c99 shines brightly!

A while back I wrote this articleCaucus 99% is a University. Since then events have proven me correct. Case in point, my recent essay raising questions about Islam.

From the second, more recent essay comes the first paragraph:

I am prepared for outrage promulgated by this essay. Let it come--but do so in a rational fashion, which may be considered rationally.

I recount now pleasurably on the fact that the responses to my essay were all appropriate without a single ad hominem comment. How many other web sites can make that claim? The title of the Islam essay was a question, indicative of the lack of factual knowledge on my part.

I wish to thank my (our) educators, particularly Big Al and Pluto's Republic for providing source information and well-considered opinion to the discussion.

In a recent thread, someone remarked that the best writers and intellects fled GOS because of well, you already know. Many of the refugees, myself included, landed here and continue to contribute to our intelligence, humor, and tolerance.

It should be evident to all here that we, as a community, owe a debt of gratitude to JtC and Joe Shickspak

There are many more contributors of value here whom I did not mention. My reference to the two educators refers to my Islam essay.

[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3GIQ86eu6c]

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What I experienced on "GOS" as you refer to it as an atheist was this..... There is a strong faction of Christians on that site who confuse criticism of religious ideas with personal attacks. And they are relentless when they think they've been personally attacked because you question, for example, the existence of Jesus or the concept of a god. I could just never get it across to them that challenging religious ideas is no different than challenging political ones. If you don't have facts and evidence to back up your statements, then be prepared to have them challenged. Pretty simple. The one group that I ended up being friends with was the D'Var Torah group. Not at first, but later. They tend to allow more questioning and outright dismissal of claims because they have a different process of discussion. I only met one Muslim there who was outraged by having the tenets of his religion challenged and of course the Christian group ran to his side with their flags ready. It's great that there is no flag system here. What a mess that idea is!
You set the tone with your essay and got a good result. Now if you had posited the question in a way that opened the door to harsh criticism of the tenets of Islam, I would have been right there as one of the harshest critics.... and I would have felt like it was OK to be so. On GOS there is an unwritten agreement that religious opinion should have some sort of soft cloth over it, even though I don't think the site's owner is religious. The religion hall monitor crowd is still roaming the halls over there. And if you've ever visited the backstage area (Help Desk) you can find an incredibly dark area where plans are hatched to sabotage other "community" members. Just look at what happened to Betty Clermont and how she was strung up by the religion crowd for presenting totally factual, well sourced pieces on what is really happening with the Roman Catholic Church and the Pope. It apparently was more important to slam her for making some catholics uncomfortable, than standing up for abused children, women and gays. She was even accused of "blasphemy" by a major player over there. Real progressives? Bah humbug! Just be aware that this kind of nonsense CAN happen here. As long as the tone set gives the message that ALL ideas on the table are subject to scrutiny and criticism and not allowed to wear some kind of protective suit, it will be less likely this site will have the same problems as GOS.

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"Without the right to offend, freedom of speech does not exist." Taslima Nasrin

There is a strong faction of ____________ on that site who confuse criticism of __________ ideas with personal attacks.

They are simple minded little trolls who kick puppies in their spare time I'm sure. When we have an intolerant, loud-mouthed soul land here, they don't stay long. They don't get the support to fuel their outrage. In fact, the community often tells them to calm down and stop being such a belligerent jerk. If the community doesn't, JtC does. DailyKos is a sewer full of beady eyed rats, and Kos is the king rat. They enjoy and cultivate the dysfunction, bullying, and echo chamber of the dark and dank place they live in. Kos makes a lot of money peddling the DNC party line. He can't have mutinous, open-minded free thinkers strewing the seeds of reason. What would that do his bank account?

@Fishtroller 02

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"Religion is what keeps the poor from murdering the rich."--Napoleon

Alligator Ed's picture

@dkmich

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Cant Stop the Macedonian Signal's picture

@Alligator Ed Rodents of Unusual Size? I don't think they exist.

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"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha

"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver

Alligator Ed's picture

@Cant Stop the Macedonian Signal Be sure you don't eat before your sojourn, because you knowwww what will happen if you do.

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Cant Stop the Macedonian Signal's picture

@Alligator Ed That was merely a quotation. Smile

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"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha

"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver

Alligator Ed's picture

@Cant Stop the Macedonian Signal

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mhagle's picture

So many topics are covered that I know nothing about. Indeed, it is a university. The comments are usually a fabulous addition to the essay. Very thankful for JtC and Joe Shickspak too. Smile

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Marilyn

"Make dirt, not war." eyo

Lookout's picture

I find rational and fact based. Everyone is good about backing up opinion with some sort of article or evidence.

