Policies in its manifesto were broadly aligned with policies that are uncontroversial in Germany.

Now spin that as far left if you can.

As a man of reason and logic, I was drawn to poker and this site, two venues where logic and unbiased thinking reigned. I did extremely well as a result, to the tune of millions of dollars in net winnings. Like many, I ventured off into other forums, including the politics forum, which had truly interesting ideas being discussed from all political bents. For example, I never would have known about "AC" had it not been for this place, and though in the end AC proved flawed and unreasonable, it was a valuable experience being able to discuss its merits. The same was true for various other political issues--economics, the role of government, national security, the surveillance state, and so on. You could get an honest discussion with people who see things differently, and that was honestly an extremely valuable experience in helping me shape my understanding of the world during my early adult years. Far-left posters weren't over-represented at the time; if anything I remember thinking they were under-represented.

The politics forum has been truly terrible for close to four years now. Absolutely none of the above occurs any longer. The forum is now and has been a one-way street of far-left liberals, and for the most part of particularly the last three years there has been no worthwhile discussion of the sort that used to occur.

The reason for this is clear: the moderation is completely biased to the same political stripe that dominates the forum. They are unable to moderate the forum in a way that would be beneficial to everyone, rather than just those of their political affiliation. The problem will not get better until this changes.

Why do I care? Am I a snowflake? No, I clearly care much less than the politics regulars who have tens of thousands of posts and spend hundreds of hours a month there. I'm speaking up as a voice from the past--someone who enjoyed this place and remembers what it used to be like, but like hundreds or perhaps thousands of former posters I've been driven away.

I shared some of my observations in Mason's thread, and I did so reasonably and honestly. I was banned for this post, for three days:

https://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/s...&postcount=134

Originally I had said "mentally inert", meaning unchangeable, to describe the experience of arguing with the current coterie of politics regulars, but thought about it and rephrased the term to "mentally inflexible", to more clearly capture the sense I meant to convey. Result? A three-day ban. A three-day ban for "mentally inert", which was directed in the abstract and not at any particular poster, and had already been self-edited. Ask yourself honestly if this is worthy of such a long ban without warning, and if this treatment would have been applied to a typical plainly left-wing politics poster. This is a microcosm experience of anyone not fitting the narrow mold of allowable opinions in the politics forum today.

My message is simple: you cannot have a functioning forum with mutual respect when the moderators are so heavily biased politically and personally. You will get exactly what you get: a place that is comfortable for people of the exact same political leanings, and no one else, where moderation is applied capriciously and unfairly. It hurts my logical reasoning faculties to see people scratch their heads about why the forum is so terrible, and not address this clear elephant in the room.

This catface fella whose name I see bandied around in the low content thread saying that his banning was unfair. Can someone give me the brief rundown on what happened?

When you come at the king, you best not miss.

This thread is like the old days of P7 minus chez's modding, TS and wil, in other words a massive improvement.

Balanced as in having only left (Clovis, Keed, Chezlaw) and far left (the balance) posters? Certainly wouldn't call any of you centre although some of you may become more centre left in your views with these rule changes and the apparent stricter enforcement of the rules that will transpire.

He was a gimmick of yours?

It is a place to hang out, right? To feel safe in your own beliefs?

Yeah if I am to give Wookie the benefit of the doubt I'm going with the timezone excuse.

People really need to learn what far left means. If you read the forum and think its posters are mostly far left you are doing it wrong. Like really wrong.

The party may be good but not so much the leader??

Nah. I like to argue with trump voters and do it daily irl and have no issue if you all posted there.

That does not change that like it is its a good place to get news and read good posters.

It is only natural to want to be seen to be someone who posts more towards the centre however reality says another thing.

Trump voters - you mean voter right? In awval - he is the only one left right?

https://www.grammarly.com/blog/irl-meaning/

Our reality's are very different. This is true.

Let me guess - he has grey hair and an unkempt beard, whereas you prefer your leaders to have dark hair and comedy taches?

Im in flyover land. I talk to trump voters (most where i live are) in my everyday life regularly and would even call some friends. So no i dont need a safe space like the conservatives here are asking for.

The bold makes me think you're outright trolling but, eh, whatev.

I'll say this though: I'm not ****ing with you.



https://www.politicalcompass.org/uselection2016


That's not how any of this works.

At their root my politics are very, very simple. If there was a parent with two children, and one of the children had taken all the toys, more toys than he could play with or even really look at, the parent would say, uh, wtf is wrong with you, grow up and share the toys with your brother. That's basically it. Everything else is built on top. Me not being able to say 'lol stfu nazi rapist' is not going to change any of it.

These ATF threads are like getting the band back together for a quick tour once or twice a year.

I disagree with him over brexit which is unfortunate because it so massive at the moment. Apart from that his good.

He would be hated in P. Believes in good things such as civil discussion, winning the argument and even negotiating with terrorists.

You're confusing me not being into the hateful, divisive thing with being center left. The left are generally a pretty decent bunch that P does not represent well at all.

Where we've replaced the drummer who used to fall asleep during the finale with one who could keep awake and keep time.

This would probably make sense if it was in a work context that you talk to trump voters as by the way you have responded in this thread you wouldn't be doing it if you had a choice.

Yeah you're possibly centre left.

On policy and who I support I'm definitely left rather than not center left.

I very much doubt I would vote for a blairite 'new labour' party if it's ever inflicted on us again.