Politics Section

[Wayne M.]

There was a time here when these conversations could take place, and there were boundaries that were respected.
It’s painfully obvious to me here and everywhere an opinion is had, that since 2016, the political landscape in the USA has severely shifted to a “my way or the hiway” situation. This was best illustrated when Rosanne Barr was “canceled” on TV, and was interviewed on late night TV. She said it perfectly when she explained that she already was a left leaning liberal but everyone else ran so far to the extreme left end that she appears as a conservative now. Her claim is that she didn’t change at all and that everyone else went haywire.
I totally believe this, and certain folk here are victim.
I really hope that the choices some of us have made will not cause irreparable damage to our well being, but we are surely headed down a rough road.
That said, I still enjoy the TDR in print and online. I agree that we’re only guests here, and have no say. I also realize that I can pick up and leave whenever I want- the circulation will suffer the most. Many online forums outlaw political material of any degree. I’m starting to realize, in these diseased times, that these sites run the best.
I have reset myself to only participate on mechanical discussion and walks around the barn from here on out.

 

[TDRAdmin4]

Imagine that, I can’t see the political forum any more. Twitter, Facebook and now the TDR.

Imagine that, you were warned to stop personal attacks, then doubled down on the same attack. After that, you tried coming in with another another user id to get around it. Don't play the victim card, you did this to yourself.

 

[BigPapa]

I was at one time very active in the political forum. I haven’t posted there or even been there to browse posts in a LONG time. I felt like I needed to defend my opinion on things and that if I could just explain my opinion well enough, I could persuade someone to change their mind, and if I could do this, the world would be better. It would frustrate me terribly that no matter what I posted, the people that I was “debating” just couldn’t understand they were wrong.

I came to realize that no matter what I posted or how well I explained my opinion, that I was not going to change someone’s mind. I also realized that it didn’t really matter in my life that these people were idiots () and didn’t agree with ME.

And, from the perspective of someone who doesn’t go to the political forum, you guys sound like a bunch of crybabies. The bottom line is, YOU didn’t follow the rules. It’s like I used to tell my kids when they did something wrong, got called on it, and their defense was “well so-and-so did it and you didn’t say anything!”. It doesn’t make you right because someone else did wrong.

By the way, I can’t see the political forum either, so I’d say it’s been taken down, not that you got kicked off it.

 

[DavidC]

So why did I apparently get banned as that forum does not show up for me in the forum section. Not that I really care as I very rarely frequent there. Curious minds want to know.

 

[BigPapa]

Well, I was typing my reply when TDRAdmin4 posted. Guess it is that some of you got kicked off....

 

[JR]

I was at one time very active in the political forum. I haven’t posted there or even been there to browse posts in a LONG time. I felt like I needed to defend my opinion on things and that if I could just explain my opinion well enough, I could persuade someone to change their mind, and if I could do this, the world would be better. It would frustrate me terribly that no matter what I posted, the people that I was “debating” just couldn’t understand they were wrong.

I came to realize that no matter what I posted or how well I explained my opinion, that I was not going to change someone’s mind. I also realized that it didn’t really matter in my life that these people were idiots () and didn’t agree with ME.

And, from the perspective of someone who doesn’t go to the political forum, you guys sound like a bunch of crybabies. The bottom line is, YOU didn’t follow the rules. It’s like I used to tell my kids when they did something wrong, got called on it, and their defense was “well so-and-so did it and you didn’t say anything!”. It doesn’t make you right because someone else did wrong.

By the way, I can’t see the political forum either, so I’d say it’s been taken down, not that you got kicked off it.

The frustration is the biased censorship that's been taking place. You haven't been so you don't know. Some good people have gone by the way side because of it.

Wayne hit the nail on the head. It's their court and their ball. I don't see anyone "crying" about that. Just calling things for what they have become, sadly. Censor both sides equally or neither, or better yet just do away with it all together and let it be what it's meant to be - a truck forum.

 

[DavidC]

I kind of like it as you can get a look at what's trending, curiosity mainly. Politics is a controversial subject so do not enter if you can't take the heat. Post your mind and move on as your not going to change opinions and do not cry to mama because your feelings were hurt. It's all part of the game.

 

[TDRAdmin4]

This early summer after all the political nastiness, it was spared though TDR HQ preferred it went away.
Having it go away via inactivity, strict rule enforcement and attrition was the chosen route. In hindsight, TDR's and my big mistake was hoping it would die away. It was turned off to anyone not active in it for 6 months. No one remarked about it going away for months, so apparently for the vast majority didn't care.

Here's why the politics section has seen more enforcement the past several years...
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TDR's founders are RAM Cummin's diesel enthusiasts. But that doesn't change that TDR is a business. No one can deny the political climate in this country has gotten nastier the past several years and as a business doesn't need a political section which has no upside as a distraction. TDR needs to focus it's time, energy and money on it's core mission - Dodge/RAM Cummin's diesels.
If TDR was a hobby-run site, it might be a different matter, but it's not.
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And the reality is the political forum was started because some people couldn't keep their political fights out of the other forum sections. At the time a section for the constant bickering might have been appropriate but since that time there have grown plenty of forums, blogs and news sites whose focus is general politics, liberal politics, conservative politics and everything in between.
Its probably best to take that sort of thing to those places.

 

[DonFitzwater]

Imagine that, you were warned to stop personal attacks, then doubled down on the same attack. After that, you tried coming in with another another user id to get around it. Don't play the victim card, you did this to yourself.

