Posted on 09/10/2005 11:46:13 AM PDT by pcottraux
You know 'em, you love 'em. Just about all of us have clashed with 'em at times. What's more, it's fun to bust and get rid of them, and that helps make FR even more exciting.
But why do they do it? Why do liberals--and they're usually far-left ones--come here and put on phony screen names so they can "infiltrate" this right-wing forum? They seem to have a tendency to make outrageous statements that get them busted the same day they join. What are they trying to accomplish?
Just yesterday, after one of them made an obvious statement, I caught onto him. He started making insane left-wing rants, before I reported him, and he vanished. It was fun to imagine the little wuss screaming in pain as he was busted and yanked. After he was gone, and all his comments replaced by “Comment Removed” messages, I made a statement on the stupidity of these people, blowing their own cover right after they join. What kind of espionage is that?
But then, ANOTHER one came in, and had this to say before he, too, was yanked:
“Yeah, those trolls are seriously brain dead. They are so caught up in that so-called ‘freedom of speech thing’ that they don't know how to watch what they say when talking to us Republicans that are able to remove their thoughts when we disagree with them. Gosh, they are so silly!”
Fortunately, this troll is also no longer with us, at least not under the same screen name. But upon reading his statement here, a realization comes. THAT’S IT! This comment helps get to the heart of the DU trolls’ mindset, and exactly what it is they’re doing—or trying to do. Hopefully, some of them here will read this, and realize how futile their efforts are.
Basically, DU trolls like the one who made the above statement are classic examples of people suffering what I call LNM, or Liberal Narcissistic Martyrdom. This is a common mental ailment of left-wingers. In essence, it involves a self-image of being a “heroic rebel against the system” who “dares to stand up for what they believe in.” In an egotistical way, they envision themselves as “underdogs” who are in a perpetual state of “standing up to fight the corporate system.” They are ALWAYS standing up against this system, or some proverbial system.
Michael Moore, or at least the public image he makes of himself, is a classic example of this. Actually, one of the best examples I can think of is famed hippy doctor Patch Adams. His movie about himself, starring Robin Williams, is a complete show of just what an egotistical blowhard a liberal can be when he envisions himself “standing up to fight the system” at all times, under all circumstances. I assume that “Patch Adams” is a favorite movie among sufferers of LNM, because it is exactly how they fantasize their own lives being.
Look at the statement the DU troll made. “Yeah, those trolls are seriously brain dead. They are so caught up in that so-called ‘freedom of speech thing’…” Here, he/she/it is showing the biggest symptom of LNM…the conviction that one’s freedom of speech is being taken away, when it is not. Liberals are caught up in their first amendment rights—they’re not caught up in any other constitutional rights, like the right to bear arms, but they love that first one. And many of them, especially those with LNM, are convinced that that sacred right is going to be taken away from them when “America descends into a dictatorship.” They think Bush is Hitler, and those of us on FR are Nazis. Therefore, they think a totalitarian government is going to steal their first amendment rights. Never mind that as left-wingers, they are campaigning for more power to the government, anyway.
And that, my friends, is why these people come here under various guises. They WANT their freedom of speech taken. It gives them a Martyr Ego Boost. They crave it. So they come here, put in a phony screen name, and start spouting left-wing doctrines. As this clown sarcastically put it: “they don't know how to watch what they say when talking to us Republicans that are able to remove their thoughts when we disagree with them.” See what I mean? They seek PROOF that they’re losing their free speech, so when they get yanked from this site, it makes them feel like righteous martyrs. They get the Martyr Rush. It’s almost like drug addiction.
They’ve lived comfortably in America their whole lives, considering their dissent to show how righteous they are, and any criticism of that dissent is seen as “freedom being lost.”
The problem is that FreeRepublic.com is not a debate forum, at least not for right vs. left. There are other web forums for that. FR is a right-wing/grassroots conservatism forum. If we let one liberal stay here and debate us, then we have to let them all. Then, this is no longer a right-wing forum. So their thesis that “Republicans and Conservatives are eliminating people who disagree with them” is pretty much a dead point.
Of course, these wienies don’t know the meaning of losing free speech. They’ve never lived under a communist regime before. They should go over to North Korea and live under Kim Jong Il’s iron grip awhile. When their hands are cut off for speaking out against the government, or their tongues gouged out, or they’re skinned alive…then they’ll know what it REALLY means to lose freedom. I’ll bet the typical sufferer of LNM couldn’t stand five minutes of what Saddam Hussein’s victims had to endure. They’d come running back to the American Bush “dictatorship,” crying like babies, for sure.
Alexa has traffic rankings and details for boths sites. You could try that.
Yes thank you. I did. And I am happy to report that the democratic underground ranks at around 3200 while the FR is at 1300. Approx.
