Posted on 12/01/2002 1:23:55 PM PST by BraveMan
What a long way Free Republic has come! From its birth in 1996 as what began as just a place where hardcore conservatives to post the latest news and analyze it, Free Republic two years later had a significant role in the neutralization of the Clintons - as it became the organizing point for enormous protests ridiculing Bill Clinton over Monicagate everywhere he went in the U.S. early in Monicagate throughout 1998. Some top liberals even blame Freepers for Al Gore's defeat.
Very early in Monicagate, Freepers brought Free Republic out of just being a sort of giant cybercafe for dissidents to talk things over - and made it into a very-effective organizing point for giant protests against liberals and liberalism, like the one in Houston at a Clinton fundraiser that not only like most greeted Clinton with hundreds of dissidents ridiculing him for his adultery and perjury, but even found a fire engine to hang a giant sign on that read "Bill Clinton Is A Four-Alarm Fraud." Freepers in Florida hung a giant sign on a cabin cruiser to float in a strategic position just offshore a fundraiser of his there. And here in North Carolina, about 30 Freepers picketed an Al Gore fundraiser in Raleigh's Volvo district in May 1999 - some dressed as Buddhist monks. The Clintons/Gore Regime just couldn't escape the conservatives from hell.
Other liberals were no luckier. The "Rosiecott" that ended Corporate America's willingness to indulge leftist politics was in large part organized on Free Republic. Freeper-organized boycotts were to Rosie O'Donnell's career what a later gay boycott was to advice-talk radio host Dr. Laura's.
But - just six years after its founding, just four years after the height of its power - Free Republic today is largely a total waste of time. As a reader commented, it isn't accomplishing anything anymore - with the giant protests against liberals formerly organized on it by Freepers over; as he agreed last week, the sole positive things it now does are to provide rapid dissemination of news, even from small-town dailies, to dissidents everywhere - and to guide dissidents to the various dissident newspapers that really are hardcore.
Some social issues are almost unmentionable on Free Republic today. More than one Freeper has griped that posted articles on immigration often just disappear. Other Freepers have been just blacklisted from Free Republic - for offending the sensibilities of founder Jim Robinson or the small clique under him that largely actually runs Free Republic now.
Today, Free Republic is every bit as handicapped as founder Jim Robinson - but by another problem. To all too many Freepers now, anyone calling themselves a Republican is God's brother - and cannot be criticized, no matter how Clintonesque their views on many social issues may be. And to all too many Freepers now, Pres. Bush really is God - uncriticizable, no matter what.
To make Free Republic great again, a number of things have to happen. First, all involved - from ordinary Freepers to "JimBob" himself - have to accept that having an (R) next to one's name doesn't make a politician beyond criticism. Second, all involved must also accept that Pres. Bush isn't God. And then, all Freepers must commit to doing again what made Free Republic great - hounding any politician at odds with Red Nation's masses on social issues; if that means picketing Pres. Bush everywhere he goes if he hints at amnesty for illegal aliens or tacit support of racial quotas, that's what it takes.
Free Republic didn't become great by being a Chinese-style "Democracy Wall" for dissidents to post articles from "mainstream" newspapers to and then discuss them. It can only became great again the same way it originally got great.
Many here are eloquently misguided. I like these. Reminds me of Franklin's comment,
He was naturally more eloquent, had a ready plenty of words, and sometimes, as I thought, bore me down more by his fluency than by the strength of his reason."The very stuff of great sophism! Franklin also said it's easier to convince with flattery than insult. You might next time try painting with prettier language.
Too bad you give us not even that. I've made some damned fine wrong expressions. The least we can have here is something worth listening to. Anything, right or wrong, but make it worth the while.
If you want, I'll give you a pretty phrase on behalf of whatever cause you choose. Give it a try. But you gotta let me know what the hell you're trying to say.
After the election in 2000 FR other than celebrating went into the big snooze.
It woke up long enough for the 2002 elections and promptly went back to sleep.
Read the welcome on the main page. FR is not just about electing republicans.
Instead of party or personalities we should be looking at issues. We sure have enough of them. We should be every bit as vigilant of any laws, programs and executive orders under republicans as we are under democrats. We should be every bit as critical under republicans as we are under democrats.
What FR does best it isn't doing now. All because "or side" won, all is well.
FR needs to wake up. The republicans are in charge and in large part what needs to be done is not getting done. No more excuses. Government continues to grow, more programs are passed into law, the Constitution continues to be trashed.
Where is the voices that spoke so vehemently before 2000?
Sleep well. There will be a rude awakening.
WarHawk42
He/she/it/to whom it may concern doesn't understand anything else,so why would the word "illegal" be a exception?
A handful of former FReepers seemed to feel FR was their private domain. Indeed, they voiced undying devotion to the site until they were asked to ahere to the rules then they couldn't leave fast enough or worse yet challenged or argued the rules didn't or shouldn't apply to them. Some, like Mr Maggio, have the audacity to tell Mr Robinson and the rest of us how we must conduct ourselves. My mother used to say when I had my own home I could run it however I saw fit, but as long as I lived under her roof she ruled. Likewise, several years ago after Willie Nelson bought a golf course a reporter asked him what was par. Willie said, "It's anything I say it is, it's my golf course."
If Mr Maggio or any other disgruntled FReepers want a site without rules and are willing to provide the financial, legal and emotional support required for a successful site then do it. But please don't whine when the lawsuits pile up.
In light of 9-11, I don't think NY owes anyone anything. Y'all have paid the ultimate price.
God Bless you!
My goodness, I didn't realize we were so powerful!
Few other issues pose as much of a threat to this nation.
In light of the fact that some of the terrorist in 911 were here illegally, and more recent events, one of the snipers in the DC area, was also an illegal alien that randomly committed brutal murders against our people, and this continued escalating crisis of the invasion of millions of other illegal aliens, it is for this reason I say the man is no conservative.
His lack of action on this very issue is stunning and extrememly dangerous for every single American citizen.
This I do not say lightly. The fact that our immigration policies were not reformed at midnight on 9-11-01 is beyond belief. What will it take? How many need to be slaughtered? How many more men women and children?
How can we have Homeland Security while the government continues to leave the doors and windows to our house wide open?
FOFLOL.
Are you the new hall monitor?
ROTFLMAO !!!!! Go sic'em girl! LOL
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.