The national libertarians are not Nazis but…

I've got no problem with it remaining open.

How a spammer got the power to delete anything is a bit troubling though.


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The lesson you should be learning is that when you make it personal you eliminate the possibility of rational discourse. Rationalize your decision however you like, but you used someone's name in a thread.

this is the result.

 

I think Skip meant their posts were deleted rather than they deleted the posts.

 

I have no problem with it remaining open either. But there are, two pages of posts missing from this thread as far as I can discern.

After the post was at least 2 pages long, I came in one day and it was whittled down to Balbus' original post(s). Then we started all over again. If there's a ghost of this thread drifting around the forum somewhere, I've sure not seen it.

Thank you, both of you for attending to the concerns re this thread.

 

Thats my take as well. I KNOW I made the post. I saw it later too.



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Thank you Skip for trying to clear things up.

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I did use Rat’s name in the thread title but there isn’t a law against that (although I’ve now made it expressly forbidden as part of the politics forum guidelines) in fact it has occurred since I joined Hipforums some 8 years ago, and having looked back it seems the person who’s name has been used most in thread titles is mine, and its never actually bothered me.

I used it because the tread was sparked off by another members comment that they had at first thought Rat a Nazi because of his use of conspiracy theories.

As to ‘making it personal’ well we all do, all the time, go in any thread and most of us are commenting on or reacting to other people’s posts, that’s personal, we call each other out on many subjects and issues and that is how politics works and should work. It goes on wherever politics is discussed.

You could say ‘the Democratic Candidate’ but we are virtually all saying Obama we could say ‘the Democratic Party’s position on heath care under the leadership of the present Democratic Candidate’s political team is…’ but I think ‘Obama say that healthcare policy under him will be…’ is a lot easier to understand.

I’m fine putting in place the new regulation but in a way, to me, it is a bit like telling all journalists and newspapers that they cannot use the names of politicians in there headlines.

I said that this was a sad lesson in politics because it was an attack on a style not on the content, an attack against a supposed breach of political correctness that for the most part ignored the real political issues that I was trying to raise.


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My point was that some people promote there political agenda’s not through the normal or honest approach of putting forward there views openly but instead seem to want to veil them behind such things as conspiracy theory and that this was the same type of trick used my among others by many Nazis and large parts of the US anti-left an example being the John Birch Society.

I went on that in my opinion people that use dishonesty to try and gain political influence are unlikely to act honourably if they gain influence.

In 1930’s Germany it led to dictatorship and in 1940s and 50’s America it led to McCarthyism and a left wing political purge.

What I’m saying is that I think people should be very suspicious of the type of person or group that uses such things as the innuendo, supposition and conjecture of conspiracy theory to push political ideas that they seem unable to defend honestly and openly.

Has anyone, anything to say about that?


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so you're criticizing demagoguery? Kind of like coming out against baby eating.

I can agree - to a certain extent. I am less concerned about individual cases of demagoguery and more concerned with having institutional checks that limit the power of those elected or appointed. I certainly don't think Hitler was the first or last demagogue, so I don't see how Nazism has particular relevance to the discussion, other than to inject a certain amount of emotion.

As for making it personal, yes, to an extent it is fine, but the new rule about not having someone in a thread title is a good one. A no brainer, if you will. Kudos. I like this forum, and i am considering becoming a supporter. Something like this certainly figures in my deliberations.

 

Online witch hunt still going on I see.

 

I don't wish to call anybody a liar or dishonest but it does trouble me the way some people put across their views.
But, perhaps that is just the way they are and don't do it on purpose or mean to not come across as genuine.
I'm not that cynical.

I am suspicious.
I tread carefully - only drop out if it gets too off reality and the person is not joining us in the real world.

I agree.with your general point.

P.S I did not respond to the previous post because I hadn't the time to give it a reasonable response.
One where there would be no confusion and perhaps could draw a line under my feelings about this.
I do think you are scratching at an itch that I thought had gone, but I'll give it another shot when I have some more time and not on my week off work