re: #26 woodsman

Just a few of us here, and all of you have posted a gazillion more posts than I have — what do you all think about the evolution of LGF (and Charles) over the past few years?

Now, that is a question.

I’ve been posting here since October 23rd 2001 (registration didn’t begin until ‘04). Initially, Charles applied a very broad and tolerant moderation policy. It was a real free-for-all in the old days. Inevitably some extreme elements insinuated themselves into this and became regular and even influential posters. Even with moderation, extremism flourished though Charles started to crack down on the really obnoxious posters.

I myself have always been a capital C Conservative, a Goldwater Republican since 1964. I think some of us just did not realize how steeped in religious activist ideology some of our long time posters really were, or how extreme some of them were in their views of so-called social issues. We had a common cause, a strong one, in opposing jihad, supporting the armed forces, and exposing the machinations of the institutional media.

I am a scientist by profession and an active member of a number of rational skeptic groups. This put me at odds with some of the religious conservatives and extreme partisans here from the very beginning, especially over issues like evolution, but we got along fairly well until a couple of years ago. Other concerns were just much more important here. For a number of years, in fact, I did not fully realize that Charles had very similar views in many areas. This conflict among the lizardoids burst into the open, imho, largely because of the destructive role played by religious conservatives in last year’s political campaign and because of the increasingly prominent alliance between many other “right-wing” bloggers and the Euro-fascist elements. Changes in the media, especially the rise of right-wing talkers (IE demagogues) to real power, and their increasing extremism and recklessness, were other factors. Charles was uncompromising in his opposition to this. It was a matter of principle and some of us felt that we had to take his side. We were not really prepared for the vociferousness of the opposition, and especially for the rise of what has called “Obama Derangement Syndrome.”

To me, as a long-time participant, it does not seem that the site has changed so much as the political right has changed. This has not been for the better. Today, Goldwater himself would be vilified as a RINO and a liberal, though his views had not in fact changed very much late in his life. Our experience mirrors this shift of perception. Frankly, I could not ask to be in better company.