Questions about DU. I could use some feedback

[Goldstein1984]

I'm might be starting to figure this place out. Please let me know if I'm wrong.

Everyone here claims to be united by democratic ideals. There are the mainstream Democratic Party Loyalists, and there are the Progressives, which the Loyalists view similar to the way the Republican Party views the Populist Palinistas. The Progressives are also viewed as socialists by at least some of the Loyalists. Progressives, on the other hand, view the Loyalists as sellouts and corporatists--hardly better than the Republicans.

There is extreme paranoia about "trolls" (infiltrators?) lurking about. I haven't figured out yet whether the insult "teabagger" is meant to label someone as a Right Wing infiltrator or a Left Wing progressive dividing the party.

Like all other groups, some make rational arguments, others make emotional arguments, and some mix them up a bit. The primary form of humor seems to be sarcasm. There are frequent attempts at satire, but they tend to not stray far from the sarcasm approach.

While every DUer would likely reject the tactics used by Republicans during town hall meetings--suppressing freedom of expression--many nevertheless use "unrecs" for exactly that reason.

I'm assuming that the Party Loyalist and Obama Loyalists overlap to a large degree. And I sense some disagreement about whether this is a democratic group or a Democratic Party group.

In spite of all of that, or maybe because of it, some very good exchanges take place. I learn a lot every time I read them.

This is not meant as sarcasm. I'm just trying to understand the dynamics here. Feel free to contact me directly.

[No Passaran]

1. make no mistake about it

this is 80% a democratic group. If we all agreed on everything, we wouldn't be democrats, but Republicans.

[Goldstein1984]

4. I was thinking more than 80%

I think the Republicans have the advantage of more blind loyalty and probably a less educated and more easily manipulated constituency. I'm not talking about the Republican elites, or the Upper Middle Class crowd, I mean the masses who buy into their propaganda.

[bridgit]

9. I've heard that allot here, even from entrenched centuries old inheritor's of colonial rule...

But I think it's an excuse for being inclined nowhere near to agreement on anything or do anything about anything whatsoever including the most important things. We can make light of the opposition with their cohesion & group-think, but it is into that breach they will step and crap on every good intention after which we will be seen wringing our hands all over again

[Goldstein1984]

17. That's true, and

it's because she is stealing away the more sheep-like followers of the Republican Party, I view Sarah Palin as a good thing for Democrats and Independent Progressives. She's splitting the party, and the Republican high-end models are going to find themselves without the votes they need to keep their corporate masters happy.

Obama has to be careful. He campaigned on progressive ideas, and some of what he is doing conflicts with those ideals. The Democratic Party has never had groups like the Chamber of Commerce, the Rotary Clubs, or megachurches to hold it together.

[bbinacan]

2. Rec

Free speech here is sometimes stifled.

[LisaM]

3. It's supposed to be people who identify with the Democratic party

As the party has splintered the last eight or nine years, so has DU. I've been here almost since the beginning.

[Goldstein1984]

7. That wasn't how I read the "About DU" information

In part: "Democratic Underground (DU) was founded...to provide a resource for the exchange and dissemination of liberal and progressive ideas...DU has become one of the premier left-wing websites...We welcome Democrats of all stripes, along with other progressives who will work with us to achieve our shared goals. While the vast majority of our visitors are Democrats, this web site is not affiliated with the Democratic Party, nor do we claim to speak for the party as a whole.:

I certainly identify with democratic ideals, but I became an Independent about ten years ago. Bernie Sanders, also an Independent, is a better democrat than most Democrats, in my opinion.

Thank you for the reply.

[LisaM]

13. That's why I said "identify", not "belong"

there is a difference, that's for sure.

[Goldstein1984]

18. In the ten years I've been Independent

I've never voted Republican, so the difference can be small, too.

[Lisa0825]

5. If you're not sure what a teabagger is, I am not sure about you. nt

[Goldstein1984]

8. I know what a teabagger is, but

I was wondering if DUers extended the definition to include dissenters in the Democratic Party. It's always been my view that, in a democratic republic born in an act of dissent, there can be nothing more American than dissent. It was one of the hallmarks of the Bush/Cheney Era, as well as the McCarthy Era, that dissent was equated with treason.

Again, I know what a teabagger is. I'm just wondering if some DUers have extended the definition.

[leftstreet]

6. I only come here when I'm drunk and usually just to meet women n/t

[Goldstein1984]

10. How's that going for you?

So, for you DU is like C Street or a quick trip to Argentina?

[Texasgal]

12. It's more like the Appalachian trail

:)

[leftstreet]

14. lolz

:)

(I'd already completely forgotten about the Argentina thing! Politicians and the M$M are the gifts that keep on giving.)

[bridgit]

11. Seems to me you're reading it just fine

:kick:

[EmeraldCityGrl]

15. I love your posts.

Hope you stick around.:toast:

[Goldstein1984]

19. DUers are good people.

I'm glad I found DU.

[anarch]

16. I am a left wing weirdo

but I share the progressive ideals that I find in a great many of the posts here. And I will continue to vote Democratic unless and until there's a better option, so there's that. But I'm definitely more into democracy itself than to the Democratic Party specifically, if you catch my drift.

[Goldstein1984]

21. I do catch your drift

I distinguish between criticism and voting. I also consider it very loyal to tell someone when they are off track.

I'm really unhappy with some of the decisions Obama had made, especially regarding Afghanistan, but unless there's such a thing as a Left Wing Republican, people with democratic ideals need to stick together during elections, regardless of how the bicker and disagree in between.

[aikoaiko]

20. IMO, DU is a "Democratic Party group" with "some very good exchanges"

Sure, there is conflict. You can't have intelligent, passionate people in a group and NOT have conflict.

