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Poohbah's Opus
Vanity of vanities, all is vanity, sayeth Qohotoleth... | 01 April 2005 | Poohbah

Posted on 04/01/2005 4:26:00 PM PST by Poohbah

First, this is NOT an April Fool's joke.

I am leaving Free Republic.

Over the past two years, civility and thoughtful discourse has vanished from this site, replaced with demands for ideological conformity that are straight out of Stalinist Russia or China's Great Cultural Revolution, and unrelenting uncivility if said conformance is not forthcoming. This trend began with the California recall election, where certain posters were allowed to flame the living beejezus out of those who didn't wholeheartedly support Tom McClintock, or thought that he wasn't running a campaign capable of winning. It extended into the Keyes campaign last year, where any critique of Keyes' campaign strategy was shrilly flamed, despite the obviously flawed execution of his campaign.

(Aside: one person who flamed me during the Keyes mess later said that he hadn't intended to start a fight with his remarks that accused me of homosexuality, pedophilia, and other evils; I was instantly reminded of the time I had to bail one of my Marines out of the local lockup. "Honest, Sarge," this Marine told me, "I didn't mean to start a fight when I called that Army Ranger a faggot." My response was not [and still isn't] suitable for public consumption.)

Since then, the Terri Schiavo case has pushed FR over the edge. We had posts calling for people to ensure that "accidents" to befall Schiavo and Judge Greer. We had posts praying that Iran would soon develop nuclear weapons, so that they could destroy the United States. And until the FBI started making arrests, those posts were allowed to stay up, completely abnegating Free Republic's standards.

We had people on both sides of the issue point out that the Schindlers were associating with some people of extremely low character, and that our uncritical embrace of these parties would not rebound to our favor. Rather reasonable attitudes to take, actually; but the loudest of the loud were in no mood to think.

My personal favorite was the following exchange:


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To: Old Professer
Is being a christian identity sympathizer, a white supremicist, a neo-nazi, a racist or an anti-semite illegal activities in themselves?

The issue is not legality, but public opinion. Which will not be helped in this case if the pro-Terry side becomes associated in the media with Christian Identity, white supremicists, neo-nazis, racists and/or anti-semites.

212 posted on 03/17/2005 11:05:13 AM PST by malakhi
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To: malakhi
There is absolutely nothing wrong with Terri's fight being associated with Christianity. That is unless someone is a radical leftist.
229 posted on 03/17/2005 12:02:29 PM PST by Diva Betsy Ross
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Diva Betsy Ross made a valiant attempt to...ahem...whitewash Christian Identity, but it didn't work.

To top things off, we had people embracing as some sort of conservative icon, to the extent of posting a fundraising link.

I always thought that conservatism valued thinking over feeling, careful contemplation of facts over wild-eyed repetition of every damn rumor to come down the pipe, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. For a while, Free Republic met those criteria in spades.

Those days are long gone, and I have serious doubt as to whether or not they're coming back.

I know that many of the usual suspects will cheer this on, as their longtime nemesis is leaving them the field.

Be careful what you wish for; you are in the process of getting it. You may succeed in driving the folks who disagree with you from the site; but you will end up being just another collection of shrill voices in Bedlam. When everything is an over-the-top scream, no one will be heard.

Farewell.


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To: MonitorMaid

wow. You really exposed the petulance in that post, maid. good job, I don't have the patience to look through all that venom....


1,581 posted on 04/02/2005 6:50:23 AM PST by lilmsdangrus (hard work musta hurt somebody, somewhere....)
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To: anniegetyourgun; Poohbah
Ok...read no further.

NAILED it!!!

It's a 'FORUM'...a message board...where ideas and thoughts are thrown on the wall....and the good ones stick...the bad ones...fall off.

...and it's fun.

redrock

1,582 posted on 04/02/2005 6:54:33 AM PST by redrock (Diplomacy is the art of saying 'Nice doggie' until you can find a rock. --Will Rogers)
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To: Petronski

Opuses always crack me up. (or is it "opi"?)

They kind of remind me of Barney Fife getting all sensitive and stomping away when someone makes fun of him.


1,583 posted on 04/02/2005 6:55:12 AM PST by SerpentDove (Let's not go casting asparagus...)
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To: Fury

Yes, you're right about ignoring some FReepers. I said in a earlier post that I ignore threads that concern certain subjects, or I glance at them at most. But then I tend to read a lot of different threads and not get into long discussions anyway.

You did an interesting thing there. I agree that if people actually met, there would be less animosity....most of the time.

Certain people, and certain subjects, will always cause fervent disagreement.

At least online you can avoid those pretty easily. There's plenty of other stuff to read and discuss.


1,584 posted on 04/02/2005 6:55:21 AM PST by michaelt
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To: PRND21
Two voices of reason leave today...FR has officially jumped the shark.

Not a good sign.

"Error of opinion may be tolerated where reason is left free to combat it."

