FREE REPUBLIC'S PRAGMATISM: HOPE AND CONSERVATISM DON'T MIX

Ether Zone ^ | 11/26/02 | Paul Fallavollita

[Registered]

yeh, what you said!

[BlackRazor]

The Freepers donate that kind of money because they really are convinced and excited (read: deluded) that they are "piece of the action." [Followed up with lots more reasons (stated as fact) that Freepers donate money]

Hmm... I wonder if the author conducted a survey of Freepers who donate, to find out their reasons for doing so? Or maybe he interviewed several of them for the same purpose? I'll bet neither. It's lazy BS speculation & assumption on his part, passed off as fact. Maybe people just like a forum to get news and have political discussions with like-minded people. But I guess that's not exciting enough to fuel the agenda he's setting up.

[Skooz]

The Freepers donate that kind of money because they really are convinced and excited (read: deluded) that they are "piece of the action." They really believe that their online (and off-line) advocacy and organizing efforts are effecting political change. They like the idea that they are "part of the system" and on the side of a winning majority now that the GOP has re-taken the Senate and Bush sits in the Oval Office.

No, I just enjoy reading things that other Freepers have posted. I also enjoy venting a little and posting myself. I have no delusions that my posts are effecting any "change." That is what my vote is for.

[jjm2111]

I wonder. :)

[Skooz]

Maybe people just like a forum to get news and have political discussions with like-minded people.

It would be my guess that over 90% of us are here for no other reason than that.

[Media Insurgent]

The great thing about the internet is how easy it is to start your own web site. If FR is or is becoming something you don't like, go start up your own site and show the rest of us how it's done.

This article is the equivalent of bursting into the common room a private club and demanding that the members start talking about the subjects and following the agenda that you want them to. The author should stop his whining and start his own club.

[BobFromNJ]

Bump The writer is showing his fear--and we are supposed to
be impressed with his education-- Mostly garbage and
some element of jealousy.

[Miss Marple]

An M.A. in political science from Purdue is like an engineeering degree from Ball State.

[laotzu]

"neo-con newbies who came to the site in the past year..brought many of left's debating tactics with them"

Well said. Thanks.

[bandersnatch]

FR is in a state of decline, been a longtime lurker, not as good as it once was, that is sad.

[Billthedrill]

Oh, good Lord, yet another "FR doesn't go far enough on my pet obsession so it's all a sham" article. One wonders just how long Mr. Scallion, MA, has been out of political diapers, or if perhaps if he's in need of a change.

It must cut Paulie to the core to have people - mirabile dictu! - actually disagree with him on such issues as immigration or, heaven help us, "Zionism," but the fact is that FR isn't a throttle handle on the U.S. political engine, it's a means of communication between people whose takes on those, as on every other issue, must differ. Anyone who posts a message to a thread here is assured of one, and only one, thing - that other people will read it - that is, after all, FR's one, and only one, function.

If Mr. Scallion, MA, wishes to make his political desires manifest there are considerably more effective methods than publishing his screeds on the Internet, and if he wants lockstep concurrence with his opinions on immigration and Israel he is perfectly free to start his own site, whose population, I am sure, will burgeon once the brilliance of his political convictions becomes revealed truth to its population of dozens. In the meantime FR will dodder on, frequented by those of us who are just too uninformed to see the light.

[Cacique]

l8r read bump

[Focault's Pendulum]

No, I just enjoy reading things that other Freepers have posted. I also enjoy venting a little and posting myself. I have no delusions that my posts are effecting any "change." That is what my vote is for.

Concur.

[Skooz]

Post of the Day material, IMHO.

[CatoRenasci]

Egad and little fishes! I've been on FR since before registration was initiated and I don't think I've much worse twaddle posing as a serious post. While the choices made by the moderators are not always the choices I would make, I can't say I have been particularly troubled by them. Most of what's been removed has been real tinfoil hat stuff, the kind of thing that enemies of conservative thought would seize on to embarrass FR or stuff that violates the deal in the Washington ComPost litigation.

[silverdog]

Well done and well said, sir.

[No Left Turn]

Check out his website. It's like walking into a funeral over there. Dour. They also eat their own. I've seen essays written by one writer blasting another writer for not towing his/her orthodoxy. It's a weird place.

[an amused spectator]

Paul obviously follows FR online and offline activity on a cursory level.

Didn't I hallucinate something about a "Sore Loserman" bumper sticker during the 2000 election? The conservatives must have grown that thing in a petri dish, or something. ;-)

[ottersnot]

While many GOP congresscritters would just love if the little people would "go away" some truly care about conservatism
I really agree with that. If the GOP is seen as the tool of the rich and 'powerful' then it will risk being just that,and only that, and elections will not be won. 2002 was an election where the people trusted the GOP on security. Now I'm not saying the GOP is the party of the rich. It is all in the perception and marketing. Marketing has not always been great, nor has leadership. Trent Lott is the prime example. Not the greatest spokesman the party could have chosen. A good man and conservative, but not our best face to put forward. He's just not engaging. Conservatism has a lot to offer everyone and we need to make sure it is seen in it's true light, not through a liberal prism. In my opinion this is why the GOP won this time. President Bush was able to show people that Republicans were more serious about protecting them. The Dems meanwhile kept spouting off about the Economy. People care about the economy, but want to be alive to enjoy it.
Oops, I got carried away there.

[billybudd]

This guy's hit the nail on the head. It's amusing that some here consider FreeRepublic "educational." Well, it's lively and entertaining, even informative, but not too educational.