FREEREPUBLIC.com'S PRAGMATISM: A Recipe for Disappointment [The outsider view of FR?]

etherzone ^ | November 26, 2002 | Paul Fallavollita

[Blood of Patriots and Tyrants]

Chronicles magazine's December 2002 issue features a piece by Sean Scallon in its Cultural Revolutions section discussing the evolution of Free Republic, billed as "the largest conservative-oriented website in the world." Scallon heralds the closure of cyberspace as a frontier of freedom, citing as his evidence the degeneration of Free Republic into a discussion forum beset by heavy-handed moderators who compulsively censor out any posted material deemed detrimental to the GOP Establishment's reign in conservative circles. Scallon notes that as Free Republic grew in popularity, size, and cost, "it was only natural for...site administrators to want to look good for prospective donors." The question naturally arises: why would conservatives regularly donate to a website with a Stalinesque reputation for sanitizing their members' commentary?...

Many readers of Scallon's piece will be surprised to learn that the operation of the Free Republic website requires an estimated $240,000 in donations annually from readers. The Freepers donate that kind of money because they really are convinced and excited (read: deluded) that they are "piece of the action." They really believe that their online (and off-line) advocacy and organizing efforts are effecting political change. They like the idea that they are "part of the system" and on the side of a winning majority now that the GOP has re-taken the Senate and Bush sits in the Oval Office. To swipe a phrase from Jesse Jackson, it "keeps hope alive." And hope is the archetypal political opiate, rendering populations docile and leaving them unwilling to decisively act to change their circumstances. The Freepers feel as though they're connected and influential, but they don't seem to realize that this is largely an illusion. The GOP's hierarchy already has its marching orders, independent of the input of the GOP grassroots. The GOP's top brass merely pretends that it cares about the "regular folk" at Free Republic. The GOP is always glad to take their money and their votes, though, and is equally happy to use Free Republic as a distribution node for official party "talking points."

Some alert Freepers, however, sense that the GOP they work so hard to support is not very responsive to the conservative agenda. Many Freepers are concerned about the immigration problem in this country, for example, yet the consensus of the average posters is that they have to "wait" and not push the GOP so hard on this issue because they feel constrained by what they call "practical politics." They worry that they will be cast as "too extreme" on certain issues, so they are content to water down their positions so that they can maintain a veneer of relevance and influence—influence that they never had to begin with in the places that matter.

Free Republic's existence is a symbol of the continuing captivity and betrayal of the conservative base of the GOP. The widespread appeasement and accommodation of the GOP's hierarchy by these "conservatives" guarantees there never will be any decisive pro-conservative change within the party, since the party is permanently assured that its conservative base, ever fearful of the bogeyman of a Gore-style presidency, will never abandon it. In a sense, the "mainstream" conservatives are as captive an electorate as the Blacks in the Democratic Party. Just as the Blacks are under-served and taken for granted by the Democrats, so too are the conservatives jilted by the Republicans. True conservatives are kept in the basement, and are not allowed to speak at GOP national conventions anymore. Yet, these sycophantic conservatives shuffle around the plantation of "Massa GOP" hoping a bone will occasionally be thrown their way, looking as broken and pathetic as Pavlov's famed dogs. Cries of "tax cuts" take the place of the ringing of bells for these piddling dogs. The Freepers believe they live in an era of conservative victory, but fail to grasp that the price of that victory was the gradual transmutation of conservatism itself into a variant of the same liberalism that movement had long been fighting. The day enough Freeper types realize this terrible situation, and stage a revolt against their masters, is the day conservatism has a chance again in America.

This tactic of "mainstream conservatism" supposedly "overcoming" its liberal enemy by adopting the ideological attributes of liberalism is not confined merely to internal matters of political strategy. The same attitude, essentially defeatist, emerges in the context of more important issues, including the future demographic composition of the nation itself. For example, one Freeper exclaimed that he had no problem with fifty percent of the population of the United States becoming Latino, if only the Latinos immigrated legally to the United States. In essence, that particular Freeper believes America should handle the current "immivasion" from Mexico by turning the United States into Mexico.

