McCain Bashing D&D players

[ardantheblack]

ok, so this isn't exactly discussing game issues, but i feel this discussion needs to be made. McCain launches an attack on a specific group of people without a real connection being made, and i'm wondering if anyone can shine some light on this. Leave a comment

Comments

Let's call a spade a spade

[peter_lorax]

Typical Republican name-association bullshit.

By and large, D&D players are seen as kind of pathetic. Really, they mock us. Smart & geeky, sure, but to "the masses" D&D players are not cool or froody. The fact that Obama supportors (according to Gallup) are more educated than McCain supporters on average provides the slime that is the Republican party fertile ground to dismiss anyone supporting Obama as a smart, but pathetic loser.

Republicans always rely on slander & slime, never facts. For fuck's sake last election they managed to spin a guy who actually saw combat as less heroic than the draft-dodging national guard fucknut (Dubya) who went AWOL because he'd fail a physical for cocaine use.

Its just typical political BS. Our hobby just happens to be employed here to convey pathetic. Its like all those folks that say "gay" to mean lame, stupid, or obtuse. The true aspect of the term isn't being used, merely the negative connotations to cause a visceral response. The masses are supposed to go "I'm not one of those basement-dwelling, mountain dew main lining, obese, goatee sporting, ponytail wearing, mini-painting social outcasts. I better not vote Democratic. Screw paying attention to oh 8 years of epic fuck-ups, I don't want to be seen as one of those geeks, so I'll vote sensible Republican over radical Democrat."

What a steaming load. Oh yeah - it came out of the mouth of a Republican.

Re: Let's call a spade a spade

[snowowl]

Is that brush big enough for you or what?

Not all Republicans are insipid caricatures whose hobbies include muhahaha handwringing.

Re: Let's call a spade a spade

[cygnia]

*nods*

Hell, my husband's Republican -- and plays D&D. And he wasn't happy about Goldfarb's comments either.

They speak English in What?

[peter_lorax]

I never said Republicans are insipid caricatures - I said that in typical Republican fashion negative name connotation is being employed and that our hobby just happens to be the term used to get a rise out of people.

If you're a Republican and don't like me bashing that party's tactics, I can get that, but please, no endless arguments here. I think Republicans are absolute slime. At best, they're merely ignorant fools led by the nose - at worst, they are two-faced liars who care nothing for anything right, good or holy in this world. So now you know how I feel. If you feel the same way about me, cool, I know how you feel, but I seriously doubt a 'net forum is going to change either of our outlooks. Let us loathe each other without going round and round and round and round and round about how much of an idiot the other is.

Re: They speak English in What?

[snowowl]

You don't need to say word-for-word that Republicans are insipid caricatures when you say things like "Republicans are absolute slime." That crosses the line from expressing your views to merely slinging insults -- which, ironically enough, you're accusing all Republicans of doing.

By the way, I can't count the number of times I've been called awful names by Democrats just because they disagreed with me politically. Neither party has clean hands, and only a person blinded by partisanship would insist otherwise.

Wow

[peter_lorax]

I've got this cross I'm not using, would you like to nail yourself to it?

Republicans are slime. That's my opinion, and I shared it because the thread started with something said by a Republican spin doctor.

I am by no means saying Democrats have cleans hands - um, hello, Edwards fucked some other woman while his wife was getting chemo. I never claimed Democrats are fautless. It is you who are putting words in my mouth.

It boils down to this. I said Republicans suck. You can not let me express that without vilifying me. Great. That's your bit. Enjoy your cross. The difference is that if a thread got rolling about how some Democrat spin doctor said something negative about gaming and a poster said Democrats suck, those low-moral, spineless fucknuts - I would get that the poster is expressing an opinion, would not take it personally and waste space and time on a freaking gaming forum bitching about it.

Re: Wow

[snowowl]

Why can't you express yourself with calling other people names? That's what I don't get. You act like you HAVE to put other people down in order to express yourself. Instead of pointing fingers at me and crying about how I'm trying to be a martyr, maybe re-read my comment and realize why your statements make you look like an asshat instead of actually communicating the deeper point you're trying to make.

Uh, no

[peter_lorax]

If someone can't get the point of my original post: Spin doctor is using the term D&D crowd to mean "smart but pathetic" and create a visceral reaction in the masses because I call Republicans slime, then I lament their lack of English comprehension.

It is you who complained about me calling Republicans slime, and thus got away from the point. Me calling them slime/scum is an opinion, not a gauntlet being cast. Rather than dismiss my different from you opinion, you railed against my word choice. Seriously, if I had said "Most republicans are slime" it apparently would not have flared you up since your response after throwning an insult directly at me is to say "Not all."

Reality: I think Republicans are scum. I encorporated this opinion in my assesment of the comments made by the spin doctor. You jumped me and are trying to act like I punched you in the nose. I didn't. Saying Republicans are slime is not a personal insult. Sorry, its a broad generalization. If this were a political forum where all political outlooks must be tolerated, then yeah, I get how me saying One Entire Party completely sucks should get people personally offended. But this is a GAMING forum that had the rare intersection with political outlook. Me sharing my opinion that One Entire Party sucks is freaking secondary to the discussion point that "D&D crowd = smart but pathetic" in the discussed connotation. You took a tangent opinion and made a stink. I'm not out of line incorporating an opinion of the party doing the gamer bashing, but you are off the wall to take it as a personal attack and harp on about this.

