Free Republic: glass ant farm for zealots

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

[conservative in nyc]

The Dixie Chicks have a movie, Shut Up & Sing, coming out today, and, to keep things lively, they're staging a grudge match with the worst site on the Internet, political-rhetoric division.

"The fat chick will only drive traffic to this site," writes one poster to the site.

"The Frenchy Chix can't get a gig in a gay bar in Ithaca," writes another.

Others chime in with more corruptions: Chubby Chicks, Ditsy Twits, Vichy Chicks.

"Yep typical liberals," says someone else. "No character."

This is Free Republic, an exercise in political extremism that, despite being and something of an anthropological train wreck, keeps popping up square in the mainstream.

Most recently, it has resurfaced as a villain in the Dixie Chicks movie, which traces the fallout from lead singer Natalie Maines's infamous 2003 London declaration that she was embarrassed that George W. Bush was, like her, from Texas.

It was a bad time to be anti-war, and Americans are touchy about being criticized on foreign soil at the best of times. The "grassroots" backlash that followed -- orchestrated, in part, by the people at Free Republic, who mobilized their large and largely disgruntled membership -- saw the band savaged in the press and at the box office.

The site is a venerable and storied Web forum for American arch-conservatives. Funded by member donations, it was founded in 1996 as an anti-Clinton grandstand, and soon became a place where members could post news stories and discuss them -- though "discussion" might be the wrong word. 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.

Freepers, as the sites denizens are known, are the good guys. The bad guys, according to site founder Jim Robinson, are practitioners of "liberalism, socialism, fascism, pacifism, totalitarianism, anarchism, government enforced atheism, abortionism, feminism, homosexualism, racism," and "wacko environmentalism."

So it is that, day in and day out, Freepers attempt to outdo each other in posting the most pungent, juvenile reactions to stories. Articles containing an opposing viewpoint have the words "BARF ALERT" appended to their titles. Slurs are encouraged. When the first same-sex Canadian soldiers were married last year, the story garnered 73 angry responses, ranging from "Disgusting and despicable" to "I'd resign my commission before performing a ceremony to marry a couple of bone-smugglers" to "Let's see what happens when the Canadian military has an AIDS epidemic on its hands."

It's a hateful place that, if the world was working as it should, would be relegated to the Internet's endless fringes, where conspiracy theorists and pyramid-power believers roam the wasteland. But what's interesting about Free Republic is that, despite having attracted a crowd of the most paranoid, xenophobic and reactionary characters the political landscape has to offer, it continues to find itself in the news.

For instance, during the 2004 U.S. presidential election, it was central to the network of websites that uncovered the forged memos about Bush's Vietnam service that appeared on CBS News and ultimately cost Dan Rather his job. (Paranoia, in this instance, paid off.) Later, and less admirably, Jerome Corsi, the co-author of Unfit for Command -- the hatchet job about John Kerry's military service that crippled his campaign -- was found to be posting racist, sexist diatribes on the site.

And then there was the flap about the Dixie Chicks, spurred on by zealous Freepers. Thanks to their movie, Free Republic is getting another moment in the sun. Not helping things was the band's manager publicly calling Robinson "a coward" for refusing to be interviewed for the film. ("I am jealous of you Mr. Robinson," declared one Freeper in response. "You have been singled out and attacked by America's premier Entertraitors.") These, ladies and gentlemen, are grassroots at work. There are a lot of organizations out there that are in the business of whipping their members into a lather and unleashing them on corporations and politicians alike.

But if Free Republic has a virtue, it's that, unlike other pressure groups, it's transparent: You can see the cogs turning, the anger mounting, the members joining the half-baked me-too condemnations that will surface on tomorrow's news agenda. It's like a glass ant farm for zealots. It's a little stomach-turning, but man, they're diligent little things. It's hard not to stare sometimes.

[wtc911]

So the uber-liberal metrosexual DCprofiteer who "yawns" at the suffering of Americans in favor of illegals that he can hire agrees with a Canadian lefty...what a surprise.

When your enemies resort to frantic name-calling and accusations of racism then you know you are on target.

And btw princess, I will challenge you again (is this the fourth or fifth time?) to provide even one post of mine that supports your charges of xenophobia and racism. Do so and I will leave this forum. We both know you can't.

[DCPatriot]

Look Petunia....your entire position on the illegal immigrant problem in this country implies your xenophobia and racism.

You wrap yourself in the law seeking approval....laws which aren't enforced to any meaningful degree, by our own government(s). You are obviously at odds with out own government. IOW, you're an xenophobic, bigoted individual...as the writer here suggests.

In attempts to quench this uncontrollable rage you have against illegal border jumpers and occupiers, you dismiss every suggestion that deporting all illegals would cause tremendous human and economic ruin.

Every time I bring said predicted catastrophe up what do you do? You ignore it and continue to whine.

"Now...go home and get your shoeshine box"...Billy Batts

[dsc]

"you dismiss every suggestion that deporting all illegals would cause tremendous human and economic ruin."

I don't think that's true. There are people in this town who would be glad to do the jobs illegals do, but they can't get them because the Mexicans will only work with other Mexicans.

