Selina's thread suppressed ...

[pool]

I don't understand why Selina's thread was locked.

First of all, I do not find satire or supposedly humorous commentary on "war" amusing, even if it does back up my sentiments in some way. Human tragedy is not and cannot be amusing. However it does portray the mind set of some people and at best, make a political comment.

Selina, although extreme, and possibly misguided, should have a right to express her views, just as Americans and Canadians do each day in this "forum" Her extremist views are a reality and not entirely unfounded. I can only think that by not acknowledging them, we are cheating ourselves out of da "big picture" ...

To pass it off as hateful propaganda is not addressing it. It is only burying it. I thought we learned that making like an ostrich will not make the problem go away. It will only smolder and when it finally erupts it hits with a vengeance ...

I don't get into discussions on these topics because for the most part, I see truths in all sides. I do read the threads and find peoples perspectives to be well presented and insightful, for the most part.

Could any positive discussion have come out of that thread ? Sad-fully, probably not, but none the less her viewpoint is a very real and scary truth. It may not be your truth or my truth, but it is her truth and therefor very valid in the scheme of the conflicts we currently face ...

Just my view. FWIW

 

[Goober Mcfly]

Here we go again....

poolie:

Please see the following threads (all still on the main page as of this posting) for discussion on the Iraq conflict.

Stop the US bashing
https://terb.cc/vbulletin/showthread.php?s=&threadid=23114

Food for thought
https://terb.cc/vbulletin/showthread.php?s=&threadid=23718

Why Iraq and not N. Korea?
https://terb.cc/vbulletin/showthread.php?s=&threadid=23484

American Political Schemes
https://terb.cc/vbulletin/showthread.php?s=&threadid=23384

Saddam today, Fidel tomorrow
https://terb.cc/vbulletin/showthread.php?s=&threadid=23599

Weapons of mass destruction
https://terb.cc/vbulletin/showthread.php?s=&threadid=23737

Nobody was suppressing anyone`s views. Is there any reason we need another thread?

 

[luckyjackson]

"Is there any reason we need another thread?"

Uh, pardon the effrontery, but I thought it worked best when the actual contributors were free to decide when to start a new thread. What's the rule now, no more than 6 threads on related topics?

I didn't see a thing wrong with her post, other than that it might've been just a tad boring. If I'm not mistaken, this is the same lady who recently proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that she has a social conscience. I think she could've been cut some slack.

If you want to censor, I think you could have found much less quetionable places to start. Bad call.

 

[pool]

Goober,

I guess, I shouldn't be surprised, but I am ...

Those are all typical "North Americans" perspectives

Coincidence ? ... maybe ...

Anyway, I pretty much anticipated, that I would be wasting my breath, but just felt I should comment, knowing most likely no body else would ...

Back to the chess game ...

 

[gramage]

. Human tragedy is not and cannot be amusing.

since when? Beckett said it well "their is nothing as funny as unhappiness", if I couldn't laugh at the horror of the world I wouldn't last a day.

 

[Goober Mcfly]

"Is there any reason we need another thread?"

Uh, pardon the effrontery, but I thought it worked best when the actual contributors were free to decide when to start a new thread. What's the rule now, no more than 6 threads on related topics?

No. But here's a question for you, if there are 6 threads on the same page looking for info on one particular SP, should they all be left alone?

I didn't see a thing wrong with her post, other than that it might've been just a tad boring. If I'm not mistaken, this is the same lady who recently proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that she has a social conscience. I think she could've been cut some slack.

That's your opinion, which is allowed.

If you want to censor, I think you could have found much less quetionable places to start. Bad call.

Nothing was censored. No views were suppressed. The links are still there in all their glory.

If it was censorship, the thread would have been deleted, Selina banned and pro-Bush banner ads would have been placed all over the site.

 

[pool]

It's usually funny, until it happens to you ...

Heard any good World Trade Centre jokes lately, Grammy ?

 

[pool]

I can clearly see that my point was missed entirely.

I just thought it should be valued that we have someone, with her perspective in our presence rather than discouraged and possibly some discussion of value could come of it.

'tis cool though. No need for everybody's perspective to be acknowledged. We are only dealing with human life. This is not a chess game or a case of who is wrong and who is right ...

 

[Goober Mcfly]

poolie: No, you missed my point. There is a difference between expressing your views and trolling for a flamewar. IMO, Selina is trolling.

She is perfectly welcome to join one of the many threads already in progress and freely express her views.

If she were to do that, her perspective will be acknowledged.

This is all I'm going to say on this. If you continue to have a problem with my decision, I suggest you take it up with Fred.

 

[train]

If you want to censor, I think you could have found much less quetionable places to start. Bad call.

I don't see this as censorship as the original post remains . Related comments may be made on any number of threads .

 

[pool]

Goober,

I didn't miss your point and do understand what you are saying. You want her to conform ... ( JK !!! )

We just see things differently. I don't see it as trolling, but rather just an extension of her extreme perspective. Extremists usually are extreme. It is part of the picture ...

I sense that you don't understand me. I'm funny that way, but when people roll their eyes at me, I get that impression. Generally, I don't have an absolute answer ...

I can see how the thread may have just resulted in flames, as usually a general mob mentality results in such cases, once the tone has been set, so I'm not even saying your decision was necessarily wrong.

