The Conservative Cave
Current Events => The DUmpster => Topic started by: RobJohnson on August 19, 2013, 02:19:39 AM
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I stumbled into this gem of a thread at CU in their b/w forum.... It's huge and Nads of course chimes in and you guessed it...she talks about the ignore function!
TekGryphon (181 posts)
A thank you to Democratic Underground, and a plea.
Last edited Sat Aug 17, 2013, 07:56 PM USA/ET - Edit history (1)
In 2002 I had just turned 18 and was an economic conservative. I was raised in an economically conservative household, which contributed to much of my beliefs, but a lot of it was my own naivety and ignorance at the time. I remember thinking how smart I was because I gathered my news from a wide variety of sources. What a joke, since most of those sources were conservative. I remember thinking how "open box" I was because I read Drudge Report. Hahaha.. oh Lord.
One thing I did like doing was visiting Democratic Underground. Not because I liked you guys, no. I hated you guys. Every time something bad happened to Democrats I remember rushing on here to read and feel smug at the gnashing of teeth.
But somewhere along the line some of the things I was reading here started to sink in. Cracks started forming and grew stronger.
I think what contributed most to those cracks was the respect for history, facts, and statistics of this community. While other conservatives in my social circles conveniently forgot the promises of the Bush Tax Cuts (higher wages, more employment, and lower deficits) I did not, because you guys reminded me. While others forgot about Social Security privatization and what it would have meant in the wake of the sub-prime mortgage collapse, you didn't let me forget. While others bought into the media bubble depiction of the Individual Mandate as a liberal idea, you reminded me of its multiple-decade history among the right. Your commitment to facts, statistics, and history gave me a clear view of how tax cuts for the wealthy motivated behaviors among business owners and CEO's that were contrary to the economic prosperity and economic mobility of this country.
For all of that and so much more, including being awakened to many social issues, I thank you.
There's a problem, though. While the Democratic Underground of those early years was not perfect, and it certainly had its fair share of posters with more enthusiasm than reason, it focused on and celebrated the factual, history-conscious, and reasonable debates. That is not what I see celebrated today.
Seemingly every day I come on DU now, the Greatest threads are singularly focused on various cliques engaged in passive aggressive bickering. Everyone seems to be either a Paulite, Obama-bot, Pony Chaser, etc, etc. I wish had a kept a list over the last couple of years, because it didn't even remotely start with the NSA issue.
I don't know how we can fix this, but I want to leave you with a thought that deeply disturbs me:
Had this been the Democratic Underground I had found when I was a young conservative. I might still be a conservative today.
That scares the shit out of me, and it should scare the shit out of you, too.
nadinbrzezinski (124,938 posts)
5. The community has changed
in scary ways, as you noted, and as to the bickering... well, when you have true liberals (in the classic sense) and true conservatives (again in the classic sense), yes the cliques have formed.
This place is not unlike High School
We have the nerds, who have a respect for stats, charts, history, all that.
We have the jocks, and we have the popular kids, as well as the bullies. And that is just scratching the surface.
And I will be honest, this place is less and less attractive for real discussion. I keep coming for my friends... the rest... that is what ignore is for. And now I have even more of a reason to keep them there.
Oh and I hear ya, you are correct.
nadinbrzezinski (124,938 posts)
17. And you will have even less of those
It's by design I fear.
If ignore did not exist this passive aggressiveness would become open warfare...take my word on this.
nadinbrzezinski (124,938 posts)
61. No, they really are not
at least not in GD, perhaps in a few of the protected forums. The reality is that this place is a shell of what it used to be... it has drifted rightward, and it will continue to be less and less attractive to free thinkers. I come here anymore for friends, not debate or even news.
I also come here any more to post Amber Alerts, and shit like that. DU used to be a place that was making a difference... not any longer. It used to be read by Congressional Staffers, that is happening less and less as well, yup, that comes from a congressional staffer
Take her word.......it's worth reading the whole thread.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10023479213
The thread turns into a huge fight and even RobertEarl shows up.......
RobertEarl (4,109 posts)
76. You are getting there
And you're still young! Good evolution you have mojoing.
So like yeah, man, everything changes, man.
You are reaching a limit on what's new? Heh, been there done that. But when something new does happen, like this old spying story finally getting some press, where is a better place to be than DU?
The economic news? Old.
Politics? Older. And seemingly more corrupt. What can we do about it? Many many stories fly through here, we all go, YUP, and then as Al gore said: Got to clear some space to fit in some more newer outrage. Ya got a solution for those facts?
A bit of advice: Never blame anyone else for your lack of anything. You want something? Make it happen. You want to see DU change? Make it happen. Be the change. You do got your mojo working. Keep it going.
So, what are ya gonna do next?
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LaydeeBug (4,968 posts)
236. There is a lot of BULLYING going on here at DU. It's smug and insidious
and it is BULLYING to be sure
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:bouncy:
1-1/2 bongs. No cops, no bushes, no drunken injuns.
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Proof that reading DU will drive those of weak constitution insane.
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:bouncy:
1-1/2 bongs. No cops, no bushes, no drunken injuns.
It might be a mole.
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It might be a mole.
Even odds.
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It might be a mole.
I love mole'.
Most NorteAmericanos say "chocolate sauce on chicken?" but think bitter chocolate with no sugar and spices instead. Legend has it that chocolate' was the cocoa bean ground into water with strong chili spices (which I have had and really liked [ok, with Tequila as a little spice]).
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I love mole'.
Most NorteAmericanos say "chocolate sauce on chicken?" but think bitter chocolate with no sugar and spices instead. Legend has it that chocolate' was the cocoa bean ground into water with strong chili spices (which I have had and really liked [ok, with Tequila as a little spice]).
Zappaman claims the poster in the OP was previously banned.
Star Member kestrel91316 (46,919 posts)
275. DU has become chock full of people who seem hell bent on destroying
our sense of community. Some of them have very high post counts, too (but have managed to virtually never post anything supportive of Dems or Dem policies).
Sometimes it makes me wonder what is really going on with the site owners. Are we being played?
:lmao:
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:bouncy:
1-1/2 bongs. No cops, no bushes, no drunken injuns.
:cheersmate:
Had this been the Democratic Underground I had found when I was a young conservative. I might still be a conservative today.
What a pantload. Must be a mole.
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Are they talking about pizza ?
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You SOB's leave my mole alone.
Stop.
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You SOB's leave my mole alone.
Stop.
:lmao:
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You SOB's leave my mole alone.
Stop.
My mole is a member in good standing of the DU GBLT posse. It's gonna hit on your mole soooo bad!
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My mole is a member in good standing of the DU GBLT posse. It's gonna hit on your mole soooo bad!
If your mole is a good looking "L"......then she can lick my good looking "L" ...... and we'll sell the porno.
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My mole is a member in good standing of the DU GBLT posse. It's gonna hit on your mole soooo bad!
I sure hope your LGBLT mole isn't holding the bacon.
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If your mole is a good looking "L"......then she can lick my good looking "L" ...... and we'll sell the porno.
Of course it is! I can pass for a hot lesbian at the DU.
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Of course it is! I can pass for a hot lesbian at the DU.
You two should get married... :-)
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You two should get married... :-)
In the Socialist State of DU, same-sex marriage is not encouraged, it's mandatory.
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You SOB's leave my mole alone.
Stop.
:lol:
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In the Socialist State of DU, same-sex marriage is not encouraged, it's mandatory.
:-)