I appreciate JtC and all his efforts to create our little home, and I appreciate all of you for expanding my understanding and awareness. As far as Kos, like the dem party in general, they are hopeless... forget them and don't waste your energy on small minds that refuse to look at evidence. Past time to move on.

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“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

@Lookout

Personally, I can do nicely without hearing about TOP - but while they, like the Dems, have made themselves (if the understatement can be forgiven) irrelevant as a power for good and for positive change, it's always a good idea to keep cognizant of the propaganda mills.

Forewarned is forearmed, after all, and they do have PR teams working day and night on various con and confusion schemes, while their projection light shines on what they're doing themselves.

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Psychopathy is not a political position, whether labeled 'conservatism', 'centrism' or 'left'.

A tin labeled 'coffee' may be a can of worms or pathology identified by a lack of empathy/willingness to harm others to achieve personal desires.

@Ellen North a Kos watch team? Now, once week is the limit I can stand at that place and once a month even better.

I agree it is important to keep track of what the propaganda mills are pushing. Is Kos the best place to find out?

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Mary Bennett

snoopydawg's picture

@Nastarana
are talking about there. Why just this morning I found out the reason that Trump insulted McCain early in his campaign. Trump said it was because he thought that real war heroes don't get captured, but the smarter people who can for some reason could read what was Trump's real reason for insulting someone over a year ago has something to do with what they found out about that person from recent events. Trump insulting McCain in this case.

So it had nothing to do with McCain being a POW. No siree, it was because he was one of the supporters of the Magnitsky Act.

Many of us have wondered why Trump started his campaign for president by attacking Senator John McCain.

It seemed illogical. McCain was a Republican. A former presidential candidate. Someone who had done a lot to thwart Obama’s agenda. Known as a war hero — and whether or not you agree with how well he served his country, there’s no question that he did serve his country

But we learn now (OK, for some of us we are learning now; others were aware of this for years) that McCain was one of the Senators on the Magnitsky Act. That Act is something Putin hates, because it shines a bright light on and punishes his corruption.

Next comes McCain's statement on why he supported this act and then comes this:

So now we know why Trump was attacking McCain from day one of his campaign. Probably instructed to so by Putin — directly or indirectly.

Do I know that Putin called for this for sure? No, I don’t. But it’s more smoke from the Russian-Trump fire. And although some commenters think these insults were natural for Trump anyway, I do not.

From my comment yesterday on this:

PBS' Anti-Russian Propaganda

“‘Magnitsky Act: Behind the Scenes’ is an amazing film which takes us through the thought processes, the evidence sorting of the well-known independent film maker Andrei Nekrasov as he approached an assignment that was at the outset meant to be one more public confirmation of the narrative Browder has sold to the US Congress and to the American and European political elites. That story was all about a 36 year old whistle-blower ‘attorney’ (actually a bookkeeper) named Sergei Magnitsky who denounced on Browder’s behalf the theft of Russian taxes to his boss’s companies amounting to $230 million and who was rewarded for his efforts by arrest, torture and murder in detainment by the officials who perpetrated the theft. This shocking tale drove legislation that was a major landmark in the descent of US-Russian relations under President Barack Obama to a level rivaling the worst days of the Cold War.

“At the end of the film we understand that this story was concocted by William Browder to cover up his own criminal theft of the money in question, that Magnitsky was not a whistleblower, but on the contrary was likely an assistant and abettor to the fraud and theft that Browder organized, that he was not murdered by corrupt Russian police but died in prison from banal neglect of his medical condition.”

DK posted a diary that used Browder's testimony before congress as a smoking gun that will finally take Trump down. Even though their other predictions of "this" will bring Trump down didn't pan out.

So while it not be necessary to keep an eye on that site, it is entertaining for me to do so.
Oh, and today the website is calling for regime change in Russia and that maybe Condi should be the one to do it.

The number of foreign enemies that have now become allies on that site is amazing. And yes, these types of comments were repeated by the echo chamber.

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Which AIPAC/MIC/pharma/bank bought politician are you going to vote for? Don’t be surprised when nothing changes.

@Nastarana

I have no idea if it's the best place, but it certainly seems to push every talking point and strategy they come out with. However, these are also spread all over the webz where one can unexpectedly step in them, if not careful.

