Posted on 02/12/2016 10:04:27 PM PST by Optimist
Over the past several months, Free Republic has begun to show an ugly side of its members. Although admittedly comprised of many strong-willed, opinion-charged individuals presenting thoughtful, conservative insights into the topics of the day, this forum has begun to show a seamier side as the Trump-Cruz-Rubio-Carson 2016 Primary heated up. You all know what I mean. Many of you have either been at the giving or receiving end of EMOTIONALLY-charged attacks against various candidates or even individuals as their supporters.
Herewith a few thoughts I would like to share:
Well, this is what happens when one (Ok, I) become frustrated with the ad-hominem attacks against so many good people both on this site, and otherwise supportive of conservatism and the rise of a conservative Republican Party. We are all decent, America-loving conservatives who are driven to strive for what is best for returning this country to its pride.
Please Freepers, make your best case, and trust that whoever eventually runs against the Demobeast will, with God's light, be the right person for the job.
Let the flame-war begin, I have donned my suit! And God bless.
Well I hope I’m managing to say (or repeat) some things that are true in the sense that God will always stand up for them.
If we can get ourselves on God’s metaphorical wavelength (or rather, allow God to bring us onto His wavelength) then we will see a whole new set of forces and powers come into play in our favor that were sailing right by us or opposing us.
God isn’t all obsessed with damning. He would vastly rather bless, and forgive anything, but he can excuse nothing; it must be dealt with somehow. The devil is thus obsessed, and by hanging on to the devil, we are too.
>>>>I and many others have noticed FR took a nasty
>>>>turn when Trump supporters started attacking Cruz
>>>>and Cruz supporters in very vicious tones.
>>It was surprising, but maybe it shouldn’t have been.
How does that observed behavior fit within the role that DEMORALIZATION plays within the process of strategic cultural subversion — as described by KGB Defector Yuri Bezmenov?
Observe Breitbart’s comments on the “National Populist” trajectory:
“Trump won’t be able to trump Cruz on conservatism. So now he’s making clear that he isn’t running a conservative campaign - he’s running a nationalist and populist campaign. His enemies include both Republicans and conservatives”
http://www.breitbart.com/2016-presidential-race/2016/02/11/cruz-knocks-trump-as-non-conservative-trump-admits-it/
Once it was deemed appropriate via the lack of maintaining decorum, civility and the policing of threads by both sides and mods, it was game on.
I think some are just using this election as cover to show what they really think of some FReepers...disguised as political contempt or disagreement.
Some of the posts cross way over the line of just simple disagreement, they’re going well out of their way to make it very personal.
The purported “rationale” for many of the posts is that of a 1st grader...”He said something first!”.
We simply simmer between elections, but each one of us, in our hearts and minds, know we, each of us, is right, and all the rest are wrong.
Just ask us.
Thank you for posting this. I have been disgusted by the gross, vicious attacks not only on candidates but on FReepers who don’t support that candidate. I don’t particularly support any of them yet, btw, and one of the reasons is that one candidate and his followers have created such noise that it’s impossible to actually discuss the issues.
FR always goes crazy around election time, because some people get way too invested emotionally in their candidate. However, there has previously been room for discussion of issues.
Not now. Every post is about how well this candidate is polling, how everybody who doesn’t like him is an elitist enemy of the people, etc. all very leftist, in other words.
I’d like to get back to talking about issues.
“I don’t remember it being this bad before and I’ve been around for a while.”
Same here. I started in 2000, I think, and I don’t recall the nastiness. I think we’re frustrated with maximum pent-up anger, and can’t strike out at the true villains — MSM, Obama, Congress/Senate selling out, etc. Can’t kick the dog. Can’t beat the spouse. So we’re attacking each other, at our wits’ end.
We’ll get over it and be OK after the Convention.
What I’m about to say might be seen as victriol, but bare with me.
We have one candidate, Trump, that is in part riding a wave of pop-culture appeal.
That is probably to some extent troubling to most here, as it should be, what does it say for the future.
Some just except it now for what it is. They want the win by hook or by crook.
Where the alternative is Hillary Clinton? Most anyone would take Trump, just not yet for many.
Well we all believe in something.
I try to be as sure as possible that the something that I believe in, is something that I can count on.
It should be vastly clear that this rules out believing in any human, save the humble Jesus who was God incarnate.
We should back a politician or politicians, if we do, because we are most convinced that the Lord is acting for benefit through this man or these men. Not because we want to deem them something we can trust upon directly.
And the general bible exhortation stands that we should make prayers for kings and all who are in authority (and I’d posit that this holds for posts to be filled or refilled in the future) such that we will be able to lead peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.
Exhibit "A"
It cannot be avoided, it is the grammar of existence. We might as well speak of dry water, as try to embrace anything else.
We ought to be as sure as we can that what we believe really can be counted on. And cheap rhetoric (Boo Cruz! Yea Trump! or vice versa) does not cause this state of affairs to come to pass.
I’ll take it! Thanks.
I tend to the eternally optimistic in these latter times.
Pop culture can be based on both wrong and right premises.
Poop culture (what I first typed) is a worse problem; it’s always wrong.
Why is Trump good? Why is Trump bad? And the same should be asked for Cruz and any other hopeful that might come into the picture.
Then we can arrive at the closest thing to fair and balanced that we can embrace. But we ought to try to understand why others might disagree; it could be a point of view on other things that has made the difference.
Just Simply . . . Thank You.
Been here 16 years . . . in all, started just reading, I don’t post a lot and these days hard to read very much of it.
I’d hate to see it get to the point I come here just for the story and never scroll to the comments like I do many other news sites.
This is nothing compared to how the BernieBros and HillBots are going at it across town.
FR always has its contentious topics that some people get heated over. Presidential elections is just one of them. You will see hot threads concerning many issues, such as, religion, pornography/first amendment issues, war on drugs, or the like.
It is all part of the fun.
Wrong John Galt.
This guy was a misnamed troll who could not correctly define what was or was not a “weapon of mass destruction”.
He got blasted from the forum after several grueling weeks of him being an outright smarmy snarky dishonest lying a-hole.
Reasoned discourse with the pretender was not possible.
Agreed.
Once children find no boundaries the envelope continues to be expanded.
Someone made a sane statement!
“I do tire of the incessant sniping and profane sentiments coming from FReepers who believe they have it better than their fellow FReepers.”
Thanks!
Take care.........pilgrim
Your call for civility is not any different from Jim Robinson’s admonition at the end of his two threads where he cites the usefulness of the two, Cruz and Trump in the ascendancy.
He admonishes us to see the utility and while supporting our candidates, be civil to other forum posters and remember the second choice of any of us may win — but at least it won’t be a McCain, Romney or Bush as in past years.
That being said, there is a vicious base to the fighting that is a little different and extreme. I go back to “arator” and the Brigadiers so in 16 years I have seen a lot.
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