(Site is a graveyard - How can boards save itself?) Any update?

So it's true then? Do most moderators/administrators have the same opinions on contentious subjects and are pretty much in lockstep as to what is "alternative facts/conspiracy theories"?

I see that you are a mod too and also were unable to refrain from getting personal on a feedback thread with someone you obviously have a history with.

Do you believe that moderators should be held to a higher standard than regular posters? I do.

If some section of people are to moderate my comments and ensure I don't step over the line, but then I see a couple of them get personal and tell others that facts are facts and no other rubbish will be tolerated, it is disheartening. It seems obvious that people who think differently to those already in place will not get the opportunity to moderate so what you have is in fact an echo chamber masquerading as a discussion forum.

from my limited experience, I have to say that @Big Bag of Chips doesn't fit into my discription and seems to have the most fair and rounded approach.

If somebody isn't able to provide credible proof for their claims and the claims are particularly outlandish, it's fair to label them as conspiracy theories. Eg a poster recently posted claims of migrants having a failed kidnapping attempt. Their source was some angry racists, no news articles or garda statements. Just "citizen journalists". Similarly the anti vax crap etc all basically sang from same hymn sheet. You'd see the exact same claim reiterated over and over with no proof. justifications for Russia's invasion was the exact same. It's less so a shared opinion but being able to spot blatant propaganda.

Thats fair so.

It's far far worse than that. See my previous post, or read what goes on in Helpdesk or Dispute Resolution and how the 'non-correctthink' people are dealt with.

You're correct to say that BigbagofChips isn't an active part of it, but they rarely get involved below admin level and nearly as guilty by abdication of duty.

Posting platitudes here and arguing tiny side issues is part of the problem of ignoring the glaring issue.

Nobody - literally nobody is complaining about the rules.

Ya know, just like nobody is complaining about Filipino nurses, but people love pretending that they are.

But you already know all this.

"Would you expect the Gardai, judicial or other bodies in Ireland to act with total impartiality"

yes?

Thats just a terrible analogy.

As another poster has said its an outlandish example, and a conspiracy theory.

A ridiculous topic, George Soros's dog.

New York Post, pillored as far right by Left based people.

Logan Paul, a grifter.

Its clear why such an outlandish and disengenuous example was chosen.

Outlandish claims like this one for example ?

June 26th 2024 Posted in the Joe Biden Presidency thread a poster simply says

Newspaper article the other day- speculation that Clinton and Obama paving the way behind the scenes for him (Biden) to retire and not run for re-election .

Lets see the response this poster gets

So you can't even be bothered to dump the link as per standard practice?

We're done here.

Few more replies

It's not even speculation, it's purely hypothetical garbage.

May yet become a reality says the OP

Keep buying those lottery tickets, dreams do come true (at odds of millions to one)

Will the Democratic party force him out against his will over concerns about his mental health?

No , there is no realistic scenario where that happens despite the GOP trying to wish that into existence for the last 5 years.

These rumors persist because the right doesn’t want to race against Biden. They’d prefer anyone else but the clean nosed Catholic they can’t even lay an email server on. And ain’t it just a treat that these rumors swirl around every name on the left that the right has built its entire base around despising and getting out their vote for?

Like you say , anything could happen to anyone at any time , but the repeated claims by the GOP and their flacks that "the Democrats are planning to replace Biden any day now" are utter nonsense

OP comes back with

I can give you Boston globe and NYTIMES articles too if you wish

Everyone seems to be getting terribly upset just because some members of the Democratic Party might be a little bit forward thinking having observed certain behaviours over the last year and are saying “what if..”

Pile on begins

Nobody's taking anything badly. You made a hysterical claim and pasted a link to the Daily Mail, a well known spreader of fake news. People gave it the curt dismissal it warranted.

OP again

I made no claim whatsoever - hysterical or otherwise so get your facts right.

I referenced an article and clearly stated that it was “speculation”- you do understand the difference between claim making and referencing an article clearly stating that it’s speculation?

More responses

There has never been any discussion outside of Republican fever dreams of anyone "forcing" Biden out or there being "secret plans to remove him" etc. which is what all those articles claim is happening or being discussed and it simply isn't true.

The idea that there are discussions ongoing to remove Biden against his will "because he's not up to it" is a complete fallacy and a whole cloth creation by the GOP and their media allies feeding their storyline that Biden is not for for office.

Less than a week later the debate happened and the rest, well lets just say those lottery tickets paid off.

The OP merely mentioned that there was speculation of Biden being stepped down for re election and what occured was a pile on.

These tactics are deplorable and ruining many threads on this once great site.

I've learned today not to go onto any thread relating to american politics. It really is just an echo-chamber.

This thread really is a must-read for new signups.

And cases they provide a link to a newspaper article or a link to a news media site

Oh that's fake news, they're not a legitimate news media site and so on, just so it fits their agenda.

We've already seen in this thread when the likes of GB News or GRIPT are labeled as fake news etc.

The thing is the debate was the turn in public perception and the point where the Dems decided he couldn't run. Post debate plenty of posters had their doubts about him being suitable to run. But equally the idea of switching out a candidate at such a late stage was unprecedented. Sample of a post post debate below but still you'd have had plenty that didn't see it as realistic to achieve a switcheroo. Also worth noting that a lot of the posters that don't tend to get on well in those threads are ones who jump in but have no real intent in having a discussion. But posters that are critical of Biden can and do get on perfectly fine if they intend to have an actual discussion.

It's difficult to see how Biden can go forward as the candidate. In the history of televised Presidential debates (they started in 1960 I think), we've never seen a candidate so far off the pace and struggling even to make a coherent sentence - he was really 'that' bad and this was not even a a one off.

And it appears that moves are already afoot: