I am proud to report

[frogcycle]

I was doing research for my tribute website this morning and followed a link that led me to (gasp) freerepublic.com

I'd never been there before. I read a couple of things. uggghh


BUT - someone had posted about the fact that a LOT of top brass were on the helicopter that went down last weekend. Several chiming in to object to the fact they were all on one chopper, in a hostile area.

So I signed up for an account, and posted a response. It went something like this:

"I have been biting my tongue, but I just have to say it. Our brave people in uniform are being put in harms way by incompetants. Someone is calling the shots who does not have the military skill to do so."


My post was deleted and my brand-new account was banned.

So much for open discourse.
Big Brother doesn't like criticism.

Its just dandy to have a bunch of drooling lobotomized hulks chanting "kill gooks", "more war", but let someone even suggest that it is not being done in stellar fashion (I did NOT suggest in any way we should not be there) and Big Brother "disappears" them.

shoot, my IP address is probably already in an FBI file.

[cynatnite]

1. You have to be like Colbert...

:evilgrin:

[Lucky Luciano]

11. I posted in a Colbert-esque style there almost three years

ago and I was instantly banned before I could get a second post in. I found DU a couple weeks later...

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1122901/posts

The post for those offended at being on that site:

"ZOT! I want to thank people like everyone here at FR for their support in Iraq.


Posted on 04/22/2004 9:48:54 PM PDT by LuciferHimself


Well it has been a tough year since hostilities began in Iraq, but it has been a successful one. The perseverence of the American soldier is ever present and I can say that I am absolutely proud to be an American. The American people thank you, most of the Iraqi people thank you (as opposed to what those crazy liberal media people would have you believe), and most importantly, my friends and family thank you.

As a member of the Bechtel family, we find that the war has been handled exceptionally well. We see it everyday from up here in the Bay area; our employees and the US soldiers doing an honorable duty for their country. We found it very convenient that through our connections and partners in Washington, we could arrange this war and more importantly, the profitable reconstruction contracts. We could never have done this without the support of people like you. We appreciate the fact that you have helped us to stifle the annoying words of the doubters and the whiners. It has been an incredibly profitable year for us as we forge ahead with our contracts in Iraq. We appreciate the fact that you have given us carte blanche use of the US soldiers to set up our contracts. We don't like to actually go into battle ourselves, but we don't mind if we have others do our battles for us, especially if they come from a poor background. We do appreciate their help. I don't know why the liberal whiners complain. Some people just don't understand freedom the way people on this message board do. Either way, though, the world will be much better off with fewer of those brown people anyway. Our Nintendo pilots are getting excellent training targeting those dirty and smelly brown people.

Not to belabor the point, but I just wanted to thank everyone here again and god bless America!

My country 'tis of me, sweet land of liberty..."

[blue cat]

2. I was banned long ago after a few posts

from that site.

[Sailor for Warner]

3. People in glass houses....

We do it too you know, they dont want to talk with Progressives and we dont want to talk with freepers, seriously, I cant belive you are complaining about this...

[hippiechick]

:thumbsup: Well said.

[frogcycle]

6. not complaining

just stating the facts.

unfortunately I didn't save the exact text of what I posted, but believe me, if it had been a mirror-image sentiment posted here, it would have stayed around and i might have been flamed. I commended the troops, made no suggestion that the war was in any way inappropriate - just chimed in in response to someone already questioning all those top brass on one chopper suggesting perhaps it was not the military being stupid, but maybe someone higher. Oh, yeah, I remember now - I added the comment "it happened in VN and it's happening now"

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

12. I got banned after a first post that didn't even have any text, just a link to a

Boston Globe article about Kerry's military service (which was a very good article by the way, and did not in my opinion glorify him in any particular way) in response to ignorant knuckle dragging comments about his service.

Immediately banned and post deleted.

So, posting anything that might be construed as criticism of Bush will certainly get you banned. If you'd been there for years and had thousands of posts, you might get a LITTLE more leeway, but not as a first post.

[EstimatedProphet]

22. No we don't

We will ban someone who is clearly here to disrupt, but look at what the OP was really saying - the military doesn't get the respect they should, and is being used. That's not a disruptive statement, and really should garner some respect from a site that claims to be so pro-military.

He proves that their not pro-military, they're pro-fantasy military. They see the military as a big game of GI Joe. The army in their minds is full of war-loving superheroes that really don't mind being killed and enjoy killing the enemy because the enemy are all monsters.

[JCastillon]

4. What is the purpose of banning you?

I don't get it. They would be better off not banning you so you could at least listen to some of their arguments. You would probably need to ignore a lot of it, but even there, like here, there probably is some content that both parties would agree to.

