Why I Visit Freep Sites And Why You May Want Join Me.

[DistressedAmerican]

My thoughts since I have been asked why I bother to visit freep sites...

As many of you know, I visit the various freep sites pretty regularly. Many of you have expressed dismay at the idea of going there yourselves because you find them too vile to deal with. I understand that sentiment. I used to share it. But, bear with me.

I started visiting some of these sites after I found out that many of these sites had been regularly reposting DU threads. When I realized it, I had a good long read of a bunch of threads and I will admit I too found them repugnant. However, I saw one obvious pattern, the vast majority of these folks are so worked up that they can not have a rational argument at all. They just go on the attack against anything that was reposted. The majority of these interactions made it quite clear right away where reason lay (with us) and hysterical reactionary paranoia began (with them). More amazingly they simply did not see it at all. Even when explained to them in detail.

Then I started posting (on rare occassions). Each time I did, I watched as a whole freep hive would freak out at the most simple post questioning their basic talking points. It immediately unleashed the largest, most putrid, stream of hostility, racism, and homophobia I had ever seen. It was ugly for me to read. But, think how much more ugly to someone teetering with leaving their ranks (or god forbid joining).

Fortunately, by now I find it far less disturbing watching them act like a bunch of Bushbot stereotypes. Frankly, once you have heard them rant and yell for a very short period of time, it desensitizes you quite rapidly. Every post I see now that advocates violence or spews hate for gays and minorities, I log well for future use. Just wind them up and watch them go. Extremely predictable.

We all know full well how damaging their own words can be to these people's immoral cause, take the recent remarks by Jean Schmidt for one recent example. The more they attack us, the more obvious it is that they really are evil, hate-filled, demagogues. And on the internet, they feel more free to give reign to their inner demons, especially the homophobia and racism that is a bit better hidden by the politicos. By going to these sites, I collect tons of examples of this behavior. I spread these examples as far and wide as I can (without it taking up too much of my time). My favorite folks to show them to are moderates. There is nothing that will turn a moderate away from the right like that side's own hateful and ignorant rantings.

So, if you have a thick skin and you want to help our cause by showing the world what their cause is all about and the kind of folks that back it, visit some of these sites, send copies of some of the comments that stand out to you with links to friends and family, repost them to blogs and your own sites. The more they are read, the more these people and their real motives are exposed. We talk all the time about the spin that they put out. Well, these posts are like kryponite to the more well mannered public message machine. They show what REALLY motivates the folks that vote for the guys doing all of the spinning.

On the otherhand, if you get worked up easily by these kind of folks maybe you should go with that.

Exposing these people to the world outside of their circle is very enlightening indeed. They speak volumes about themselves. We should just be sure that the right people are reading what they are saying. Why should they not be exposed for all to see?

In short, it is not my goal to change the minds of freeps, as noted by many a pointless endeavor. It is my goal to change the minds of non-freeps with the words of those they may or may not ally themselves politically.

BIG NOTE: THIS IS NOT A PLEA TO START FLOODING DU WITH REPOSTS!
JUST MY RATIONALE FOR PERSONAL BEHAVIOR SOME AROUND HERE FIND A BIT UNUSUAL.

[tocqueville]

1. I like the description as "hive"

it makes me think of the "Alien" movies

[IowaGuy]

7. Similar sentiment here....

I was thinkin' of an old Robert Heinlen book...read it when I was a kid, whish I could rememmber the name....help?

[tocqueville]

26. Starship Troopers ?

when the brave cadets go down in the black tunnels full of giant spiders ?

[Catherine Vincent]

2. I wonder if that picture of Bush with that ugly ass face at the door

was posted on FR?

[mrcheerful]

3. I was doing the same thing for awhile.

They got tired of what i was saying and banned me for life, they even went so far as banning my ips on some sites. Be careful of rocking the boat, they have ways to find out where you live.

[proud2BlibKansan]

16. I had one try to infect my computer

with a bunch of spyware. Fortunately I caught him before he did much harm.

You are right, they are vindictive.

[KingFlorez]

4. I lurk, but don't speak

Keep you enemies close. These are dangerous people and with dangerous ideas and we need to know just what they are saying. Their fringe ideas are the new Stalinism.

[Auntie Bush]

5. Nice rant,, good reasoning and makes sense. The only thing is

it means I have to jump in a cesspool just to fling a few gobs of slime on someone to show them what I found. Yuck! But I'm glad you're doing it and I appreciate your telling us what you see/hear. Just as long as I don't have to dirty my "Beautiful self/mind" with that Schit...as in Jean Schmidt.

