Friends, several times in the past I've had to post reminders that I won't allow foul language, extremism, xenophobia, calls to violence and suchlike in my comments here. That's one of the reasons I moderate every comment, burdensome though it is to have to revisit that section several times a day to approve or delete reader input.
I've recently seen an upsurge in what I think is "fedposting" - comments that call on us to "shoot police in the face", or attack political operatives who are imposing policies we don't like, or throw out of helicopters anyone in general with whom we disagree. Some of them have been over-the-top foul, too, but most are seemingly just the rantings of people who've had enough, and aren't going to take it any more.
I don't believe this is simply emotion working its way out. I think this is an organized, deliberate effort to "poison the well" for all conservative and middle-of-the-road media, by providing ammunition to declare them "extremist" or "racist" or something like that - in other words, providing justification for the powers that be to shut them down. The same thing appears to be happening across many other social media sites; so many that I can't believe it's coincidental. This is planned.
Friends, I will not, repeat, not tolerate such comments here. I deleted four of them just this morning. This blog will remain a "free speech zone" where anyone is welcome to say anything, provided it doesn't contravene the constitution and laws of the United States or the basic Christian moral code that I observe. Calls to kill political and other opponents are far outside both categories, and won't be published at all. The same goes for comments that denigrate other religions or cultures or political views just because they're different, rather than providing rational, reasoned argument why they may or may not be acceptable in this, or that, or the other society. Ditto for profanity, pornography, spam and the like.
Please, keep it family-friendly if possible, and keep it rational and reasoned, and keep it lawful and ethical. If we all do that, there won't be any problem. If a few don't . . . too bad. My blog, my rules. Start your own blog, where you can do as you please.
Peter
The Left will win because rebellion against tyranny is impolite and illegal.
ReplyDelete" I think this is an organized, deliberate effort to "poison the well" for all conservative and middle-of-the-road media, by providing ammunition to declare them "extremist" or "racist" or something like that - in other words, providing justification for the powers that be to shut them down."
ReplyDeleteAlso, many a court filing -- by the feds -- show that they commonly post stuff like that in hopes of locating low IQ, low-hanging fruit whom they can lure into a "terrorist plot."
I agree with Bear. Sundance at Conservative Treehouse has also noted this.
ReplyDeleteIt might be as a result of something I'm noticing on other discussion boards. You may be right about the paid agitators and Fed bois instigating things, but ALSO there is a lot of pent-up anger right now, and there is no pressure relief valve in our society. These are the things that bad juju is made of, as history has shown.
ReplyDeleteAs much as you may abhor violence and threats of violence, something new and terrifying is slouching toward America. We all feel it, it's no longer 'business as usual.' Something wicked this way comes.
No McChuck.
ReplyDeleteBlogger McChuck said...
The Left will win because rebellion against tyranny is impolite and illegal.
Because we are doing nothing aside from keyboard bashing.
Peter is correct, mouthing off about doing this or that is keyboard masturbation.
If McChuck and company want to get BUSY then go SILENT and Get Busy.
Otherwise perhaps as Peter says "You can start your own blog".
I'm tired of posting a reasoned thought out post (I think I did one a few years ago) and having a slew of off topic comments that are copy and paste to other blogs as well.
ReplyDeleteI come for what you write Peter. Never paid much attention to the comments. (And don’t know why I can’t get logged in to comment.) Keep up the good work.
ReplyDeleteDave S
But I saw the Air Pinochet meme on another S'effrican's blog 15 years ago (rhymes with Du Toit), lol.
ReplyDeleteI tend to agree with Bear too. I'm always amazed how people are so blase about creating "paper" trails that makes it easy to paint themselves into a corner. At an every day level, it's conversations with doctors that go into your EMR, which insurance companies can see, the government can access, etc.
It's ok to feel something in between your ears, but there are certain things that are best discussed in backyards and with strangers at bars. I'm not advocating anything, but people need more self awareness of what they post online, including "anonymous" posts. There is a ton of frustration even on forums focused on sports that I read, but I also know when to stay out of a conversation. Nobody's mind is ever changed based on Internet discussion, so why bother? I can't even convince people not to book through OTAs (Xpedia, Cravelocity, etc.) because it's going to make their lives hell, so why would I think I can convince a bunch of faceless folks of political issue X or Y?
A lawyer friend of mine gave me some great advice one time: never post anything online you would not like to have read against you in a court of law.
DeleteYes, as Amahl said, above, I do believe that in this case you should embrace the power of "AND".
ReplyDeleteI'm confident that the 'professional provocateurs' class of folks are coming by here a lot.
But I am also highly confident that the levels of 'Oh Hell No!' are rising sharply. I myself know people who if, shall we say, the crucifixions were called for tomorrow, would show up with hammers and nails, ready to go to work.
I don't think that this country has seen this level of political, religious, and just general cultural anger, and feelings of both betrayal and active endangerment this high since about 1860 or so.
I'm not saying that this is a good thing. Just that it is a real thing and exists.
