I HEREBY STEP DOWN FOR NOW

[Dr Moore]

"What good is a Libertarian utopia if no one wants to live there?"
--Dr. Shades, 11-26-2021

(This potentiality is being discussed in multiple threads, so to save time I'm just going to start this new thread and post it once.)

The writing is on the wall, methinks. It looks like the calls for me to step down and let my moderators take over--unleash them?--has reached critical mass. Therefore, I hereby step down as chief moderator and release them from any obligation to be clones of me. I hereby give them free rein to moderate as they see fit. Hell, I hereby even grant them permission to change the rules if they want (with the exception of Universal Rule #12, which is exempt from alteration).

I'll take back over if a critical mass of people call for it or if it becomes necessary for whatever reason. In the meantime, I reserve the right to post as a civilian.

But for now, with this action, let no one say I refused to grant unto you according to your desires.

Shades - sending best wishes and a note that I, for one, greatly appreciate your management and moderation efforts.

[Kishkumen]

so cockroaches 🪳 is the word that deserves banning someone not racist, White supremacist, or nazi? You really crack me up, seriously.

Indeed. Go think about that a little while. Given the way that the name cockroach dehumanizes someone else similar to how Nazis dehumanized Jews by calling them "vermin," it should be clear to you why your rhetoric is both very disturbing and unacceptable.

Also, if you choose to behave as historical Nazis did, then calling you a Nazi would not be a misuse of the term.

[Atlanticmike]

so cockroaches 🪳 is the word that deserves banning someone not racist, White supremacist, or nazi? You really crack me up, seriously.

Indeed. Go think about that a little while. Given the way that the name cockroach dehumanizes someone else similar to how Nazis dehumanized Jews by calling them "vermin," it should be clear to you why your rhetoric is both very disturbing and unacceptable.

If you were actually worried about not dehumanizing other posters, you wouldn’t call another board member a troll or a sock puppet. See how that works?

[Kishkumen]

If you were actually worried about not dehumanizing other posters, you wouldn’t call another board member a troll or a sock puppet. See how that works?

Troll and sock puppet are not terms historically associated with genocide. See how that works?

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archi ... ce/587041/

The radio station RTLM, allied with leaders of the government, had been inciting Hutus against the Tutsi minority, repeatedly describing the latter as inyenzi, or “cockroaches,” and as inzoka, or “snakes.” The station, unfortunately, had many listeners.

By the way, it is wrong whenever anyone does it:

https://www.ajc.com/blog/politics/georg ... LVC8hk09H/

"You know what a cockroach does when it gets on its back – it kicks a lot," she said, describing the GOP effort to pass conservative legislation. "The cockroach is on its back."

That sparked immediate outcry from Republicans who assailed her for referring to political opponents as bugs, including some politicians and party leaders who demanded that she step down.

[Chap]

Despite all the smilies and pseudo-bonhomie, MG from time to time makes it rather obvious that he is not entirely a nice person.

I think his contributions to this thread need to be read in that light.

I think people exaggerate the ill will of MG. At the very least, I am glad he does not come in here calling people he disagrees with "cockroaches" in the way Atlanticmike does. That kind of hate speech is probably worthy of banning in itself.

I chose my words carefully. But I think that behind the often rather saccharine front there is quite a lot of anger and aggression, and it sometimes shows. However, he is certainly no AtlanticMike.

[MG 2.0]

Despite all the smilies and pseudo-bonhomie, MG from time to time makes it rather obvious that he is not entirely a nice person.

I think his contributions to this thread need to be read in that light.

I would be the first one to admit that I am “not entirely a nice person”. In my experience I haven’t met ANYONE who is. We all have faults, we all express grievances from time to time, we all have tempers that can flair if we’re not careful and TOTALLY self disciplined.

But I try. Yes, Grindael and I had our differences. Insurmountable differences. We butted heads more than once. He gave and I took. At times I was not as disciplined as I could have been and was uncivil. It went both ways. But I publicly acknowledged the fact, at least once…possibly more…that he was good at what he did. I too was surprised and disheartened to hear he had passed away. But as others have said, he was a tough cookie and may have had reasons of his own for exiting this forum. If indeed, I played a part in the sense that I wore him down, etc., I feel bad about that. He dished it, I took it. At times I dished it and he took it. That’s the nature of an argument/disagreement. And we were disagreeing about things that were IMPORTANT. That is, the restoration narrative and whether Joseph Smith was called of God, etc.

Feelings were going to get in the way of level headed conversation at times.

Anyway, I think Shades and the moderators did what they felt they had to do in this instance and I was put out to pasture for a while. I believed it to be unfair at the time for multiple reasons, but I bowed to the decision Shades made without a whole lot, if any, fanfare. At least that I can remember.

Where Shades is backing off now as a result of a vocal few (and my experience is that a vocal few seem to have a lot of influence) I am concerned that this place will become even more of an echo chamber, if that’s even possible.

My opinion. Anyway, I hope it all works out so that ALL voices are heard and respected. That hasn’t been my experience, but who knows, things can always change. Or not.

The vocal few that have set themselves up to be arbitrators of what is right and true DO rule the roost at the end of the day. That seems to be the natural course of things not only here but in other places/venues that could be mentioned. It’s the human condition. And we have to deal with it the best we can. Hopefully in a fair and balanced manner.

Regards,
MG

[Kishkumen]

I chose my words carefully. But I think that behind the often rather saccharine front there is quite a lot of anger and aggression, and it sometimes shows. However, he is certainly no AtlanticMike.

I see that MG is not infrequently frustrated and angry. I am sure it comes with the territory, in that he has chosen to endure in an environment where disregard for his cherished beliefs is the norm. It has to be tough, and I doubt I would deal with it the way he does, but I am glad he is no Atlanticmike.

[MG 2.0]

Lem is still here, I would contend, albeit under another moniker.

That’s what I thought. Although I’m flummoxed as to why she would choose to use a male moniker. That’s kinda weird.

If, that is, my suspicions are correct. But I could be wrong.

Regards,
MG

[Chap]

Where Shades is backing off as a result of a vocal few (and my experience is that a vocal few seem to have a lot of influence) I am concerned that this place will become even more of an echo chamber, if that’s even possible.

My opinion. Anyway, I hope it all works out so that ALL voices are heard and respected. That hasn’t been my experience, but who knows, things can always change. Or not.

The vocal few that have set themselves up to be arbitrators of what is right and true DO rule the roost at the end of the day. That seems to be the natural course of things not only here but in other places/venues that could be mentioned. It’s the human condition. And we have to deal with it the best we can. Hopefully in a fair and balanced manner.

I think it is more that Shades is willing for others to take action that (rarely for a board owner) he finds distasteful: punishing behaviour clearly designed to disrupt the board and drive away posters by suspension or outright banning.

As you very well know, Ajax posts opinions that are very uncongenial to most posters on this board. But no-one is calling for him to be banned, because he does not (unlike AtlanticMike) disrupt discussions by posting repetitive insults or irrelevant nonsense, not does he ever splurge the board with multiple one-post threads containing links to videos with minimal comment.

No-one wants an echo chamber. AtlanticMike would not be a problem if he behaved like Ajax. But he has made it plain that his principal aim is to create an echo chamber of his own, from which all "PROGRESSIVES" (always in caps) have been driven by the frustration of trying to penetrate his troll-created fog.

[Atlanticmike]

Lem is still here, I would contend, albeit under another moniker.

That’s what I thought. Although I’m flummoxed as to why she would choose to use a male moniker. That’s kinda weird.

If, that is, my suspicions are correct. But I could be wrong.

Regards,
MG

It’s because of me