Oh and just for sheets, ebay was number 8........
That definitely fits. I think you're on to something.
Like I said in the article, I’ll bet the typical sufferer of LNM couldn’t stand five minutes of what Saddam Hussein’s victims had to endure. They’d come running back to the American Bush “dictatorship,” crying like babies, for sure.
Your analysis is good, but you fail to mention that the Left is much more prone to take away freedom of speech than are conservatives. Conservatives want to preserve free speech. We thrive in free speech. Liberals start stuff like Political Correctness, punishing students for speaking their mind in class, and punishing people in the work place who "offend" someone.
The Left certainly does have a "martyr complex", but they also have a huge dose of hypocrisy to go with it.
They are like ships adrift at sea, blown about by every little wind, and pushed by tiny currents.
They don't know where they come from, nor do they know where they are going.
They only know their feelings of the moment, and if they are allowed in power, they will become like France at the present moment: befuddled by Muslims burning down their civilization around them.
Wow. This is kind of an old thread, but it seems to be coming back. I made it not only to discuss trolls, but to bring it up again whenever a troll was giving a problem. It remains topical.
I did leave out the business of hypocrisy there, didn't I? Because this is kind of old, I don't remember all of what I said and I don't feel like reading through all my old writing now.
But another thing I think I left out is the idea of patriotism as viewed by the left. In their LNM mindset, they say things like "Dissent is the most patriotic thing we can do (quoting Jefferson)" and "The fact that we dare question the evil Bush shows that we are the most patriotic people in the country."
But the problem there is that patriotism is not something you can have a monopoly on. Can patriotism be measured? Like water in a measuring cup? Who can say that one person is more patriotic than other, because the other does not "question" the government (In reality, they're not questioning Bush, they're slandering him...it has nothing to do with the war anymore).
Going back to the hypocrisy, they claim that they're all for free speech and protesting, but they have done everything within their power to stop the Minutemen, who are taking part in an organized and legal protest on the border to bring attention to a problem. They've even used a few dirty tactics against the Minutemen (who are I think very patriotic) to try and intimidate them.
So, as you put it, Rocky, who are the real people trying to take free speech?
I have always seen that Free Republic is open to the occasional liberals who come here to debate. The problem is that they actually have to debate. Most just rant, or their "debate" quickly descends into ranting.
We welcome an actual point by point evaluation of each others arguments, even and especially liberal ones, by logic and facts, where underlying assumptions are identified and examined.
It's just happens to be the case that liberal arguments and arguers cannot handle the fine tooth-comb for more than three iterations.
Those people are the Free Republic "Self Appointed Posting Police". See if you can find that graphic with Cartman from South Park in it. It explains the phenomenon very well.
Well, I wrote this vanity a long time ago (but I feel it has a lasting impact, because trolls never go away no matter how much you want them to). I'm willing to concede that last point about the liberals who come here to debate (although I haven't seen any myself yet).
I love the non-starter argument that conservatives want to establish a theocracy. I've yet to hear anyone save for a few true nutballs even suggest this in earnest. But the Left is absolutely full of hysteria over it.
For any liberal trolls (not to mention you Libertarians) out there, let me tell you what a real theocracy would look like:
* Mandatory prayers.
* Reading of religious passages before public events.
* Laws passed requiring donations to various faith-based causes.
* Required religious programming on all "over the air" tv and radio stations.
* Harsher laws for social sins, including using the Lord's name in vain.
I'm not advocating this and neither are any Christians I know. Yet, the hyperbole of a "Christian Taliban" controlling every facet of people's lives continues to be a pablum of the Left. As soon as I hear that comment, I immediately cease my side of the argument. Life is too short to reason with idiots.
Don't think it doesn't happen at DU, too. I don't think it has anything to do with being left or right; rather, just having too much free time.
Well, I agree that it happens on both sides. But I'm not saying it doesn't: I'm only trying to analyze the trolls who come HERE and what they're thinking, and what their mindset is.
But I wonder if it happens as much at DU as it does here. And what do right-wingers who sneak onto DU say? Are they as typically hysterical and immature as the libs who sneak onto FR? I think this would be impossible to find out for sure.
Plus, rather than being annoyed, DUers probably revel in such things; making them feel like "dirty right-wing spies are trying to destroy us" and helps give that left-wing martyr ego boost.
LOL
I took a great DU this AM. Mostly because I ate a lot of bran though. Sometimes when I eat Mexican food, my DUs can be downright lethal! Please pass the Nachos....
At least that lib shaved her legs....
LOL! Wonder what she smells like, though?
These fools continue to confuse freedom of speech with their insistence that someone else be forced to listen to them.
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