We need to work on our humor to try and phytologically survive it, no matter what happens.
The word 'phobia' refers to an IRRATIONAL FEAR of something otherwise more-or-less harmless. If the thing in question is observably, demonstrably, dangerous, it ceases to be irrational, i.e. a 'phobia' and should now be considered 'situational awareness'.
ReplyDeleteI'm not a homophobe. I've long considered a gay pass at me to be a bit of a compliment. Sorry, dude, gonna go home and dance with my wife. I take offense at any displays of public rut. That's not fear, that's distaste and offense at violations of what were once considered generally accepted norms.
I'm not a xenophobe. I have dear friends from all over the world. They're all people, yanno? All three of my brothers married women from other countries (France, Chile, and Bolivia). I do take exception to government policies intended to undermine the culture into which I was born.
This is not 'phobia'. It's not irrational. It's not a 'mostly harmless' thing.
Call it 'Situational Awareness'.
You're not paranoid if they really are out to get you.
DeleteAgree with Bear, and yes, I'm dong the same thing over here... sigh
ReplyDeletePeople haven't "had it" yet, because they aren't doing it.
ReplyDeleteAnd the fedposting is, as usual, the Usual Anonymous Suspects. As always.
But it's myopic to think one side can (or should) unswervingly maintain the ROL unilaterally.
It was 77 "terrorists" on Lexington Common who touched things off last time, and shooting people in the face was suddenly in vogue.
Some tyrants don't learn any other way, and most people realize, generally belatedly, that all their efforts at a peaceful solution were nothing but appeasement, which enervated their allies while emboldening their enemies to push farther and harder.
What can't continue, won't.
Feds are gonna fedpoast; it's all they've got.
But you have the literal brownshirt army and senior political leadership, from the Oval Office on down, already spearheading calls to consider the right half of the country terrorists, kill them, lock them in concentration camps, and re-educate them. The trouble is, all of us know where those boxcars drop off, and we won't be having any of that this time, nor anytime.
The fuse is lit and only getting shorter Peter, and however that saddens you, you're wise enough to recognize it isn't going to grow itself longer over time.
We're already living in what is a total and unmitigated banana republic except admitting in openly and outright. And that minor lack is a pretty thin fig leaf over what's been going on for years, stretching into decades.
The question isn't whether or not things blow up.
It's only down to where and when, and the only thing standing between this moment and that one is random circumstance, and a few pounds of trigger pressure.
Then the ball is open, and the range is hot in both directions.
Pointing those truths out isn't calling for it. It's just reading a thermometer on a boiler headed for an explosion. What's coming isn't rhetoric and philosophy. It's chemistry and physics.
Back before Little Green Footballs went insane, they had the term "Moby" named for the recording "artist" Moby who urged folks to go on conservative sites pretending to be one of them, but post things that made them look bad. It's been going on for a long time.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the (mostly) thankless work of moderating. People like you are the only reason there are *any* worthwhile comboxes left on the internet.
ReplyDeleteThere exists no such thing as the poisoning of the well you describe; what is illegal is thwarting the government's will by any means whatsoever. Since there exists no such thing as a peaceful, lawful discourse which substantively thwarts the growth of government, you can't create such a thing in your comments. You are searching to find the mythical beast of limited government, and the mythical-squared beast of average persons who don't want to steal from weaker persons, but as they are mythical you will not find them.
ReplyDeleteI believe you are correct. There will be an organized government led censorship pogrom in our near future. The "Anti-Sematism" law they're trying to pass (that is an abomination to the 1st Amendment) is the type and style of law they will use.
ReplyDeletePosts will be made by FBI agents, logged, saved/bookmarked for later and then used in court proceedings to stifle dissent.
AMERIKA!! Land of the free!!!
Aesop said: "Pointing those truths out isn't calling for it. It's just reading a thermometer on a boiler headed for an explosion."
ReplyDeleteA national polling organization just released a poll that is alarming to the extreme. They reported that they found over 100 million Americans (I assume real Americans) expect civil war in this country in ten years or less.
Totally with you Peter.
ReplyDeleteYour blog, your rules.
ReplyDeleteBut Aesop is right. He just is.
Gonna guess most of these deleted comments are not by any folks who regularly comment here. One-off, drive-bys.
ReplyDeleteAppreciate your work!
Good For YOU!
ReplyDeleteI'm not saying hurt politicians but gifting them each a pack of rabid honey badgers in recognition of their efforts on behalf of us seems fair.
ReplyDeleteI've not heard of a single leftist ever condemning HRC for her deplorable comment or calls to put Trump voters into re-education camps. None of condemned Biden's actions or whomever is controlling him with the loss of jobs, higher energy prices, criminals from across the border.
ReplyDeleteRemember, these people are more than happy to use state violence against you.
@Bob,
ReplyDeleteThe only thing troubling about that poll, is the respondents' unbridled optimism.
In both directions.
There are a lot of problems with a civil war (which is always anything but that.) But the biggest problem is that too many people learned all the wrong lessons from the last one, to the end that another one is virtually inevitable.