So they hang around day-labor offices hoping for some scraps.

[dsc]

"you dismiss every suggestion that deporting all illegals would cause tremendous human and economic ruin."

I don't think that's true. There are people in this town who would be glad to do the jobs illegals do, but they can't get them because the Mexicans will only work with other Mexicans.

So they hang around day-labor offices hoping for some scraps.

[DCPatriot]

Replacing an illegal worker with a legal one is the least of the problems.

Businesses would suffer. For example, entire towns and communities would become ghost towns...mortgages would go into default, real estate would suffer.

It's not a matter of replacing a Carolina with a Laquisha. I wish it were that easy.

[Doctor Raoul]

But it's gone and I'm sure some like you partied hearty about it.

Nope Bob, but the reason it's gone is the same reason people don't take you seriously, it's you.

Again, it's all about "Bob J In Charge". Sounds like a sitcom pilot.

[dsc]

"For example, entire towns and communities would become ghost towns...mortgages would go into default, real estate would suffer."

Everything in this life has costs and consequences.

[DCPatriot]

Everything in this life has costs and consequences.

That's right. Don't forget it.

Aborting 40 million taxpayers over the past 33 years has consequences.

Keeping Social Security solvent has costs and consequences.

[wtc911]

your entire position on the illegal immigrant problem in this country implies your xenophobia and racism.

----------------------------------------

Implies? In other words you cannot point to any single post of mine that is either xenophobic or racist...not even one.

All of my posts on these threads are directed to Americans like you who profit from the illegals and who scoff at the cost to other Americans in crime, health care losses and education cuts (as I have proven through your own posts that you do - no 'implies' - just your own words).

You're like some stray dog that drops its pile then runs away from the stink, but you can't. You cannot deny your words, they are here for all to see, So in typical and predictable liberal fashion you attempt to villify through accusations that you cannot prove when challenged to do so.

You are a profiteer, not a patriot.

[wtc911]

"you dismiss every suggestion that deporting all illegals would cause tremendous human and economic ruin."

I don't think that's true. There are people in this town who would be glad to do the jobs illegals do, but they can't get them because the Mexicans will only work with other Mexicans.

So they hang around day-labor offices hoping for some scraps.

-----------------------------------------------

What these profiteers from the illegal labor seem to ignore is that should these illegals be given 'amnesty' they will no longer work for the sub-par wages and benefits that they receive today. The unions are salivating at the prospect of millions of new members. The cost of their labor would rise to meet US standards. Where will the low cost labor that these businesses need to survive come from?

[DCPatriot]

YAWN!

[wtc911]

And that is why I will be here every time you post to these threads...to expose your uber-liberal disdain for Americans.

[DCPatriot]

I've read your posting history...you're a one issue trick pony.

Do you want all illegal aliens rounded up and deported?

Simple answer....Yes or no?

[wtc911]

I've read your posting history...you're a one issue trick pony.

------------------------------------------------

Another lie in the leftist mode. In the past five days I have posted on these topics....

Hillary, Obama, Imus, the Book thread, Hannity, Christianity in Korea, Dred Scott Decision, FDNY and Rudy, Terror in NYC sunways, Huckabee, Iran, War Reporters, WRAMC, Alamo and more

Oh yeah, I post to expose profiteers posing as patriots.

[doug from upland]

Yeah, I think Ann Coulter might refer to him with the new F word.

Posting in this issue:

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Who is this guy?
2002-10-23

Ivor Tossell was an intern at the World Agroforestry Centre in Nairobi, Kenya. He holds a degree in English from the University of Toronto, and put in some hard time at the University of Guelph along the way. He is currently in Canada, plotting his next move.

Irrespective of what continent he's on, Ivor maintains a small software business, peddling a program that generates websites like the one you're looking at now. In another life, he edited a couple of student newspapers at U of T, but he's trying hard to leave the past behind.

Ivor doesn't like writing about himself in the third person, but would love to hear from you at ivor.tossell@utoronto.ca .

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[DCPatriot]

Noticed you refused yet again to answer my simple question.

Do you want all illegal aliens rounded up and deported?

Simple answer....Yes or no?

[DCPatriot]

What...can't respond honestly?

Noticed you refused yet again to answer my simple question.

Do you want all illegal aliens rounded up and deported?

Coward....you SHOULD hide.

[dsc]

"Aborting 40 million taxpayers over the past 33 years has consequences.
Keeping Social Security solvent has costs and consequences."

I didn't vote for either of those things.

Come to think of it, I didn't get a chance to vote on those issues. Or the illegal alien issue.

Tonight Glenn Beck said he thought the illegal alien issue could lead to another civil war.

[FreeAtlanta]

is this really how we FReepers want to be perceived

I no longer care what the punks on the left feel (I said feel, because they don't really think.) It is refreshing to hear the wit and really thought provoking commentary here on the Freerepublic. Whether I agree or not, I can always find something here to stimulate my old gray matter. The libs should spend more time lurking here, they would likely leave better educated.

[dsc]

"Do you want all illegal aliens rounded up and deported?"

Yes. Not only that, I want them to walk to the border, escorted by men with shotguns on horseback.