[Rigsby]

(06-24-2017 08:41 AM)Handsome Creepy Eel Wrote:  

Quote:

(and are backed by a good number of members in doing so – 12 likes, guys? Really? This is what you want to co-sign?)

Who made you the morality police all of a sudden? What business of yours is it who liked what and how do you even dare to assume that just because someone liked a post they automatically agree with it?

You're neither a moderator nor a judge, so spare us your sanctimonious "I'm watching everyone for signs of thoughtcrime" bullshit.

HCE, I understand your outrage.

I've noticed on many occasions you liking a post from one fellow, then liking the next post from another fellow who he seemed to be in combat with.

There are many reasons to like a post:

1: You may agree whole-heartedly with someone.
2: You may disagree strongly (and want to be ironic sometimes).
3: You may agree or disagree, but you want to egg the fellow on.
4: You may want to encourage them to elucidate on their viewpoint.
5: You may want them to shut up, and 'Like' is a slap around their head.
6: You may think they are losing, but want to show support, even if you disagree.
7: You may think they are out of control and want to push them over the edge to oblivion.
8: You may just respect the fact they have stuck to their guns, are very obviously wrong, but still labour their argument.
9: You may see they have lost their argument, but still will not give it up and fight it to the death.
10. You may see that they have talked utter crap for the whole debate, but finally make a good point worthy of note.

Off the top of my head.

Yes, we note who likes what, when and where. A post unliked is worth ten liked, to the trained eye, in context. But who's counting?

It's sort of the first rule of Like Club - you don't talk about it.

Having said all that HCE, I've never seen you like particularly arsehole posts. You are a kind of detached voice of reason. A like from HCE is always worthy of note. It may just mean that you are doing well and it is a nice pat on the back, but it can also mean 'wind your neck in', just as much. It is for the viewer to have discretion.

.........

On another note. I wanted us all to have the great race debate. This forum was the main candidate for that argument in fact. But I see now that this can not take place within our lifetimes. Too many people are not ready for it. And I'm not specifically talking about this thread or this forum or even specific posters. Just generally. The world is not ready.

We tried. I believe we had good hearts. But we are on a collision course of a slow leaning slope into nothingness, and a hyped up super-resentment of vested interests. It's a heady mixture.

A few of us know the game. I know a good few of my RVF brothers know it too. Black and White and Yellow and Green!

So many appeals to so many things.

First they came for racism then they came for homophobia. Or is that, first they came for homophobia, then they came for racism? Does it matter?

I've seen some extremely worrying developments lately on some last bastions of 'free speech' forums. They are clamping down. This is not the world we lived in last week. A few of you might notice. I know a few of you do.

I believe this forum to be an exceptional forum, with exceptional men. There may still be hope, I don't know. But external influences are at play.

I just got a warning for racist and homophobic content on another forum that is about as racist and as homophobic as you can get. Me and a thousand others. They made no differentiation, other than to say 'you have been marked - do not mention ze war, yah?'.

I know that there are a couple of 'drivers' there. They are deliberately provocative in the homosexual field - taunting people for a reaction. And others are deliberately provocative in the race field - ditto.

As such they have now shut down all debate. Free speech is dying in front of my very eyes. And it wasn't anything I said.

Things will speed up from here. This is not a battle we will win. Not being defeatist. I've been saying this for a while, and I was right all along.

On the bright side? Well, there isn't going to be much point of being on the net in the next few years time.

I'm dropping out of this debate now. One that I have partaken in for the last few decades. I never did get to say my piece here. Oh well. No loss.

We will retreat in to our shells, and we will draw lines.

And the devil may care...