Posts by rustywalker42

Zachary Torres81 said:Don't. Politics wouldn't be the same without him.
Seriously, please, don't.🕺

Fine, if you want to go that route, then bring back Kansas and wipe every single troll ban ever issued to everyone on this politics subforum.

Can someone explain to me how this counts as trolling?

adelon said:Well, if that's the case, you're an extreme racist.
So skin color and ethnic background are your metrics for determining human value? You think external traits matter so much that by trying to judge origin based on looks, you're basically engaging in racial profiling—only to pull out your "righteous anti-racist sword" to defend them.

But this isn't:

Freedom said:And why wouldn't they be students? Western values are being implemented in FSA territory, so there's a huge emphasis on education.

Freedom said:International businessmen create the very value you use in your daily life. Try showing some gratitude.

Freedom said:This thread should just be renamed "Bring back Adolf."

Freedom
I can't even wrap my head around a world where the USA isn't the top superpower. Does such a world even make sense?

Freedom said:The smartest move Canada could make for its security is joining NATO. You won't find a better nuclear umbrella than NATO.

Freedom said:That’s what NATO is for—so you can sleep easy instead of stressing about whether Russia is going to hit you with a nuke.

Freedom said:If you spent just one day in America, you'd change your mind. Even Mikhail Gorbachev realized communism was a bust after just one visit to the States.

Freedom said:If only all of Syria would turn green.

Freedom said:Kilgore is hitting you guys with arguments like you're heavy bags at a gym.

Freedom said:You just made the biggest mistake of your life.

Freedom said:That’s wrong, because democracy hasn't actually reached Syria yet. Except for parts of Daraa, Idlib, Ghouta, and Aleppo.

Look, those quotes are his full messages, not cherry-picked snippets. His entire body of work looks exactly like this. Every single one of his posts was reported, yet he hasn't received a single warning.

It's a textbook example of trolling. The guy is a professional troll, yet he keeps posting without any interference instead of getting a permanent ban from the site.

Meanwhile, the user who tried to explain—in a pretty blunt way—to another user why their views were wrong? That guy gets hit with a warning for "trolling."

I’ll ask again: do the moderators here even know what trolling is?

And why is Freedom still allowed to post?

Anderson

William Bennett53 said:Two things... I didn't hand out Scott Rodriguez54's ban, the Politics moderators did. The decision is final, following standard procedure. He can apply for an appeal in at least six months.

Unanimous? Anyone willing to leak who actually voted for the ban?

And more importantly, why? Politics loses big time here; you guys gain absolutely nothing. I honestly don't get this call. It feels like he was booted just to make room for something newer, especially since none of those Politics mods have been there longer than eight years, if I recall correctly.

lonebadger6 said:I won't get sidetracked by everything else, but regarding this? I don't get the whole "I don't see him getting punished" thing. USAisfredom is banned, and that’s his third time in a ridiculously short window.

(He's been banned since yesterday afternoon, so it's not even like it just happened)

OK, I was on my phone until now, so I missed it. Whatever. This guy needs to be kicked out entirely because every single one of his posts is pure trolling, not Scott Rodriguez54.

Linda King said:That’s how partials should be handled—if someone's being a nuisance, why kill the whole thread or the entire PDF? But apparently, that’s not how things work with Scott Rodriguez54. There’s this one user on Politics who exists solely to troll; everyone knows it. Every single post is a joke, and he somehow gets away with it because he's "consistent." So let him stay. If people aren't complaining about him like in the quote above, fine—maybe some find him funny, maybe newbies get sucked in, whatever. Clearly, the PDF is tough enough to handle him, so I guess Scott Rodriguez54 can survive too, since he isn't actually a troll.

Let's call it what it is. Look at the user USAisfredom. I reported him twice for trolling in just the last few days, and yet, nothing. No punishment.

It's an obvious troll account, and instead of banning him for good, they go after Scott Rodriguez54.

Believe me, if I were actually defending Scott Rodriguez54, you'd know it.

