge between them and any group not belonging to the FReeper movement to reshape America.
Fascism is hostile to Marxism, liberalism, and even true conservatism, yet it borrows concepts and practices from all three. Jim Rob's blend of conservatism and use as advocacy of George W. Bush to insure that the right thinkers who know how to follow orders stay on board builds an obedience and cohesion to central authority. He wishes to create an entity that can influence people like Bush to fall into sync with his goals by offering an effective vehicle to mobilize and control people on the grass roots level as he has proved to people like the President that he indeed can do things like galvanize and grow the Klamath water rights for farmers issue.
JimRob is shrewd, he wishes to influence those in higher office and at the same time remold the electorate into a cohesive force that can roll over any group that gets in it's way in a very unconstitutional fashion.
The FR exploits real grievances against capitalists and landowners through ethnic (or in the Free Republic's case the classic homosexual wedge issue) scapegoating or radical- sounding conspiracy theories. They reject the liberal doctrines of individual autonomy and rights, political pluralism, and representative government, yet it advocates broad popular participation in politics and may use parliamentary channels in its drive to power.
Its vision of a "new order" clashes with the conservative attachment to tradition-based institutions and hierarchies, and much like fascism, they often romanticizes the past as inspiration for national rebirth.
Fascism always has had a complex relationship with established elites and the non-fascist right much like the FR does. It strives to be not a mere puppet of the ruling class, but an autonomous movement with its own social base. In practice, they defend capitalism against instability and the left, but also they pursue an agenda that sometimes clashes with capitalist interests in significant ways.
I have watched and studied the FR with going horror as this culture has grown more malignant and horrifying over the years. Any and all peoples and nations are vulnerable to the disease of fascism, and thought I am sure JimRob and company started with the best of intentions, over the years they have cognitively grown more hostile and unreasonable to anyone not of an elite brand of FReeper. The road to fascism is so incremental it sneaks in and decades later people always wonder how the heck it happened. And it is happening at that particular virtual community, make no mistake about it.
I have always wanted to see the FR grow up. Journalism in these United States was reactionary and lacked accountability in the early years of our nation and as it evolved it was forced to grow up. I want the FR to flourish and to grow up ethically and responsibly, with a measure of respect and empathy for those other groups that blend with them to form our great nation.
But it hasn't, and it has grown into an entity quite alarming. If FReepers care and act now, they can take back a precious jewel of a forum bought and paid for by them that fills an important need in their lives.
If this doesn't happen, we will crush the FR and remove it like a malignant tumor before it destroys what we collectively hold dear; The United States of America as we know it with our Constitution as is works now with it's checks and balances there to prevent Fascist and totalitarian entities from taking us and the world on the road to incredible destruction and human misery.
. This is a critically important topic, and people have leadership and intuitive skills that can either debunk me, or develop tools to reform FR and make it responsible and ethical as it should be. I don't hate and nurse disdain for the Free Republic, I deeply care and want the best for FReepers. And it hurts deeply and horribly to articulate my thoughts and fears here, as FReepers are indeed special people who do not deserve to be used, and to have bad things happen to them, or to be manipulated to cause bad things to happen to others.
Peace, and respect to all.
What a shock...
"We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion. Avarice, ambition, revenge, or gallantry, would break the strongest cords of our Constitution as a whale goes through a net. Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate for the government of any other."- John Adams, Oct. 11, 1798I'll go with his definition and opinion on the matter. There's nothiung mystical about it. Fact is, by your own definitions, you would have as much, if not more problem with them men who crafted that document, the constitution, than you do with those on this forum or its founder. There were much more strict about these principles than we.
Think about that for a moment.
The further we as a people stray from those basic principles, the less efrfective and meaningful that document will be in our lives, and the less liberty we shall enjoy For proof, I offer the conditions we see surrounding us this day.
Free Republic is helping to reverse those trends. Those who are steeped in those trends will resist it. But liberty itself is rooted in and dependent on the principles described by Adams.
Sorry you will not be around to allow more of that (irrespective of whatever other influences you may observe here) to rub off on you.
Give me a break if this is what you see happening.
We don't want liberalism to be calling the shots...for a variety of reasons, "lifestyle" being an important aspect, but in these times not the most pressing, which is why the libs brought the marriage issue to the fore when they knew President Bush has so many irons in the fire and they guessed they had a chance to advance their cause.
Most, if not all, of us are pretty much of a live and let live attitude except when the law is flouted and mocked, or we see outright wrong being done (which is often the case when libs have power and allow or impose certain things).
And by the way, being law abiding does not a facist make. Your use of that term is outrageous.
See ya.
Hey 'pod. I'm in a little bit of a dilemma, here. I like ferret, and I like talking to him on The Other Site. In fact, I've been posting a lot more over at The Other Site than over here, because -- well, frankly, I can get better debate over there. I'm not subjected to Wolf-packing and the insults, while present, are kept a little lower in favor of real testing of ideas. I have expressed a few negative feelings about certain members of FR over there, but that's a pointless and very bad trap. Anyone who sits around in a forum, talking about *other* forums and their participants in a derogatory fashion are small people, indeed. Great people discuss ideas, mediocre people discuss events, and small people discuss people.
Personally, I'm going to keep a very tight wrap on that sort of behavior in myself. I've also taken some flack over there for holding other members over there to the same standard I'm trying to hold myself to, but I'm not going to stop. I won't do it all the time, but occasionally, I'll pipe up.
But lets face it, there are some serious issues over here. We even posted kitten and cloud pictures to one another to demonstrate the head-in-sand mentality of many of the hardcore 'bots, and to object to the wolfpacking that we were subjected to. I mean, I know you and I are on the same page on this issue.
I don't blame the mods. They have their hands full trying to prevent total anarchy. I am slightly deflated at JimRobs decision to order a minimization of Bush criticism and to require the banning of those who push certain third-party issues/candidates -- or sometimes, even people who vocally state that they won't vote for Bush! -- but he and I have different philosophies on what works to advance conservatism. That's fine, it remains to be seen who is right in the long run. Besides, this is his printing press. He gets to decide.
However, I *do* blame the posters who won't behave civilly, who are the first to bash instead of use logic, and especially those who wolf-pack. (I am no stranger to flaming people, but I always operate with the premise that I will offer a kind hand first, and respond with a flame when it is warranted.) But the wolf-packing is the worst behavior of all. They call eachother over with a "Over here" ping -- especially when one of them gets spanked -- and the bloodletting begins.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.