[DistressedAmerican]

10. You Do Not Really Have To Fling Globs To Set Them Off. Just Show Up.

Lurking yields plenty of opportunities to pass the knowledge along.

[Cerridwen]

6. Opposition research and following "hunches"

I learned about opposition research quite some years ago when I began as a political activist. limbaugh was "new" in those days and I couldn't get through more than 2 minutes of his, er, "entertainment" but I learned that we must know what they're "up to" in order to know where the next attack comes from. I'd rather be more pro-active than re-active but that's not been the case for a while. But I digress.

These days, when I see rw talking points pop up on DU and my bs meter goes off, I check the anti-progressive sites to see if they're discussing the same talking points; usually they are.

It's also, I'm sorry to say, necessary to point out to some people who are less than informed of the history of the progressive movement(s), the rw talking points that have become "common knowledge" and from where those points come.

My little contribution to help some to de-program some of the corporate media's programming these past decades.

Thanks DA for taking up the slack for those of us whose stomachs can't handle one more :puke: ing episode after reading their filth.

:hi:

[theoldman]

8. I have also visited the FR site

and I try to sift out the BS from the real news. I have to admit that they are a nasty bunch. They are so full of hate. At least I know my enemy and I am not surprised at their ignorance.

[NMDemDist2]

13. welcome to DU theoldman!

:hi:

[Crowdance]

9. Howard Zinn, back when I was a student, read conservative journals

and books. I was appalled when I saw his reading stack, and asked him why. He explained that one must know their arguments and thinking if one is to counter them. I agree that, for those not easily depressed, visiting politically backward sites, and drawing them out can be a good thing for progressive politics. And besides that, I love to see them scurry about when you lift the rock and let the light in.

[ohio_liberal]

11. If it weren't for people lurking or engaging at conservative sites

We'd not have seen those strange postings by Jeff Gannon on FR, wouldn't have exposed the aide who was smearing a rival candidate online, etc. I feel very thankful for those who have the stomach to visit those sites.

[USA_1]

12. I have made a similar post here several times before ...

... but could not get anyone to join me on the RealCities sites. I guess that folks here are just too afraid of being lambasted with hate postings and are even more afraid of fighting back against the shit tide that you get on those sites.

I would post the truth and the reich wingers would continually post hatred upon more hatred and ultimately had me banned. If I could have had just a few DU posters on my side we could have stopped all that reich wing bullshit that still runs amok on RealCities.

Well, I did my part.

[suziedemocrat]

14. Not only do I not go to those sites, I have stopped talking to friends and

family who are extremely right wing. It sounds terrible - but I'm much happier. Growing up my best friend was my next door neighbor who was from a born-again family. Our friendship survived so much, decades of her trying to "save" me, etc. But it couldn't survive the 2004 election. I stopped returning calls and cards. I couldn't help but blame her for all the lives being lost needlessly in Iraq, along with all of the other problems associated with Bush. I thought about it, and figured any Bush supporter was not worth being around. I felt guilty for a while, but I find I smile more, laugh more and am more optimistic about the future after a year of avoiding those people.

FWIW - I also avoid the super-extreme left. I'm definitely left of center, but I find the extreme left is almost as angry as the extreme right. I mean - I'm angry about the war too and Cindy is a true hero - but I've been flamed at some left wing sites for some comments I've made that really seemed quite OK to me. Like suggesting everyone have control of their own medical records, and when I said Gore was too "coached". Of course I supported Gore forever, and I still think he (and Kerry) won, but I mean, is it completely against the rules to ever say anything bad about a Democrat?

[TallahasseeGrannie]

28. I agree that extremes are bad for the psyche

and I've seen them here plenty of times, and sometimes I just have to shut the computer and do something else. Hate really bums me out.

I think I probably would not have a "friend" who was that different from me politically, but sometimes you're stuck with family and colleagues. With them, I learn to change the subject.

[suziedemocrat]

31. Thanks. You're right - I shut my trap a lot more at work now too.

My immediate family has the same political beliefs I do, so it's only my extended family that is a problem. When I can't avoid family gatherings, I tend to keep quiet.

This last election really got to me and I couldn't take the heated political discussions anymore. It's not fun to banter back and forth when people are dying.

[Peter Frank]

15. K&R...

I'm a member on the Freeper and Hannity boards. Hi neocons!

There's a wealth of disinformation too be found at such sites. Rush hasn't the pair of prunes to host a board.

[Laelth]

17. Nice point about the mechanism ...

... that stifles dissent. You make a good point that anyone who even dreams of expressing a contrary point of view is regularly reminded that ostracism and ridicule are to be expected by dissenters. This is an effective, if vicious, way of insuring that everyone tows the party line.