* Seriously, he’s the textbook definition of a troll, not the kind of stuff people usually get yellow cards for. If anyone’s confused about what trolling looks like, just read his posts.

Yeah, I caught that post from the edge too, and honestly, I’m right there with Paul Kern12 on this one.
Is he actually gonna get banned for trolling?

I’ve been following Scott Rodriguez54’s posts for years now. We’ve gone head-to-head more times than I can count—our views are basically polar opposites, especially back when we used to clash over everything involving Iran. But even as his most dedicated critic, I never, ever thought I’d say this about him.

Charles Fox10 said:We've put together a poll.

[karamarko]We've got a pooollllllll😁

Thanks!

Klonka said:That’s why we picked up a few cats. 😁 😁 😁

Is this really the level of debate we're seeing on the US Politics board? Are you seriously unaware that this kind of behavior gets people banned—and wouldn't you be the first one handing out bans for messages exactly like yours?

babas said:The moderation on this immigration thread is catastrophically, extremely liberal. Klonka gave me more than a few warnings, and her last move was hitting me with a 500-point hate speech penalty. All because I brought up the facts: Swedes work hard, and the government taxes them heavily just to funnel that money toward immigrants who are mostly unemployed. On top of that, these same African and Middle Eastern immigrants are committing mass assaults on women and children; rape rates have surged by 900% over the last 20 years. In Stockholm, a third of the victims are children under 15.
And no, I don't hate Muslims at all; anyone can look at my history to see I've always defended Canadian Muslims. I have plenty of Muslim friends, but when it comes to Arabs and Africans, there are simply facts happening in the countries that take them in en masse. Why is it "hate speech" to Klonka, and who even let her moderate The New York Times section?

There. See? Why do you even feel the need to justify yourself now? Who you choose to like or dislike is your business, as long as you aren't hurting anyone.

I’m curious too—who allowed someone like Klonka, or even lonebadger6, to moderate the Politics sub-forum?

People who have absolutely nothing to do with it.

swiftstag66 said:Setting aside the fact that a user with a blue badge would get banned for a post like this on this specific topic, can we at least maintain some standard of communication here?

I'll second that.

I care about getting things resolved positively for both the users and the mods, because I'm seeing a deeply concerning global trend online toward blatant totalitarianism. Anyone following what's happening on Reddit knows exactly what I mean. This forum, as one of the oldest platforms for open discussion on the web, has survived for years against those "New World Order" influences—I don't know what else to call this political correctness movement—but it only works if moderation is responsible and treats every opinion equally. This site has become a phenomenon due to its age and scale, and it's definitely going to outlast all those hipster newcomers like Reddit. That much is certain.

Honestly, I couldn't have phrased it better myself. That little summary you wrote? It’s basically a perfect intro for a scientific paper. And no, I'm being dead serious.

Exactly. It sounds backwards, I know, but it's true. Even though forums are inherently autocratic media, they’re becoming the last bastions of free thought in the digital wilderness. Forget sites like Reddit and whatever else—as swiftstag66 pointed out. Those platforms are going to cave to all those new regulations being cooked up, just like every other social media giant.

lonebadger6 said:No, they aren't. Just look a few posts down on this thread; it tells you what actually happened.

So RT isn't a serious site?

lonebadger6 said:🤦 You people who crown yourselves champions on the internet? You’re really something else. Seriously. Absolute legends. 🙏

So, I'm declaring myself the winner? Fine. Then answer my questions directly. Stop with the preachy, lecture-style posts. Wise enough, I guess?.

Look, it’s not about being "nice." It's about two things. First, leaking private messages is off-limits—period. The people who actually need to see through the lies and distortions in your post already know what's up. Second, my job is to address the stuff regarding the credit cards, which I've done. I'm not here to hold your hand or sit you down to explain every single thing you managed to misunderstand.