It may have seemed that the sole purpose of my post was that I questioned your decision, but, in fact, it was not. It was meant more as comment on Selina's post, which I didn't get a chance to comment on in the original thread. Then again, maybe I wouldn't have felt the need, but if a mob mentality had ensued, I may not have been able to help it.

Anyway, what's done is done. I'll just go back to trying to make sense of all this madness ...

peace out ...

 

[pool]

PS

The perceived censorship lies in what could have become, not what exists ...

 

[onthebottom]

Don't censor

As a poster that rarely (OK, never) agrees with Selina I don't think her posts should be banned or froze. Bad products don't have to be banned they just go broke from lack of customers, same with her posts.

My objection is not to the content (OK, that's a lie, I hate the content) but that she never expresses an original thought. I can find leftist propaganda on my own, I don't need her to find it for me. She also has a tendency not to respond to posts disagreeing with her, she just blasts links.

Don't ban her, flame her for her lack of original thought.

OTB

 

[gramage]

yeah noone ever makes jokes about Bin Laden do they poolie?

 

[pool]

Grammy :yeah no one ever makes jokes about Bin Laden do they poolie?

I can honestly say I never have, Grammy. Many do. I just shake my head ...

In fact, that was my point. People somehow think Bin Laden, Middle East jokes or things that don't effect them to be funny, because they are detached from it and manage to justify it. I highly doubt those same people would find jokes or satyr relating to the world trade centre tragedy, light hearted or funny, and just a way to relieve the insanity that surrounds us ...

 

[TravellingGuy]

Re: Don't censor

My objection is not to the content (OK, that's a lie, I hate the content) but that she never expresses an original thought. I can find leftist propaganda on my own, I don't need her to find it for me. She also has a tendency not to respond to posts disagreeing with her, she just blasts links.

Perhaps you can find the information on your own but that doesnt mean everyone here can. Some of us are open to all sorts of links. She was sharing links/information that she found interesting and thought some of us might find interesting as well, she doesn't necessarily have to post her own opinions on it, she's still sharing information and thats what Terb is for. Agree or disagree but let her share her information.

 

[gramage]

I must quote the comic genius Mel Brooks who got a lot of criticism when the film "The Producers" came out in the 60's with it's broadway musical "A springtime for Hitler" when he said "the best revenge I can ever have against Hitler is to turn him into a joke." comedy is the ultimate wepon against the horror of existence pool, the worse the reality the more necessary it is to make it funny.

 

[Big Bear]

A Disturbing Trend?

I find it disturbing to see yet another thread about censorship of opinions on this board. The first thing that has to be said is that this board has to conform with the "rules" of the country in which it is based and that of necessity imposes restrictions on what can be said here. Second it is Fred's board and we are all guests here so we have to live by his rules on what is acceptable and what is not. He appears to have few rules in this area and what ones there are are mostly common sense to keep him out of jail. Where we seem to be running into problems is that these rules are being interpreted by moderators and moderators seem to be imposing their own standards on the discussions.

I can see and accept moderators deleting threads such as selling a Playstation or tickets from the Lounge because they are not in keeping with what the stated role of this board. However I and from what I have read a number of others object to restraints being imposed on discussions where conflicting and sometimes extreme opinions are expressed. I like a lot of others find Selina's opinions offensive but I would also fight for her right to air them. I frankly don't read much of what Selina says because she is such a nutbar but in my opinion she has the right to express them on this board regardless of the number of threads. If the thread is not interesting it soon disappears off the front page never to be heard from again.

Perhaps what is needed are some more "rules" from Fred as to what is acceptable in terms of discussion in the Lounge and what is not. I would hope that we can retain the freewheeling discussions on a wide variety of topics here and that we can do so without restraint other than legal ones. I would not like to see any restrictions beyond legal ones or selling something unrelated to the purpose of this board but the ultimate decision is Fred's.

 

[zog]

I see no censorship

If this board was sensoring people's posts, do you think this thread would still be open and active?

Let's not cry censorship (a very serious accusation) when that is not what is going on. The thread in question was not deleted and this thread (discussing the closed one) is alive and well.

Zog.

 

[Big Bear]

Not Censorship

Zog, I agree with you that the board is very open in terms of the discussions and agree that the fact this thread is open is an excellent sign. However having said that they did close the initial thread for some reason and while Goober is correct in pointing out the topic is being covered in other threads the fact of the matter is that someone, Goober I'm assuming, chose to close Selina's thread and not the others. I don't have a problem if the moderator wants to put all the discussion of a topic under one heading but why close off one that happens to be the most extreme. If it is not censorship it is very close and I would ask you what you would call it?

As I said before I would have just let Selina's thread lie there so to speak and die a natural death. If it is a topic that attracts attention then it should be allowed to flourish. I generally ignore what she says and did until I saw this thread which concerned me. Therefore the moderator in fact may have achieved the opposite of what they were intending.

You are correct the moderator is not censoring Selina in that they have left her thread on line but he/they are handling her topic differently than they have others. They need to be consistent and we all need to be careful in our accusations, myself included. I would also point out that most boards of this type seem to go through these type of discussions on a regular basis as there is always a constant pull between free speech and the law and/or human decency.