TDS

[ceeboo]

It is not simply defending progressivism at all costs (which is accurate) it's a mob of ideological bullies who hate (I mean seething hatred) anyone who might see things differently than the ideological mob here does.

You and I see things differently, ceeboo, but I don't hate you.

I know - I wasn't speaking about every single board member that still hangs out here - I was exchanging thoughts with an individual in this thread (remember how that kind of thing used to work?) and I was offering my opinion to this individual, generally speaking, about how this board has been destroyed.

There are a few posters who go too far (in my opinion) in their criticisms, but that has always been the case.

Too far in their criticisms? Ha!

In my north of two decades here, I have never been anti-criticism and/or offended by being challenged (After all. I have been a Bible believing Christian who leans right of center politically for all of my 20 plus years hanging around here - Here being a mostly agnostic/atheist community who leans left politically) - So that doesn't seem to be what I am talking about.

I don't think I've ever participated in a discussion board where that wasn't the case.

No worries, I am more than happy to give you, a very civil and kind board member that has always extended me courtesy and respect, plenty of room to share your thoughts/opinions with me.

Me? I have never seen anything quite like what I have seen happen to this discussion board.

[Kishkumen]

I have never seen a president ignore a ruling of the Supreme Court.

I have never seen secret police snatching legal residents of the US off the streets and imprisoning them.

I have never seen hundreds of undocumented immigrants snatched away and transported, even against a judge’s orders, to a gulag in El Salvador.

I have never seen a president reward the buyers of his bitcoin with special tours of the White House.

I have never seen a president say that he “does not know” if he has to uphold the Constitution.

I have never seen a president violate several amendments of the Constitution.

I have never seen a president recklessly place tariffs on every nation on the earth, and even uninhabited small islands.

I have never seen a president allow the world’s richest man to run roughshod through the administrative state, tearing it apart with no rhyme or reason.

I have never seen a president threaten to invade Greenland or use military force against Canada.

I have never seen a president threaten law firms and universities.

All of these things concern me a helluva lot more than what you have seen become of this board. Consider the relationship between all of those troubling and unprecedented things and the change to this board, particularly in Spirit Paradise. Frankly, I am surprised that you are surprised.

[Gadianton]

Ceeboo has the same old veiled threat. Either accept me as intelligent, a good Christian, and a fine grandfather while I support Donald Trump's foot on your neck, or the nation will swing farther right, and millions more will raise their crushing foot and join me. Hound's message seems to be: either accept Ceeboo as intelligent, a good Christian...or else...

Sorry, keep applying the pressure because I'm not going to lie and say untruthful nice things about anybody. I will give credit where I think it's due.

Hound's initial foray was kind of interesting, and for several posts, in my opinion, however the posts were getting accomplished, he was putting material together worthy of considering. I found the initial Hound believable. An older poster that gets up early and only posts once or twice a day, and showing restraint that an older, educated man with poor vision might. An old school Democrat with Carville-like concerns about the party was also believable and some of those concerns are valid. I think the Hound character is somewhat of a progressive himself, with his worries over accepting everyone, including those on the other side of the political fence. Consider Res Ipsa. Res is the only person on the forum who I would say without reservation is an actual progressive. Part of Res''s reason for leaving was, in fact, the way that I and other anti-MAGOTS talk to Trump supporters. I do respect him for that and I understand it.

As far as I'm concerned, people will get the respect they deserve based on the quality of their posts, independent of political persuasion. When Hound is at his best I can play along and see what comes from it. But I don't have the patience of Res. When it gets to the point the person obviously doesn't have a clue and is putting zero effort into it and the subject matter has serious implications for people's lives, well; sorry.

That's only good for the right, because it means I won't be giving the Democrats their chance of winning any time soon. So look at the bright side.

[Kishkumen]

It is interesting to watch two people who won’t actively engage others on a discussion board, complaining to each other about how unaccepting, intolerant and hateful everyone else on the board is, while labeling all of them as unaccepting, intolerant and hateful.

Hound is some kind of A.I. troll, and Ceeboo is, well, pretty censorious when you get down to it. I love him to bits, honestly, but I cannot fathom why we should be expected to be polite with people supporting an authoritarian coup of our country.

[Bret Ripley]

I have never seen ...

... the emporer's cool new threads?

All of these things concern me a helluva lot more than what you have seen become of this board.

No doubt. That list should be shocking to just about anyone. It's nothing short of amazing how low the bar is set for Trump -- if any other president (D or R) did these things, it would be 'game over' politically.

[Kishkumen]

Ceeboo has the same old veiled threat. Either accept me as intelligent, a good Christian, and a fine grandfather while I support Donald Trump's foot on your neck, or the nation will swing farther right, and millions more will raise their crushing foot and join me. Hound's message seems to be: either accept Ceeboo as intelligent, a good Christian...or else...

Sorry, keep applying the pressure because I'm not going to lie and say untruthful nice things about anybody. I will give credit where I think it's due.