Nice catch.

-Laelth

[malta blue]

18. Thanks for the explanation DA

I agree with you, as we have done tag team incursions, but you do have more of a stomach for it than I do. I find myself skimming the posts less frequently than in the past, although the most recent hate-filled tirade was more than enough to get my hackles up.

[DistressedAmerican]

19. Damn! I Missed Your 666th Post!

What a shame.

THE POWER OF CHRIST COMPELLS YOU!
:evilgrin:

[malta blue]

20. yeah - well with this I am in the 700 club

take that!

Oh - and by the way - you've been reposted...

[DistressedAmerican]

21. YEAH!!!!! CONGRATS! Just 300 More To Four Digit Club!

:toast: :bounce: :hi: :loveya: :pals: :headbang: :yourock: :woohoo: :applause:

[malta blue]

22. I doubt I will catch up to you soon enough though

Thanks!
:yourock:

[Peter Frank]

23. DistressedAmerican...

...please check your inbox.

[DistressedAmerican]

24. Done and done. Right Back To You.

Great head's up!

[pinto]

25. To be honest, I still don't get the interest in FR and other fringe sites,

I doubt their influence amounts to much - certainly less then they assume - and the "back and forth" between us and FR has always seemed a little pointless to me. No harm in it at all, mind you (I've read some of the reposts - *shaking head* - here) but for me it never was the reason I came to DU. Y'know? Just my 2 cents.

[Erika]

27. I copied a thread which shows freepers racial prejudice

concerning Katrina victims and showed it to a couple of neighbors who don't even have a computer. They were absolutely shocked about the prejudice and the thought that people would put it out there for the whole world to see.

They said it was a "bigoted hate site". The word is getting out.

[TallahasseeGrannie]

29. I read Malkin a lot

and just today she posted a rant from DU. It was hate-filled and embarassing and I was horrified to find that I personally was in it because I had posted responses a few times. It really makes we kind of wonder if I ought to choose a less identifiable user name, like JacksonvilleHotBabe or something. I'm a teacher and not hard to trace because I always tell the truth here, post my real picture, etc.

I also frequent LGF, Protein Wisdom and Powerline just to keep up with the thought processes over there.

[DistressedAmerican]

30. Malkin Really Has A Thing For DU Right Now.

She is a bit of pitbull. I ought to start paying more attention to her.

Might I suggest "MississippiMama"?
:toast:

[ohio_liberal]

32. She looks like "Oscar" from Shark Tale

Can you see the resemblance?




It's uncanny, I tell ya!

[nashville_brook]

33. wonderful reminder -- K n R

can be good "found" art too.

[Jamison]

34. Malkin's been getting crazier lately for sure.

Maybe she's trying to one-up Coulter on the wing-nut scale.

[XOKCowboy]

35. Taking one for the team...

I say you keep going over there, keep stirring them up and keep reporting "strange Freep behaviour" back here as a heads up for guys like me. I really do like to sometimes go check out the dark side. It's always scary, humorous and informative, all at the same time. Never fails.

[NYCGirl]

36. And some posters here repost FR threads. Double standard?

I'd hope we stay away from them, and they stay away from us.

[DistressedAmerican]

37. I Do Not Get What You Are Saying Here.

What double standard are you referring to?

AND

Why do you hope we stay away from them?

[NYCGirl]

40. You complained that FR reposts our posts, in fact, that's the reason you

post over there, you say.

I've seen lots of FR posts reposted here, too. What's the difference?

As disgusting many of their views are to me, I think they have a right to exist in peace the same way that we do. That's what the First Amendment is all about; it protects the views you hate as well as those you love.

[DistressedAmerican]

41. No, I Noted That Their Reposts Resulted In A Torrent Of Hate And Insults

that could serve as proof of the real motives behind their side's "base". They can repost what they want. I will keep track of the hate that spews forth afterward.

[NYCGirl]

42. Reposts here result in largely the same thing.

Keep track if you feel it helps in any way. Personally, I don't feel it does — it's simple to know their motives just by looking at the Bush administration's actions.

[DemonFighterLives]

38. More power to ya DA

Someone does have to check on them,like a nanny, but I came here to get away from their type of smidt.
The last site I was posting at was taken over by freepers. Any information I posted either went over their heads or was ignored. The same talking points would ensue.
It is not difficult to imagine what they are saying and thinking.
If it helps to bring middle grounders or moderates to the good side, then ok.
The current talking points are "The war is going so good that we can soon bring some of the troops home" - Condi

Black Friday went good and the economy is real healthy. Never mind the few that were trompled by the frenzy.
:donut:

[ComerPerro]

39. Good points