-Thomas Jefferson

1,585 posted on 04/02/2005 6:58:27 AM PST by tacticalogic ("Oh, bother!" said Pooh, as he chambered his last round.)
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To: Poohbah
Judge In Schiavo Case Failed To Legally Qualify (Oath) For Office; Discharge Mandated

Couldn't let you leave without showing you this. Probably hear about the fringe on Greer's courtroom flag next.

1,586 posted on 04/02/2005 6:59:44 AM PST by RGSpincich
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To: Poohbah

1,587 posted on 04/02/2005 7:02:53 AM PST by csvset
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To: Poohbah
ART. 85. DESERTION
(a) Any member of the WPPFF
who--
(1) without authority goes or remains absent from this thread with the intent to remain away therefrom permanently.........
(2) quits his place of duty with intent to avoid insane posters or to shirk important service.........

You have to reconsider.

1,588 posted on 04/02/2005 7:03:06 AM PST by verity (A mindset is a terrible thing to waste.)
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To: Lazamataz

You had the best opus, ever.


1,589 posted on 04/02/2005 7:06:27 AM PST by SerpentDove (Let's not go casting asparagus...)
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To: nopardons
Just because Hitler picked up on eugenics, doesn't mean that everyone else with such an interest, was in any way,shape,manner, or form pro-Nazi.

He picked it up and ran with it to an extent that no one has before or since. Thus when we deal with eugenics, that experience is legitimately a top example of what could happen. The progenitors of eugenics in the USA certainly did have plenty of colleagues in pre-war Germany.

1,590 posted on 04/02/2005 7:09:21 AM PST by thoughtomator (Fight terror - strangle a caribou!)
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To: MeekOneGOP
Hey Meek. :-) I've been saying all along that the fallout from Terri's death would be far reaching, and not soon forgotten. It's inevitable (unfortunately) that FR was somewhat polarized over it, and people have decided to leave.

The morning of her death, somebody posted the wise advice on the main thread that we all needed to get AWAY from our computers for awhile. It was good advice that too few of us took.
1,591 posted on 04/02/2005 7:12:57 AM PST by hiredhand (Pudge the Indestructible Kitty lives at http://www.justonemorefarm.com)
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To: trickyricky
Sinkscum will be the next to go, Lord willing.

Some prayers are never answered.

1,592 posted on 04/02/2005 7:17:04 AM PST by sinkspur (I wouldn't be in this mess if I had a war time consigliere.)
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To: michaelt

" I agree that if people actually met, there would be less animosity....most of the time."

That's an interesting thought, and I think you are exactly right. It brings up an interesting question as well...

Is the free exhange of ideas made more free when we can do it anonymously, without fear of being branded in our "real lives"?

I think it is very healthy. I wonder how many of us in "real life" avoid speaking on the subjects we speak freely about here?


1,593 posted on 04/02/2005 7:23:01 AM PST by SerpentDove (Let's not go casting asparagus...)
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To: A Jovial Cad
but only sometimes. The role of my FWeeper identity is to praise the worst, and condemn the best. This thread gives so much to work with. So many idiots to agree with. So few with any sense to destroy. Time to pile on!

Worth remembering

1,594 posted on 04/02/2005 7:24:18 AM PST by Tribune7
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To: Askel5

Indeed.


1,595 posted on 04/02/2005 7:31:38 AM PST by Siobhan (Theresa Marie Schindler, Martyr for the Gospel of Life, pray for us.)
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To: Pukin Dog
I know you don't need any reinforcement or defending; you can certainly hold your own in a debate. And 'FS' just keeps right on diggin' himself in deeper, even without being handed a 'them's-the-facts' shovel from little ol' arasina. LOL
1,596 posted on 04/02/2005 7:34:00 AM PST by arasina (So there.)
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To: Poohbah
It's going to be much harder to get our house in order without people like you around.

I hope that, in time, you have a change of heart.

Stay safe and God bless you, Poobah!

1,597 posted on 04/02/2005 7:40:04 AM PST by airborne (Dear Lord, please be with my family in Iraq. Keep them close to You and safely in Your arms.)
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To: Liberal Classic

Thanks, one piece of irony coming right up.


1,598 posted on 04/02/2005 7:46:50 AM PST by FreedomSurge
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To: Askel5
Askel5 - member since April 15th 1998.

#1531.....at least she could not sneer at you for being a 'newbie'.

LOL!!

1,599 posted on 04/02/2005 7:54:25 AM PST by Churchillspirit (Anaheim Angels - 2002 World Series Champions)
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To: MEG33
I had to be dragged into the computer age..and now I need to be dragged away from FR!

Same here! But I could have worse habits, so the kids don't mind. ;^)

1,600 posted on 04/02/2005 7:54:33 AM PST by airborne (Dear Lord, please be with my family in Iraq. Keep them close to You and safely in Your arms.)
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