Sadly, that poster is not alone in his willingness to allow the GOP to import a new electorate for itself and new cheap laborers for its corporate constituency—hitting two Mexicans with one taco, so to speak. On the other hand, Free Republic's rabidly pro-Zionist administrators would not take kindly to a poster suggesting that they had no problem with Palestinians becoming fifty percent of the Israeli population (with citizen-status). Indeed, judging from one member's post, Freepers who plan to counter-demonstrate at future anti-war protests intend to wave Israeli flags rather than American. And I'd thought the Freepers were arguing that war against Iraq was in the name of America's interests. Such are the quirks of Free Republic, and the priorities of the "mainstream" conservatism it represents are radically askew.

Scallon is right. Free Republic is a large institution, and as with most organs of the Establishment, it is also ideologically bankrupt. In a sense, there is an element of fraud at work as well, since Free Republic's methodology and approach cannot possibly deliver what it promises: conservative political change. The frontier of freedom in cyberspace isn't yet totally closed, though—Scallon could have listed additional alternative forum websites where paleoconservatives and Constitutionalists can gather and discuss the issues, such as Ether Zone (obviously) and Original Dissent. The Freepers are oblivious to the fact that they are the tail, not the dog. Their Reaganite mantra of sunny optimism they always point toward, and always out of context, functions as an effective tool of political control.

"Published originally at http://www.EtherZone.com : republication allowed with this notice and hyperlink intact."

[snippy_about_it]

"The Freepers feel..."

Written like a true liberal. Uh, no, the folks at DU write about how they "feel", we at Free Republic are THINKERS. We think.

[AppyPappy]

, and seem to place Israel's interests above all else including those of the U.S

You just lost all credibility with this bit of hyperbole.

[RepubMommy]

Does this mean FreeRepublic and all of us dupes here are being elevated into that lofty status worthy of national airtime attacks?

One can only hope, lol.

[DoughtyOne]

Agreed. Although there are plenty of Israel apologists here, who don't question anything Israel does, and seem to place Israel's interests above all else including those of the U.S., there are also a lot of people who give them grief over it.

And that's a fairly balanced approach in my view.  Israel shouldn't get a free pass.  It's actions should be judged fairly and taken in context.

I suspect that this guy isn't happy that the truly virulent anti-Semitic rhetoric is "sadly lacking" on FR.

Yes, I agree with you here.  I belive that's exactly what his problem is.

Let's also remember that this guy isn't exacly clear what takes place on this forum.  Why should he have the Israeli issue down pat?

He's has heard that folks get booted for criticizing Israel.  Yes that is true.  Others do disagree with Israel in a professional manner.  Most of us would assess that only the radicals were sent packing.  This guy assesses that all dissenters are sent packing.  That's not the case.

[advocate10]

The Freepers donate that kind of money because they really are convinced and excited (read: deluded) that they are "piece of the action." They really believe that their online (and off-line) advocacy and organizing efforts are effecting political change. They like the idea that they are "part of the system" and on the side of a winning majority now that the GOP has re-taken the Senate and Bush sits in the Oval Office.

I'm afraid this "alpha hotel" is partly right about our wishful thinking that we have a greater affect on the world than we actually do. I have said this before. We are, in many ways a "Tempest in a Teapot." Our struggles and arguments have little sway in the "Big Picture," and are primarily internal in nature, IMHO.

[ItisaReligionofPeace]

Ah yes, the old blame the Jews argument. The funny thing is that it's hard to determine if that comment was written by a neo-Nazi, a Muslim, a Green, or just a run of the mill liberal...

[The Raven]

Liberals: "Do it my way or else"

Why? Because the liberal way never works. Never has worked. Never will work.

But it is very appealing.

The Freepers expose the scam daily.

[ChadGore]

FR is equal time.

[ItisaReligionofPeace]

I'm trying to remember where I've seen you before. Aren't you one of those Jew haters?

[Illbay]

I don't live and breathe based upon your assessment of my credibility.

And if you don't think there is a sizeable contingent of those who'd send the U.S. to h*ll if it would benefit Israel, you haven't been reading.