[Sailor for Warner]

5. You can still read if you are not a member n/t

[SammyWinstonJack]

20. But why would one want too?

:puke:

[frogcycle]

9. to shut me up

[cynatnite]

13. Difference of opinion is foreign to them n/t

[JCastillon]

15. Stupid Question

What does n/t stand for?

[Lucky Luciano]

16. n/t means no text outside the subject. nt

[cynatnite]

17. dupe n/t

[Sailor for Warner]

27. I have never seen a conservative last more than 5 posts

on here

[Warpy]

7. Forget about open discourse either there or here

although they're a lot quicker on the trigger than the DU mods are.

This is a great site for most of us because it's closed to ranters, screamers, Limbots, religious lunatics, and the rest of the freak parade on the right.

Anybody who wants truly open discourse needs to check the Yahoo boards. That'll larn 'em.

[madokie]

8. prolly

[mcscajun]

10. Your big mistake:

You didn't make enough spelling and grammar mistakes in your one and only post.

:rofl:

[Unperson]

14. Freepers are all inbred.

[JCastillon]

18. Does calling people names help? n/t

[cynatnite]

19. My pet name for them is freeptard...

Their vile rhetoric and willful ignorance is why they deserve the name calling. My mother is what I call a RW nutjob and she is a bush supporter to the max, but she would never act like the freeptards. They are a step away from humanity.

[JCastillon]

23. I don't think it solves anything. Probably hurts the party.

Name calling just doesn't win a debate, if anything it probably turns people off (on both sides). You may feel better, but whatever cause you are standing up for takes a back seat to your personal vendetta.

[cynatnite]

24. I'm not interested in debating freeptards at free republic...

How that hurts the dem party is beyond my understanding. Reasonable people, yes, I'll debate. Those people are NOT a part of free republic. If you want to defend freeptards who support a criminal regime, go for it. You won't make many friends here.

[JCastillon]

26. You will turn reasonable people off - thats my point. n/t

[cynatnite]

28. Freeptards are NOT reasonable...that's my point...

Freeptards are bushbots who think the only right opinion is theirs. All others are unpatriotic. Go check out free republic and see for yourself. Even members of that twisted little group have been banned for daring to even question the leader. Dissent and disagreement is not acceptable to them.

[JCastillon]

32. Last Reply - Promise

We will probably need to agree to disagree on this one.

The people who will invariably decide who will lead this country in 2008 will not be the 'freeptards.' The people in the middle, moderate democrats, independents, will in my opinion be the group that ultimately decides this next presidential election. When this 'middle' group is looking for information they will most likely ignore groups such as the 'freeptards' and they will also ignore groups that put name calling first and respectible debate second. Name calling will not help.

My brother is a middle of the road kinda guy. Very independent. He likes McCain right now. I don't like McCain. If when I talk to my brother about who I think should lead this country I will not get very far if the only argument I have is calling McCain names. He will look at me and then ask, "And...?"

[cynatnite]

34. Uh...I think you're misunderstanding here...

This discussion wasn't about who is going to lead the country. The point is, you can't debate with freeptards. There is no room for discussion at all. Their way is the only right way.

My mother is a major bush supporter and a fundie. Even though she's got her head stuck in the sand about bush, she's still a reasonable person on a lot of matters. No way would I put her with that group.

The focus of this discussion is about free republic and those who frequent it. You don't like the name I use for them. That's fine.

You may be happier there since you're so intent on defending them for their racist, violent and intolerant ways.

on edit: I'll be happy to provide some examples. Although, my computer will require disinfectant afterward.

[EstimatedProphet]

21. You're not dealing with humans, so you can't expect the to act like humans

Freepers are genetic flubs. And they prove it every time they say something. And every time someone says something to them.

[Sailor for Warner]

25. And I am sure that

calling them RAPEublicans puts us a step above the rest.

[EstimatedProphet]

29. Who called them that?

Namecalling is a minor issue on both sides. What is IMO serious is the violent macho talk that freepers are famous for, like talking about how they want to see all liberals dead, etc.

[Sailor for Warner]

30. That was just the most recent example that pissed me off

And I agree that talk is less "macho" talk but DU has its share of gross generalities and intellectual snobbery.

[EstimatedProphet]

31. We can be, yes

But, I don't think you can find a group that demands lockstep thinking and official soundbites than freepers. They are very much Stalinist. We're a pale comparison at best.

[frogcycle]

33. update

so my account has been unblocked - i logged in and browsed around, did a "search", confirmed I was re-enabled as a user.

i guess they have short attention spans - only made me go to my room for like five minutes, then forgot that I'd been bad.

But here's the best part - not just my comment, but the entire thread has disappeared. So maybe it was not just me, but also the freepers themselves questioning all the brass on one chopper that set off the thought police.

my posting ability is still blocked tho