Hound's initial foray was kind of interesting, and for several posts, in my opinion, however the posts were getting accomplished, he was putting material together worthy of considering. I found the initial Hound believable. An older poster that gets up early and only posts once or twice a day, and showing restraint that an older, educated man with poor vision might. An old school Democrat with Carville-like concerns about the party was also believable and some of those concerns are valid. I think the Hound character is somewhat of a progressive himself, with his worries over accepting everyone, including those on the other side of the political fence. Consider Res Ipsa. Res is the only person on the forum who I would say without reservation is an actual progressive. Part of Res''s reason for leaving was, in fact, the way that I and other anti-MAGOTS talk to Trump supporters. I do respect him for that and I understand it.

As far as I'm concerned, people will get the respect they deserve based on the quality of their posts, independent of political persuasion. When Hound is at his best I can play along and see what comes from it. But I don't have the patience of Res. When it gets to the point the person obviously doesn't have a clue and is putting zero effort into it and the subject matter has serious implications for people's lives, well; sorry.

That's only good for the right, because it means I won't be giving the Democrats their chance of winning any time soon. So look at the bright side.

Agreed on Res. He is a progressive. Hound I see not as a person so much as a rhetorical ploy occupying the same digital footprint as a person. Ceeboo I am genuinely curious about. I think there are Christians out there who are fascinated with Mormonism, become attached to Mormons and ex-Mormons, maybe hope we will see the light, and are perhaps disappointed when our disillusionment with Mormonism did not lead os to something more like their Christianity. We were so close! We had the right socially conservative and authoritarian views at one time, but we were, alas, not really Christian. Now we are seen as simply charming, or irritating, but close to or in fact godless.

What I did not understand until now is that our American Christians had given up on our democratic republic, and they were ready to throw it in the crapper to the first guy who would fulfil their longtime desire to try to keep every abortion from happening. That fellow, in their estimation, would be a literal Godsend, and it would not matter to them how vile, dishonest, despicable and lawless he was, because he had worked to stop all abortions. I was not aware that a large number of these people really want our nation to become officially Christian and its laws to follow the Bible.

This is so patently absurd and so far from the vision of our Founders that I don’t know how such people can consider themselves patriots in any meaningful sense. So when I hear that people want to be seen as Christian, I have no idea what that is supposed to mean anymore. It could mean that they want us to live in a US version of the Taliban’s Afghanistan. The way that this presidency is going, that is not inconceivable.

[canpakes]

I was not aware that a large number of these people really want our nation to become officially Christian and its laws to follow the Bible.

Laws allowing access to abortion? They must be struck down, and no option made available to women, even if their pregnancy is the result of rape, or incest.

Laws against illegal entry? They must be enforced at all cost, even to the extent that their limitations are excused, so that the maximum number of living men, women and children can be tossed out of this country or sent to wherever is convenient, regardless of their subsequent safety.

The odd thing is that the Bible essentially says near nothing about abortion outside of compensation or recipes, but has plenty to say about the poor or the hungry.

Admittedly, this is a tired argument, but that doesn’t stop it from being any less true.

[Kishkumen]

I have never seen ...

... the emporer's cool new threads?

All of these things concern me a helluva lot more than what you have seen become of this board.

No doubt. That list should be shocking to just about anyone. It's nothing short of amazing how low the bar is set for Trump -- if any other president (D or R) did these things, it would be 'game over' politically.

Yes, this is definitely not politics as usual. It is more like a mixture of a cult and a criminal enterprise. The cult is focused on its hatred of Progressives, DEI, and immigrants. It gives cover to the criminal enterprise that is taking the nation apart.

[Kishkumen]

Laws allowing access to abortion? They must be struck down, and no option available to women, even if their pregnancy is the result of rape, or incest.

Laws against illegal entry? They must be enforced at all cost, even to the extent that their limitations are excused, so that the maximum number of living men, women and children can be tossed out of this country or sent to wherever is convenient, regardless of their subsequent safety.

The odd thing is that the Bible essentially says near nothing about abortion outside of compensation or recipes, but has plenty to say about the poor or the hungry.

Admittedly, this is a tired argument, but that doesn’t stop it from being any less true.

I know it is confusing. These “Christians” are not really Christian in terms of following Christ’s teachings. They are nationalists who identify as Christian but hold heretical beliefs that privilege their isolationist jingoism and hatred of anything they see as weak. The fascinating thing is that it is a new kind of heavily politicized Christianity, and not a few of its adherents want a return of the overtly Christian state.

I don’t know how Ceeboo feels about this stuff, and I do not assume he wants the Constitution to be amended to follow Biblical law. But, Dean Robbers’ mention of his Christianity raised my curiosity. How does Ceeboo’s Christianity relate to his MAGAism?

[canpakes]

I don’t know how Ceeboo feels about this stuff, and I do not assume he wants the Constitution to be amended to follow Biblical law. But, Dean Robbers’ mention of his Christianity raised my curiosity. How does Ceeboo’s Christianity relate to his MAGAism?

The Constitution could be said to have a foundation in Biblical basics. I would place a bet that Ceeboo would absolutely not mind a heavier and more blatant overlay of ‘Christian ideals’, but not necessarily trending as far ‘radical right’ as the current nationalist flavor.

On the other hand, I suspect that Hound’s person is more concerned with how their investments, above all else, can benefit from Trumpian policy. That, and there’s some strange kind of sexual/gender hangup happening there.