Free Republic: glass ant farm for zealots

Globe and Mail ^ | 10/27/06 | IVOR TOSSELL

[NeoCaveman]

is this really how we FReepers want to be perceived - as a crowd of "the most paranoid, xenophobic and reactionary characters the political landscape has to offer" who "attempt to outdo each other in posting the most pungent, juvenile reactions to stories"?

I do not care what effete libs think of us.

[Jedi Master Pikachu]

It sort of depends on the environment.

In Free Republic, FRhomepage seems relatively innocuous--a few here could even consider parts of it liberal/leftist (it isn't).

However, almost a copy of the FRhomepage was put on Wookieepedia, and a bunch of Wookieepedians started declaring as being very bigoted (even racist, which is disgusting). (Though the guy who started it was Malaysian, and probably a Muslim--though he put a Christian userbox (which personally made) and Israel-supporter userbox on his Wookieepedian page--RIGHT BEFORE GOING TO THE AUTHORITIES, apparently to make himself look more neutral). Punk.

[imintrouble]

This is typical of Canadian "nannyism" against everything "American" as they like to remark through their noses...

That insignificant piece of tundra to the north should learn to get their own identity and stop borrowing the more successful one to the south - watching our every move - copying it - and then criticizing us for their failures to get it "right".

Canada - you don't have enough people - sorry about that - newcomers prefer the south side of the 49th - and I don't blame them.

O Canada - lurching into oblivion on a solo flight, blaming the U.S. for their fruitless journey.

[backhoe]

I would have missed it as I never read that liberal rag.

I believe some of my FRiends at Free Dominion call it "The Grope & Flail..."

You can cherry pick ( as this little girly-man did ) zingers from the comment section of most any forum or blog and make it appear that the members are barking moonbats who you would not entrust your dog to.

Zealots? Perhaps a few, but no site does a better job of fact-checking and fraud unmasking.

Good company- but I hear Wifey ( don't google it! ) calling...

[Arrowhead1952]

Thanks for that. I don't want breakfast now. That'll make anybody go on a diet.

I'm thinking about hitting the abuse button for that reply!

[NeoCaveman]

"but man, they're diligent little things."

We are also clean and articulate.

[imintrouble]

The author of this "piece" is on google - apparently he has an anger management issue - very little he approves of.

Attention getting little wuss.

[veronica]

If FR were as much on the fringe as this article claims, it would be dismissed, not so obsessively written about. Are there a few kooks here? Sure. The forum is large and the membership diverse. But I think the sensible middle rules here, overall. That as a group, we don't bow to the views the MSM pushes (global warming being an example) and the fact the FReepers take action occasionally in support of their views, obviously rankles some.

I read the carryings-on at the leftie sites, and this place is very mild compared to those angry, profane mobs.

[NeoCaveman]

This man sounds like Maureen Dowd on estrogen.

[GeorgefromGeorgia]

WHAT, no BARF alert!
It is always interesting to see into the mind of the enemy.

One thing is definitely not true about FR. There is no pantomime going on. Most Freepers are conservative, but there is a lot of diverse opinion out there.

[GMMAC]

PING!

[No Truce With Kings]

"The article is obviousely flawed . . ."

Yeah, but he has this one dead nuts right:

"More often, it's a kind of pantomime, where the name of the game is to cheer the good guy and boo the bad guy every time he creeps on stage."

[JCEccles]

Sometimes, we need to remember that anything we post anywhere on the Internet can be read by anyone anywhere in the world - even those in the MSM who want to tarnish this website's name.

Sometimes we need to remember that our enemies, including the author of this piece of tripe, despise conservatism and would despise it no matter how it is presented. What they would prefer is that it not be presented at all.

It is a testament to the power and vigor of FR that it inspires such attacks. Antfarm for zealots? Hardly. If it were that, Ivor would have ignored it.

[colonialhk]

We have more readers is all that counts

[sergeantdave]

"...is this really how we FReepers want to be perceived..."

You can't make friends with moonbats, and why should we care what a cult of european socialists think of us?

This screed is nothing more than the cockroaches looking into the ant farm and envying our productivity. Let them eat dung.

[Beagle8U]

"IVOR TOSSELL
I wonder what his screen name is..."

Who knows, but odds are its on the team-Rooty ping list...lol

[reagan_fanatic]

Many thanks for the additional free publicity, Mr. Tossell.

Could you break out your dictionary and jot down a few more insulting words about FReepers to put in a future column about us? Perhaps you could find the time between visits to the public bath houses and alternative nightclubs.


Thanks loads!

Reagan_Fanatic

[mad_as_he$$]

Guy didn't do much homework. He cites a thread with 73 posts. That's a still born around here.

[Smokin' Joe]

Ha!

Ant farm, indeed. Some of us were apparently 'off the reservation' if their little picnic got messed up!

If you're catching hell, it is usually because you are effective.

[auboy]

Just a suggestion… Tossell, remove that beam from your eye. It might improve your vision.