If I can't say "Republicans are slime" in this RP Discuss forum, someone please flag a mod, let them review my statements and if I am out of line I will happily appologize and refrain from insulting political party affiliation on this RP Discuss forum.

Re: They speak English in What?

[sergeantbrother]

Its pretty hypocritical to go on a rant about how Republicans name call and then in the next breath to say that all Republicans are either ignorant fools or are completely evil. Then you say that we shouldn't argue after saying that people who don't agree with you are total scum.

Re: They speak English in What?

[peter_lorax]

I called myself scum too. I'm down with people thinking I'm an idiot and a scumbag.

Re: They speak English in What?

[arcturusrann]

So what I'm getting is that the comment about the D&D crowd is a horrible aspersion at an entire class of people without proper justification.

But you still feel okay with stating, "Republicans are absolute slime. At best, they're merely ignorant fools led by the nose - at worst, they are two-faced liars who care nothing for anything right, good or holy in this world."?

Seriously, you have no cause for complaining about McCain's criticism if you feel okay with making this one. He's just as justified to say we all live in our mother's basements and are spineless weaklings as you are to make the above comment.

Or, people can't just make such grossly unsupported prejudicial comments without being called on it.

Up to you how you like things, but I know what standard I prefer to apply.

Re: They speak English in What?

[peter_lorax]

Let's back up.

I discussed the context in which the term D&D crowd was being used, including my personal opinion of one party.

STOP

New thread - another poster is threatened by my opinion and goes off on my opinion, not the point of my discussion. Since my opinion is being called to attention, I clarify it so there can be no misunderstanding.

My further discussion at the shortcomings of Republicans was a response to someone seeking more discourse.

BIG difference.

A. Spin doctor making a spin doctor kind of scummy statement.

B. Guy online being told he he shouldn't think poorly of a party and responding to that with extraporlation in an attempt to communicate exactly why someone on the 'net saying "You shouldn't be that way" is completely obtuse. By sharing the depth of my distaste, the attempt was to educate the complainer as to just what folly it is to try and convince me otherwise. In the same note, I happily said that I understand that people may hold me in low reguard for my views, but that I would never be so arrogant or ignorant to try and change their mind or tell them how to think on a gaming forum.

So, nothing at all alike.

Re: They speak English in What?

[arcturusrann]

No one ever said you can't have whatever opinion of a political party you like. But going on to a forum that is likely to have at least some Republicans on it, and lashing out at them when they had nothing to do with the statement in question and are likely just as upset with it is uncalled for, baseless, inflammatory and in bad taste.

Your views are one thing, but when you go into a public forum and bash a great many of its members, then that's another. That's not an attempt to change your opinion (which I agree, seems to be so close-minded that there's no point in discussing it), but a criticism of your actions within this forum. And since that same action (calling a group of people that have nothing to do with the matter into something with which they're uninvolved and grossly insulting them in the process) approaches what is being criticized in the first place, that action is doubly worth noting.

Again, think whatever you like; but when it comes to personal aspersions toward other people in this forum, please keep them to yourself.

Re: They speak English in What?

[peter_lorax]

I don't have any personal aperations towards anyone here.

Really, all you people taking my comment as a personal attack are bonkers.

I really don't get why people are taking me calling a blatant emotion manipulation tactic (D&D crowd) a scummy and typical tactic of the Republican party, that I also happen to think are scum, as a personal attack on them. The entire origin is "This tactic is scummy." The added on, I personally find the whole party scummy, has made everyone weep like I just ran over a kitten with a lawn mower.

So since apparently STFU is no longer a no-no (had one sent my way), how about you STFU, reread my point, and not harp on the fact that you and a couple others have taken a general expression of loathing like a personal one. I mean, seriously, if someone had said a general comment like "Typical Democratic bullshit. Bunch of spineless idiots," to describe a tactic, I would not have taken personal offence, because that isn't a personal attack.

Re: They speak English in What?

[arcturusrann]

Sorry, but you don't get a pass here because you didn't refer to the Republican candidate or the party officials, but to all Republicans. The issue isn't even that of the "typical Republican name-association bullshit" comment, although exception could be taken there. Your comments that are really offensive and are direct personal attacks on any Republican member of this community (which I'm not, for the record):

"Republicans are slime."

"Republicans are scum."

And the worst of the lot:

"I think Republicans are absolute slime. At best, they're merely ignorant fools led by the nose - at worst, they are two-faced liars who care nothing for anything right, good or holy in this world."

Please note that in each of those comments, you refer to all Republicans without exception. If you didn't mean these as personal attacks against an entire class, which these statements are, then in it's your responsibility to clarify that. If you did mean to say exactly what these comments state, then you have no business in a civilized forum. It simply isn't acceptable by virtually any form of ethical behavior or etiquette to respond to a prejudicial unsupported attack against an entire class by making a prejudicial unsupported attack against an entire class.

If you can't see that, please don't bother to respond, because I have no interest in discussing anything with someone that can't be remotely reasonable and civil. I get enough of that kind of behavior from the political parties bickering with each other instead of governing properly.

Re: They speak English in What?

[peter_lorax]

I just think it is so funny how worked up people like you are getting that oh noes, I said Republicans are scum. What's better, you say you're not trying to change my behavior, and that you don't care what I do, but you just keep on like a broken record trying to make me regret my word choice. See, that's not going to happen, but hey, thanks for keeping the laughs coming.

Do continue, 'cause I know you just can't leave it at that.