[Goldstein1984]

22. There should be conflict

I just wish more people would see conflict as an opportunity.

[grantcart]

23. And then there is the Epistomologically Challenged Procrastinating Loyalist Progressive group

ie. Cliffordu

[cliffordu]

27. You don't talk good, pusbucket.

[grantcart]

30. Thats "Mother Pus Bucket, Man"

[cliffordu]

32. Man, you got hairy arms.....

:rofl: :bounce:
:rofl: :bounce:
:rofl: :bounce:
:rofl: :bounce:
:rofl: :bounce:
:rofl: :bounce:
:rofl: :bounce:

[muriel_volestrangler]

24. You've got it wrong about unrecs

The Greatest page is not the main part of DU; a non-appearance, or a lower appearance, there by a thread is not 'suppressing freedom of expression'. All threads drop off there after 24 hours, after all - it's a "if you're in a hurry, or new to DU, here's what DUers like best today" page. Saying "I don't like this" is not suppressing it. Realising that is a fundamental part of not just DU, but of life in a free democracy.

[Bonn1997]

26. That assumes that there is a correlation between whether a thread is worth reading and its rec total

I actually think many of the best threads have negative ratings and many threads with positive ratings are useless.

[muriel_volestrangler]

29. It's all very subjective, so, yes

It's only really a rough guide to what DUers feel like at the moment. When it was just recs, it was "someone, somewhere on DU likes this"; now it's "more people like this than dislike it". I imagine most of us have opinins and tastes that diverge from the DU average quite a bit of the time on some subjects.

[Bonn1997]

35. Fair points. I can't disagree with them. The reason I disagreed in the previous post is that

I have some views that are not mainstream here and I believe that posts that make people a little uncomfortable (i.e., challenge their views) usually have a net negative rec total but are still worthwhile threads.

[xiamiam]

25. i came here immediately after the 2004 election was stolen

msm was on lockdown and no one even whispered anything close to truth on the airwaves...this place was amazing in those days...an information clearinghouse times 10..and then someone would post a link to every congressman in the country and we would coordinate and be actively trying to move mountains...a little more united then because it was clear who was not 'us'...i was traveling during katrina and had little access to tv...but everything was here including someone blogging out of his apt in the thick of it...

i've responded to your posts before that i believe du is a place to get information...you can follow a link wherever and return fairly well informed and ready to do battle with the repub in your office or my republican aunt, for example

the unrec thread is relatively new and i loathe and am suspicious of its intent..i am a registered democrat so that i can vote in the primaries..the truth is the candidate i would like never stands a chance by the time we even get there...usually..

i like people like kucinich, feingold, grayson..and would vote for them if they were in a third party..so i guess i couldnt be called a party loyalist, but i have ideals which few actually meet..i had hope for obama ..but i'm getting over it

i am product of the 60's..anti-war, non-violence, anti-gun, anti-stupid..yet, the biggest and most hurtful lesson that i learned in the past 8 years is that basically americans just dont get it..or care to...came as quite a shock..we are a manipulated culture whose rich and powerful, young and beautiful, are given celebrity status even if there is nothing between their ears or within their heart... we just love the celebrity culture that is shoved down our throats..sarah palin is a perfect example..alas, we live here..its difficult to take us seriously at times...a better educational system for everyone would be a good start

i miss some of the people who left here..or became frustrated..when it gets too goofy or divisive now, i just try to find somewhere else to get info or vent..i guess a good rant is also a service du provides to soothe our individual frustrations

its a good place...i dont have anyone on ignore..but i dont read everyones posts..i like your energy however...hope you stick around for a while

[Festivito]

28. Very good. However, some notes.

United by Dem ideas more so than ideals.

The loyalists, I figure, have jobs in the administration at this point. Otherwise they'd be like the rest of us cats being herded, that is: not herded at all.

There are trolls. They come in a few varieties. Some hide well hoping to divide us, or confuse us, or distract us. Later, they may even out themselves. The last one found out that I recall is OPERATIONMINDCRIME. Did not break the rules, just made obtuse and slightly distracting posts as I recall. I did not pay attention to the content that one made after a while.

Some cannot talk among us and they get tombstoned quickly after rapidly making a hundred posts in less than an hour or so. Some go to the Lounge to rack up 1000 posts so they look like long-time DUers.

Dismiss it if you must. There are articles that describe that Republicans do offer money to some keyboard warriors. More during election time I figure. Also, then dismiss them unrec'ng posts and say it is other factions of DUers. You're choice.

In my personal paranoia I imagine that they get some people to post outlandish conspiracies in order to hide real conspiracies. (The US does have laws against conspiracy, so I'd think there must be at least some real conspiracies. If not, well, that makes those laws look pretty silly. And the people we've put in jail for it! Oh my gosh.) Oh, I also think they've put in some crazies into special groups: guns, gays, Christians, Atheists, ... definitely into the 9/11 dungeon. DON'T GO THERE!!!11!!

Sarcasm! What could you possibly mean?

Have fun and hopefully a thick skin. Always ask for links. Be sure to check those links as well. (Many used to post prose and link, only upon checking, they did not match. Hmmm.) Be careful out there. There's a lot, a lot lot lot lot lot of money involved in politics.

[The Straight Story]

31. I think many will unrec because they don't like the poster

Which is fine with me, cause if I wanted to win a popularity contest I would not bother posting :)

[HughMoran]

33. Minor correction

Many of the Progressives here are unabashed socialists who also post on socialist sites. Some include links to said socialist site in their signature (I can't say more without breaking the rules.)

[omega minimo]

34. wtf are you talking about?

[Dr Fate]

36. Great handle!

Seems like you got us all nailed- what else is there to say?

I hope you stay here at DU!