[Johnny Shear]

This bunghole sounds like Pat Buchanan...Everything is the fault of the Joooooooooos and only white-skinned people should be allowed to migrate here.

[Illbay]

He's has heard that folks get booted for criticizing Israel. Yes that is true.

I beg to differ.

I criticize Israel frequently, and have never been so much as suspended for doing so.

[Illbay]

...partly right about our wishful thinking that we have a greater affect on the world than we actually do.

I concur. IMO, I like the way Rush handles the notion that he himself is greatly responsible for the Republican resurgence: He simply dismisses it. He says "we do what we can, and if people are energized and influenced by that, then so be it."

There are many FReepers here with delusions of grandeur in this regard.

But it's somewhat understandable. After so long feeling helpless, it's nice to feel "empowered" even if it's not really warranted to the extent you'd like to think.

[MattMa]

Funny, Jim doesn’t look Jewish. Should I be getting the GOP talking points by Freepermail; or is there a certain thread that I should be reading?

[Einigkeit_Recht_Freiheit]

The GOP's top brass merely pretends that it cares about the "regular folk" at Free Republic. The GOP is always glad to take their money and their votes, though, and is equally happy to use Free Republic as a distribution node for official party "talking points."

Right on!

Since I got here I have been saying the same thing but have been concentrating on the subject of oil. Big business controls the GOP, but I don't think this is because the party lacks ideals. It is because big business controls politics.

We all know very well that John McCain would have trounced Gore handily(not winning by the skin of his teeth with 500,000 fewer votes like Bush). Heck, even Taxachusetts Demcorats were lining up to vote for him.

The business big-wigs who line the pockets of politicians on both sides of the aisle (but of late more the GOP) were scared to death of a having a guy in the White House who wanted to bring our demcracy back to its routes. I don't agree with everything McCain stands for, but anyone who believes that America should be about American citizens and not about American corporations should do whatever it takes to reduce the influence of money in Washington.

[advocate10]

After so long feeling helpless...

Wow, you're right about that! We send emails to legislators. Guess what. They (99%) do not read them! Ask one.

[TN4Liberty]

You don't seriously think that those Mass liberals were going to vote for McCain in the genreal election do you? The whole Libs for McCain movement had two purposes... (1) to create a horserace for the media to follow, and (2) to create division in the GOP. If there had been a serious Democrat challenger to Gore, there is no way the dems would have crossed over in the primaries to vote for McCain.

GOPers can't win without conservatives, and McCain worked really hard to alienate all of them while pandering to the dems and the media. McCain was no better a candidate than Dole, because he had no core principals.

[CWRWinger]

We are definitely coming to the same conclusion from two different vantage points. McCain is a nut case who should not be in public service.

He has sided with the demokrats and the anti-gun, anti-Second Amendment crowd.

McCain is not the GOP's alternative.

[e_engineer]

There is great power in numbers, and Freepers have probably had more successes than we are aware of. Here are some ways that I think FR has made a difference:

1)Freeped polls (frustrate the liberal media who would love to be able to use internet polls to claim popular support)

2)Email campaigns (let politicians know we are paying attention)

3)News analysis that originates here and makes it's way to Fox News, unspins, and exposes the true intent of the liberals.

4)Financial success of FR will encourage other conservative media startups.

5)Education. (I love the outstanding news analysis here at FR.) Thanks to Freepers, I can read a political news article, and immediately find out about the author, his agenda, facts that the author left out or got wrong, the various propaganda techniques used by the author, his source of funding etc. etc. You can't buy this kind of analysis, and certainly can find it in the major media.

[grania]

Written like a true liberal. Uh, no, the folks at DU write about how they "feel", we at Free Republic are THINKERS. We think.

Nice catch. Freepers also question things. About the only thing there is 100% agreement on is that Hillary's pantsuits are ugly!

I do agree with the author, though, that conservatives are being patronized by Republican party leadership in some cases, and some of the causes that are very popular among the "little people" here...immigration and border restrictions, PBA, and less government spending, for example, are being ignored by those who depended on conservative votes to be elected into office.