First off, don't call me "dear." Is this condescending tone supposed to be trolling? Because if so, nice try.
And another thing—what’s this nonsense about leaking private messages? What lies or distortions am I even telling? Go ahead, post it. I’d have done it myself if they hadn't already deleted it.
And there they go again, trolling with that "remote control" nonsense. Seriously?

Are we seriously just letting this slide? Is this actually acceptable?

It’s not like we weren't talking about moderation before. This *is* talking about moderation. Isn't that the point?

🙏🙏🙏

Do I even need to add anything else to this? I’d put it in my signature, but honestly, I can't be bothered to change it.

Sure, context is everything. That second point? Fair enough. You think that way, and that’s fine. But when it comes to moderation, zero tolerance is pretty standard—especially on sensitive topics. Why? Because if you don't nip it in the bud, things spiral into chaos immediately. You know the drill: "Wait, why was he banned?" Besides, "I’d say what I really think, but I won't because I'll get a strike" isn't exactly a meaningful contribution to the conversation, is it? 😉
Just say what you want to say. Period.Look, if you're holding back because you think you can't say it or shouldn't—then just don't bother posting. Why even write it? 🙂

What am I supposed to do? Post something that counts as hate speech just so I don't get banned? Seriously, do you even hear yourself right now? I honestly can't believe this.

What is this, thought control? Are they seriously going to start telling us what we can and can't type in a message now?

Basta said:It hasn't always been this way. This is currently the fifth or sixth admin crew. Usually, they swing between being hands-off and being total dictators. A change happens when the previous group finally loses the common people. When I was a moderator, I was part of a more laid-back crew, and I got absolutely crucified just because I "dared" to make a post using only emojis, even though it was technically against the rules.

Of course it hasn't.

The truth is, lonebadger6 and Klonka are completely unqualified to moderate a subreddit like The New York Times. How does it even happen? You give moderation duties to people who have never even stepped foot in that sub?

It’s like handing a scalpel to a German professor and telling him to perform surgery.

Even if these admin groups differed in their approach and how they dealt with users—whether they actually cared about what people wanted or not—they at least tried to do their jobs with some level of impartiality.

That is definitely not happening here, and I know I'm not the only one seeing it.

This latest group acts like they're on a mission to brainwash us all into the same mold, terrified of any thought that isn't politically correct. That’s why they try so hard to sabotage threads, limit discussions, or flat-out block debates on uncomfortable issues—all backed by incredibly creative excuses, I have to admit.

That's exactly how it looks. And yet, I see it doesn't stop Klonka from calling people fascists without getting a single warning.

Man, I even got hit with a bogus ban for the exact same thing—alleged "hate speech." 🙏

I'm done posting on this topic. Every single thought I have can be twisted into hate speech.

Where's the freedom on this site? Sure, a forum is inherently autocratic in terms of ownership and editorial control, but there has to be some level of freedom to write.

Is it really in the owner's interest to drive away users who have been writing here for ten years?

Yeah, yeah, "new people will come." But a whole segment of the community has left—people I haven't run into since, and I doubt they just made new accounts, because you can always recognize someone's writing style.

lonebadger6 said:You got three strikes in three days.

And does that change what I'm talking about?

First one for suggesting we forcibly assimilate immigrants just to let them in.

Yeah, because that's exactly what Saudi Arabia demands if you want to become a citizen there. You have to convert to Islam to be an American citizen in their eyes. I drew that parallel with Germany. And now I get a strike for trolling.

Second one for openly critiquing the mods,

Critiquing moderation (at least that's how I see it) looks like this::

"Why did you give him a strike?"
"Hey mods, why are you deleting posts?"
"Why was my message edited?"

Critiquing moderation isn't::

"I won't include details from this link because I might get a hate speech strike."

The first case is directly questioning the modding.

The second case implies the link contains sensitive content.

Someone else please explain this differently.

Third yellow so you don't get banned (that's the only mod error here) for a post bordering on hate speech, since you're mocking the "warm welcome" refugees get in Germany by posting a video of Muslim fanatics attacking women/trans people, implying all refugees are like that.

