Do we harbor as much ire and vitriol?

[Loonman]

Do we harbor as much anger and hatred of conservatives as they do us?

I visit Freerepublic frequently to see what the far-right is thinking and doing to better understand the personality type, and the comments and articles make my blood boil, but afterwords, I come here, or go to another site, and just dismiss the freeps as deluded, hateful people of little consequence in the grand scheme of things.

I think these people constantly obsess about Ann Coulter, the Clintons, those "Evil Liberals" so much it has twisted their minds and left them utterly devoid of compassion for their fellow humans.

They would see us dead and clap when we are in the gutter bleeding. They would physically assault us over the mere sighting of a bumpersticker. They would sabotage the careers of our elected officials and spokespeople with fabricated "evidence". They would institute a one-party system where debate is verboten. They would see even loyal opposition as treasonous and a reason for incarceration. They would run roughshod over the world in their thirst for conquest and personal validation.

Now I admit, if I saw a dog and a freeper in front of my car, Im pretty sure who I would avoid, but personal feelings aside, are we that bad?

[carrowsboy]

1. no

I think they are far more funny and ridiculous. Whereas they preach violence and intimidation against us, we just turn the other cheek.

[trotsky]

2. And it just keeps getting worse.

I've heard it brought up recently that because liberals "hate America" there is no use in debating us, because we have such a radically different view. Perfect justification for one-party rule, no?

Gosh, I thought that was called difference of opinion, and it's kind of why we are a nation today.

But you're right, they positively obsess about hating everything associated with politics left of Mussolini. It can't be healthy.

[Bunny]

3. The thing that I don't understand

is that they ARE in control of all three branches of the government already. And yet they are STILL bitching, complaining, and de-personalizing liberals as if it's a battle to the bitter death. (and maybe to them it is). But they've got ALL the control and they're still not content. What will it take? I'm afraid to find out.

[Liberal Veteran]

4. This message from FR pretty much sums up our differences...

------------------------------------------------------------------
Oh yes, community colleges. The last time I set foot on a community campus I had to leave ten minutes later or I would have puked. Everywhere you looked there were signs up proclaiming the wonders of "diversity" and "tolerance" and "multiculturalism" and "gay studies" and "privilege studies" and on and on and on and on and on until you want to scream. The people walking around the campus looked like rejects from a nightmare, mixed in with what looked like extras from "Night of the Living Dead".

What a bunch of hooey. Yes, go to community college, and get nonstop hate propaganda spewed in your face because of your hideous crime of being a white male.

I would rather get a root canal than set foot on a college campus nowadays. Colleges are for propagandists and Bolsheviks, not for people who want to learn something useful.
---------------------------------------------------------------------


Need I say more?

[cherryperry]

11. Whaaaaaaa?

Am I missing something here?

[Liberal Veteran]

13. It's a message from a thread I read on free republic yesterday....

As you can see in the message, the poster is an example of what I call "white male fear" that seems to drive much of the right wing. I think deep down inside they know that straight white males have historically had it pretty good in this country and cannot stand the idea that a diverse population will knock them off their pedestal.

[WoodrowFan]

5. Some Are

There are some here who are as bad, but it seems to be a minority here. It seems to be the majority mode at Freeperland. Maybe that's the difference between liberal acceptance of difference and RW fear of it, but I suspect the tone is also set by those who moderate each board. The moderators here work to keep the tone civil. (I got a friendly warning recently because the moderator thought another Duer and I MIGHT start flaming each other.) At FR, the hateful tone is set by its founder who engages in Coulterisque language himself.

Having said that I have noticed that there are posters who denigrate anyone they disagree with as a "freeper", or even a "CIA Agent" (GASP) and who see any misfortune in the world as the result of a RW plot (ie, the thread on the pickup hitting the Dixie Chick's tour bus at 4 am in which so many people automatically assumed it was a freeper attack. HELLOOO, 4 am! Can you say sleepy drunk on a cell phone!)

[TahitiNut]

6. Dehumanization of the 'enemy'

... is a preliminary step in being able to kill him.

Every war or genocide in history is accompanied by dehumanizing collective epithets, whether it be 'Japs,' 'savages,' 'Krauts,' 'Jews,' 'rebels,' 'Papists,' 'ragheads.' or 'slopes,' the rhetoric psychologically prepares people to kill other people.

[The Backlash Cometh]

7. Hate v. apathy.

Hate would be the incorrect word. All things being equal, apathy would be better. However, where their politics collide with my personal interests and concerns, I do feel motivated to react decisively. So "self-defense" would be a more apt description.

[TahitiNut]

8. Empathy, apathy, antipathy.

:shrug:

[sweetheart]

9. Freepers are like the Khmer Rouge

After they kill all the people who can whip them in a real argument, they're a bunch of stupid criminal thugs. That is why they can't play on this website, not because they disagree, but because they can't win an argument by their methods of intimidation online in a fair fight.

The neocon criminals arn't funny, they're pathetic... best ignore them... i NEVER go to free republic... if i want ignorance, there is enough about.

Why empower them by even giving them a moment's airtime in our precious space. If any one of them is really prepared to discuss intelligently, they can always come visit and we can let the best mind win.

The gauntlet is down, if you are a neocon troll, make a sound argument without lies threats or unsubstantiated religion.... silence... indeed. They are scum, and that is the same reason why we don't have pond scum on this forum... it does not have brain cells.

[Loonman]

15. Exactly, I have had discussions

I have had good discussions with conservatives(not the neo-con variety) where we agree on some points and not on others and never once do we call each other communists or Nazis.

[bryant69]

10. In a general sense

I think we reserve our hatred and vitriol for Others in our own camp who don't have exactly the right opinion. Having spent time on both conservative and liberal boards, it seems fair to me that Conservatives complain about liberals, and Liberals complain about other liberals.

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[cherryperry]

12. No.

One paragraph in your message is: "I think these people constantly obsess about Ann Coulter, the Clintons, those "Evil Liberals" so much it has twisted their minds and left them utterly devoid of compassion for their fellow humans."

In order to be a conservative, which I believe to be a misguided term they have taken over, it seems impossible for them to have any compassion. It appears that their beliefs are born of fear which is masked in hatred and that is very scary!

[blondeatlast]

14. Only towards each other!

From a fellow Siouxsie fan . . .