As far as people actively keeping track of the place, I know that I'd hate to expect anyone to do something I wouldn't do myself, as even a HazMat suit can't keep your soul unsullied, and (speaking as One Who Knows Nothing) I'm not sure that it's worth any sort of even vaguely organized surveillance, especially when some do bring tid-bits here from time to time to save the rest of us from having to, which often give a general idea of what TPTB and their lackeys are up to.

Lol, sorry that I'm no help here, but others here probably have a better idea.

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Psychopathy is not a political position, whether labeled 'conservatism', 'centrism' or 'left'.

A tin labeled 'coffee' may be a can of worms or pathology identified by a lack of empathy/willingness to harm others to achieve personal desires.

Arrow's picture

Here's a little number for all of us...

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I want a Pony!

Alligator Ed's picture

@Arrow Light shining on us all. Very contemplative and peaceful. I forgot just how good Pink Floyd was.

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I've found I'm wasting far less time online since jumping ship. C99 is denser so I learn more in less time.

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Cant Stop the Macedonian Signal's picture

@gustogirl That's a great compliment to the site.

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"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha

"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver

MarilynW's picture

(for example) without being trolled by the usual pro-Monsanto suspects. Trolls lurk at DailyKos and they are rabid.

Thanks JtC and Joe!

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To thine own self be true.

Cant Stop the Macedonian Signal's picture

@MarilynW What the hell is up with that, right?

I know it's not just trolls, because I've run into it in my IRL life. I usually get treated to some really smug lecture about reason and science, like I'm a raving fundie of the type that thinks Knowledge is Bad.

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"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha

"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver

Alligator Ed's picture

@Cant Stop the Macedonian Signal You know, the ones involving selective publication, repression of negative information and bribed "scientists" who have sold their souls for glyphosate?

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detroitmechworks's picture

to share my experience and not be immediately judged based off whatever the daily spin is.

The respect that is given here is far above and beyond any other community I've ever experienced.

For example, most of the time I've given my opinion on religions, I've been ordered (Not suggested, ORDERED) to educate myself on the religion much further, including attending their services, talking to their holy men, etc... The idea somehow being that unless you are one of the anointed, you cannot offer opinions on behavior.

There is disagreement with my opinions, of course, and I freely accept that and appreciate that. However, there is none of the condescension and holier than thou attitude which permeates the vast majority of discussion.

C99 strikes me as an olive grove in the pleasant outskirts of a once great city. The philosophers still meet, without the blessings of any of the establishments.

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I do not pretend I know what I do not know.

smiley7's picture

remarkable writers and thinkers on c99; where else can one find the news, blues and community on the net? Many thanks to all contributors for enlightening our daily lives; filling in needed camaraderie from distant places sharing the little and large, thoughts and care.
Cheers!

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its conceptual reach by strictly enforcing the narrowness of its focus. And by formally defining its sole mission to be "the election of more and better Democrats", that community effectively endorses and reinforces the dualistic framework within which American political thinking has long been mired, and essentially, held captive.

IMO the great virtue and promise of c99percent, is the ability of its contributors to astutely question the legitimacy and universality of America's R versus D conceptual framework. By perceiving and analyzing this framework from various outside viewpoints, c99% writers are helping to creatively redefine, and hopefully to re-shape America's antiquated, sclerotic, and globally destructive political landscape.

The brilliant and hard-working news-aggregators here, like joe shickspac gjohnsit, lookout, and many others of equal value, provide us with a continual stream of links to some of the most insightful, relevant, and informative articles to be found anywhere on the net. This information is priceless, and it is absolutely vital to the survival of independent thought, in an age of widespread disinformation campaigns and ubiquitous msm corruption.

Ergo, carry on me hearties! And if we must go down, let us vow to go down fighting.

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native

Alligator Ed's picture

@native [video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjCFyw67TPs]

Play it loud!

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is a spot on description. Too many great writers to even count, too many great sources that I find indispensable now. And as always, comments always further educate on whatever the diary is about.

Back when I used to read the NYT it was always the comment sections that I learned from, the added context that "news" articles don't bother with, the historical implications that again, they don't bother with. And I probably was pointed to the GOS by some comment in NYT, just like I found this wonderful place when people put the link out on the GOS for all those of us who left after the edict. It is truly priceless to me. Someday maybe I'll write a diary myself, but I don't feel ready yet to do that. Got to get back to the term paper mindset to truly do it justice.

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Only a fool lets someone else tell him who his enemy is. Assata Shakur

Alligator Ed's picture

@lizzyh7 I mean, if I can get away with this, so can anyone.

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