Is this forum as wide-open as it looks?

[Szczepankiewicz]

Kano,

Of course I remembered you mate. You are the KING Sheeper!

And Jesse7 is the Queen Sheeper, of course!


Spanky

[taebot]

Originally posted by John G
Taebot,

The only time I have exercised freedom of speech, is in the company of a true friend, one who won’t (one hopes) use your words against you at a later date. Fortunately for me, the one and only friend, who I could talk to about anything, died last year taking my secrets and prejudices with him.

I may sound somewhat paranoid, but we live in a paranoid society. Anything you say or write can and will be used to discredit you if for some reason you are perceived as a threat or found not conforming to someone else’s ideas/ideals (prejudices). [1]

Freedom of speech and the ideal of freedom is something politicians and those in power say we have, something, they say, we (not the politicians) should die for, a convenient set of words that justifies anything we want to take. [2]

“Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy my life in our somewhat censored / restricted free society. I take for granted electricity, clean water and a plentiful food supply. I have no problem with our societies taking from others that whats not ours to take, in the name of freedom, security, whatever to sustain our life styles. If we have to murder tens of thousands of innocent men, women and children so I can have cheap petrol to drive my car 200 meters down the road to the shop, so be it. Better this side of the fence than a sweat shop.”

As I write I’m mindful of what’s considered politically correct and try to stay within those boundaries. What I have written in the preceding paragraph is only an example of what I would consider over stepping the politically correct line. No matter how strongly I feel about a subject, there are something’s our society’s just don’t want to here or would prefer just to go away. Hence the censorship.

I find your statement;

“As to those easily offended, insulted, or impugned… They are not martial artists but dabblers would censor in a politically correct manner the free speech, which they so value and give such lip service too. Those people are a danger to truth and hence, a danger to freedom.”

Somewhat confusing, Your social standing has made you one of those people easily offended, insulted, or impugned, as you too only pay lip service to free speech by posting under an alias. Does that make you a dabbler?

Just throwing around a few ideas, no offence intended.

Respectfully,

1. Yes, that society is paranoid for a reason and it is the shifting of responsibility and the destruction of our social norms. Let me exand. Our founding fathers were driven in many ways by the words of a French philospher, Voltaire. Voltaire has a quote that is so American that most college students ascribe it to one of our founding fathers, "[paraphrase] I do not like what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it."

Instead what we have to day is the placing of responsibility on the idividual not to offend ANY segment of society in word or deed. Hence every utterance, word, deed, must be closely scrutinized lest it offend, an implied societal censorship which we increasingly codify into law.

Now to the point of our initial conversation, if someone takes offense at what I write due to lack of reading comprehension skills or to extremely thin skin, then I submit that the proper conduct is for them to assume personal responsibility and turn the other cheek and not put the burden on me to conform to their ideal of proper behavior or speech.

We are paranoid because we have allowed this condition to arise and should go back on guard and fight for the principles implied in the phrase "Free" speech.

[2] You have the right to free speech
Provided, of course, that you're not dumb enough to actually try it...
The Clash - RIP Joe... rip...


As to the rest, that's basically my point in [1]. I want to hear whatever is said in any discoursive format because I desire, need, have a fascination for truth. Government providing infrastructure and Government providing moral code, e.g., hate speech laws, are two different things. Government exists to provide the former. Community, Family, Church, Love of Education, should provide the latter.

That paragraph does not step over the line, and in fact invokes a discussion of moral responsibilty towards the self vs the moral responsibilty towards one's society, even all the people's of the world. If you remove that discussion, you still don't remove the school of thought and you certainly cannot argue against it. Hence, humanity suffers yet another little chip at it's nobility and credibility.

That person may argue that those living sweatshop existences owe more to individuals not assuming responsibility (and not voicing their dissent in word and deed against tyranny) and as such may not claim any special right to sympathy or consideration. It is a facet of the argument.

We have to decide.

Brave New World or Voltaire...

[taebot]

Originally posted by Szczepankiewicz
Kano,

Of course I remembered you mate. You are the KING Sheeper!

And Jesse7 is the Queen Sheeper, of course!


Spanky

John G - This is the kind of thing I had pulled. Would you do that also? Is this that offensive that it can't be read around, ignored, or enjoined in?

I look at it as introduction. Two guys telling me, hey, we aren't ready to share the spotlight yet... So, I have competition in the wit of the board competition. I have a natural handicap, though...

I'm a half-wit !

[Szczepankiewicz]

Teebooty,

The only way you will get banned from Mousel's (speaking from experience and not from authority) is to completely go off on a rampage of ad hominem attacks or to misrepresent yourself as someone else.

Other than that, feel free to be as stupid as you like.

For some good reference material, check out the online guide to trolls


You can read the previous posts of how I have reacted to trolls. As far as being a smartass with a warped sense of humor, well.... all I can say is that if you are Of Sheep, you're alright with me.


Spanky

[Szczepankiewicz]

I just noticed that the Field Guide has been updated. Check it out if you haven't read it in awhile.

Troll Bashers. The worst enemy of trolls, Troll Bashers appear to possess an almost pathological hatred for trolls. Fully aware of the tools and tactics of trolling, Troll Bashers expose trolls whenever they see them. Often the first to identify Contrarians, and unforgiving in the pursuit of Deceptives, Troll Bashers are experienced and venomous. Often accused of being trolls themselves, Troll Bashers understand the difference between the initiation of trolling and the retaliation against it -- and believe any amount of retaliatory abuse is justified when a troll rears its ugly head.

Ahhh, it warms the heart.


Now, back to you Teepee,

It is one thing to poke fun @ forumites with whom you've developed a previous repore. Poking fun at people with whom you've never conversed is bad form in public life, and bears little difference when in 'cyber life'. Social norms and all that jazz.

Spanky

[taebot]

I know exactly how to deal with trolls.

This place is a cakewalk compared to where I've been learning the ropes so-to-speak over the last three years.

One technique which works quite well seemingly is to just keep quoting them without saying anything.

[Szczepankiewicz]

It seems that no matter what I do I can't get rid of Kingston, Queen of the Canadian Trolls!

[aseepish]

That's it, I'm changing my name to asheepish.