All of this is true besides the accusation of me trying to come in with another user ID. I do not have a different ID. You should apologize for your baseless accusation of that. I am clearly guilty of standing up for myself and my actions. You should do the same.

 

[TDRAdmin4]

The frustration is the biased censorship that's been taking place. You haven't been so you don't know. Some good people have gone by the way side because of it.

How many warnings about the rules should a person get? Some had been warned 5, 10, 15 times!

Wayne hit the nail on the head. It's their court and their ball. I don't see anyone "crying" about that. Just calling things for what they have become, sadly. Censor both sides equally or neither, or better yet just do away with it all together and let it be what it's meant to be - a truck forum.

I and TDR have been accused of being both anti-liberal and anti-conservative, we can't win. Most of the accusations are that we're anti-conservative, but look at the demographics. If, for example, a forum section is 70% conservative members, it should come as no shock 70% of the people moderated are conservative. Its not bias, its sheer numbers.

Few seem to want to see this. It's easier to cry foul, not fair, look at so and so, what about this/that, blaming others for moderation (usually calling them "cry babies"), or trying to argue their politics to me privately as if that makes a difference (and I won't engage them in this).

 

[Tuesdak]

Censor both sides equally or neither, or better yet just do away with it all together and let it be what it's meant to be - a truck forum.

@TDRAdmin4 It's time The TDR acted and simply shut down the political section. Watching the members get canceled due to removed posts we don't see is giving The TDR a black eye and leaving some of us jaded. Bluntly, fair or not, it's affecting our decision to shop Geno's Garage and renew membership to The TDR. The political climate and things going on are so bad it can't be posted on here. Profanity laden video's are the true reality of riots going on. People get fired up and it's simply a No-Win situation for The TDR.

Again this is a side effect of the nasty going on in the political arena with a bunch of out of work people with nothing better to do than riot. Sometimes as a company it's best to not be involved what-so-ever.

The TDR needs to concentrate on a reliable Cummins Diesel and related vehicle so one can leave quickly and reliably if a riot breaks out in the area one is in.

I have enjoyed the section in the past and the effort The TDR made to continue it. Watching fired up members leave over it is worse than loosing that section.

Edit: Benefit of the doubt. Even the BIG Tech Giants can't figure it out at this time.

 

[DonFitzwater]

There are three sides to every story Robert, yours, mine and the truth.

 

[TDRAdmin4]

All of this is true besides the accusation of me trying to come in with another user ID. I do not have a different ID. You should apologize for your baseless accusation of that. I am clearly guilty of standing up for myself and my actions. You should do the same.

When the software tells me "DonFitzwater & ______ are alter egos!" due to both user id's having the same unique browsing identifier, and both users have the same IP address, both are coincidently trying to post in the politics section, and the 2nd user attempts to do this with the same IP and identifier shortly after the 1st has been given a warning --- its a statistically high probability both are either the same person or two people sharing the same browser (or home/office network).

 

[DonFitzwater]

When the software tells me "DonFitzwater & ______ are alter egos!" due to both user id's having the same unique browsing identifier, and both users have the same IP address, both are coincidently trying to post in the politics section, and the 2nd user attempts to do this with the same IP and identifier shortly after the 1st has been given a warning --- its a statistically high probability both are either the same person or two people sharing the same browser (or home/office network).

I assume you mean AKgrizz? That is David Neetz. Now that we have established TRUTH, I humbly accept your future apology on this public forum. David Neetz is my coworker and is also not impressed with your censorship.

 

[JR]

How many warnings about the rules should a person get? Some had been warned 5, 10, 15 times!

.

I don't doubt it. And I'd bet they're the ones still around.

You guys are pretty dang good at moderating a truck forum and running an online parts store. And your really good at putting on fantastic get togethers that nobody else has been able to accomplish - I've witnessed it first hand and am eternally grateful for all the efforts put forth to make something of that magnitude happen. Unfortunately I have come to the agreement of many others. Probably best to leave it at that and ditch the topics that are seemingly more difficult to regulate neutrally.

 

[Wayne M.]

Understanding better how Georgia changed its colors.

 

[DavidC]

Probably best to play taps and close it. Although it was an interesting place to try and figure out how some minds work and could be down right scary if you could.

 

[AKGriz]

I assume you mean AKgrizz? That is David Neetz. Now that we have established TRUTH, I humbly accept your future apology on this public forum. David Neetz is my coworker and is also not impressed with your censorship.

It's actually AKGriz, and what Don has posted here is correct. We are co-workers, and I for one do not appreciate your jumping to incorrect conclusions. You can whine all you want about the same IP address (we're behind the same firewall at work, so yes, we have the same IP address!), but do you bother to ask? Obviously no, you'd rather "ass-u-me". And yes, I tried to log in (probably after DF was given a warning, I don't know), and when I couldn't see a "politics" forum I sent a message asking about it--a message to which I received not even the courtesy of a reply. I have never stated my opinions regarding politics on TDR, and I'm ABSOLUTELY F-U-R-I-O-U-S that mods would unjustly implicate me in their apparent eagerness to stomp out conservative voices while letting untoward, over-the-top liberal malarkey run amok. You will apologize publicly, or you will have lost my loyal membership forever--along with thousands of $ of business with Genos.

 

[DonFitzwater]

Probably best to play taps and close it. Although it was an interesting place to try and figure out how some minds work and could be down right scary if you could.

I agree, however, still waiting for a well deserved apology from TDR admin.

 

[DavidC]

I have seen the publicly disgraced and banned which I do not think was appropriate so if an apology is required it should be public also.