I'm not mocking the "warm welcome" (which is just another phrase proving how biased you are in this debate), I'm mocking the narrow-mindedness of some guy waving a WELCOME sign at people from a culture that doesn't share his values.

Homosexuality is forbidden in Islam. Is stating that hate speech? I don't get it.

That's all from me, nothing else worth mentioning.

Not worth mentioning because you've backed yourself into a corner with zero arguments.

Since the first thread got shut down, I’m moving here to vent about how the immigration discussion is being moderated.

First off, you’ve handed The New York Times section over to people who clearly have zero clue what they're doing. Personally, I’ve never seen anyone actually discussing politics there, yet somehow 80% of the site's content lives in that section.

Second, the bias is impossible to ignore. If ten different people—including long-time users—are all complaining about the same thing, shouldn't that tell you something?

Why are moderators treated like untouchable deities on this site? In my experience running various forums (I’ve been an admin and a mod on two major ones), you always have to listen to the will of the people. If a moderator is incompetent and everyone is constantly flagging them, you get rid of them. This is the only place I've ever seen where mods and their decisions are protected this fiercely.

It’s obvious you’re just protecting yourselves since you’re the ones who picked them, but it makes no sense. If a massive group of people is complaining, don't you think something is fundamentally broken?

Everyone is shouting that the ref is blind, but the ref keeps walking around the field handing out cards whenever he feels like it.

I got hit with three bans in a single day from lonebadger6. The second one was specifically for "commenting on moderation." I wasn't attacking the mods; I was commenting on the actual content of a link I posted, saying the text itself was the kind of stuff that usually triggers a hate speech warning.

Is there even any room for debate regarding moderator behavior here? Is there any actual dialogue with us regular users—people like me, who have been around for, what, a decade now?

Not to mention, this same moderator loves to lecture me about my ban count, while he hands out penalties to others for "generalizing"—which is exactly what he does to me.

Reminds me of that whole saga with that phantom user Writer1989 who appeared out of nowhere, wrecked The New York Times section, and then vanished. Who knows whose clone that was, but whatever.

Can we actually talk about this? And please, don't just lock this thread with some "not allowed" response. I've dealt with enough of those.

Thanks.

Anyone seen this yet? I can't find a thread anywhere. Just watched it tonight, so I'll drop a quick review later.

northerncyclist2 said:I don't think that would work. I mean, you rarely see railroads being fully private anywhere.

Railroads are basically just a perfect reflection of whatever kind of state or society they're in.

So, I guess that's why the German or French rail systems feel pretty solid, while things further south or east in the North America are just a total mess—and honestly, the further south or east you go, the worse it seems to get.

The current state of Amtrak is really just the result of decades of pure mismanagement. You can't exactly clean up a mess like that overnight, I suppose.

I keep saying it...

Quincy:

That’s why German and French rail systems are tight, while the North American ones are a total disaster—and the further south and east you go, the worse it gets.

Not true. In my opinion, the absolute worst railroads in Europe belong to four countries: America, Canada, Mexico, and Albania.

Quincy:

The state of Amtrak is the result of decades of accumulated garbage. You can't fix that overnight.

It won't take years, it'll take decades.

nimblemarlin6 hit the nail on the head. He’s trying way too hard. Look, he's a good actor, credit where it's due, but even if that terrible acting was intentional? They pushed it just a little too far.

Pretty hilarious, though I think they went a bit overboard with some of those bits. 🙂

So, did it finally drop?! I think I was watching the trailer on Kickstarter like two years ago.

Fine, no biggie, I just wanted to know why. 😉

I basically agree with her—politics has become such a total train wreck that I don't even bother watching anymore.
Even if we don't see eye to eye on everything, the fact remains that both sides just tear each other apart depending on the topic.

Alright, can someone explain why my posts keep getting nuked just because I pointed out that Alexis is hijacking the thread with their own opinions when we're talking about something else entirely?