I think that we have to go beyond any potential paranoia about the site. Each one of us comes with our sets of values, and shortcomings. As far as I can see, this site tries to be as fair and open towards diverse ideas, as possible. What more can we ask for?

However, as I have just looked back as I am writing this, and I think that some people would like it to be less open, so, in that sense, I don't know what to say, and it all goes back to biases, and the social and political construction of ideas. I appreciate this site for what it is now, but I am aware that at some point, I may feel attacked to the extent where I feel a need to withdraw from it, in order to retain a sense of personal integrity and right to retain my own ideas, as a free human being.

I have noticed that for the past few years I've posted more to politics-related discussions than philosophy. — Michael

I, on the other hand, have posted much less often on political discussions. Part of my lower blood pressure, greater peace strategy.

And how come there is no info on it anywhere? — Apollodorus

Someone did mention it but the thread got deleted. I'm guessing they're leaving this thread because Banno &co are mocking the idea that there is funding from left wing organisations, making it all seem silly. I don't know. EDIT: it would look suspicious if the mods deleted this thread now.

My understanding is it is supported by the Rockefeller Foundation under a subsidiary of the Fabianism and post-modern Marxist funny handshake collective. — Tom Storm

*shrug* You can mock all you want, it doesn't change the facts.

Very interesting. If true, then that would make it a left-wing enterprise, wouldn't it? And how come there is no info on it anywhere? — Apollodorus

On the forum here, what you see is what you get. There isn't much in the way of infrastructure. There are King Jamalrob and Queen Baden and then all the little princes and princesses we know as moderators. The whole thing is run on an old IBM 486 sitting in a puddle of water in Jamalrob's basement in....Moscow!! If you contribute $10, that will double the budget for this year.

And yes, it is a pretty left-wing, or as we like to say "good," operation.

:up:

For a 100 bucks we'll let you post Nazi crap and links to Parler.

I'm guessing they're leaving this thread because Banno &co are mocking the idea that there is funding from left wing organisations, making it all seem silly. — bert1

To be quite honest, the impression I got soon after joining was that this forum does have a left-wing bias, just from the way I was attacked for pointing out inconsistencies in Marxist theory. I thought that was rather strange on a philosophy forum. And it does list marxists.org under "Other sites we like".

There doesn't seem to be much political balance there. I could be wrong, though. Or maybe these days philosophy in general does come with a leftist slant ....

I appreciate this site for what it is now, but I am aware that at some point, I may feel attacked to the extent where I feel a need to withdraw from it, in order to retain a sense of personal integrity and right to retain my own ideas, as a free human being. — Jack Cummins

Sounds like a sensible proposition.

I have no definite idea of how long I wish to be part of this forum. However, I can say that it has played a significant value in my life in the last few months. I don't know how I would have coped with lockdown isolation without it. I continue to read and write on it, but with certain reservations when it becomes a field of attack.

I have woken up and found that people are having all kinds of fierce arguments on threads which I have created. I have experienced mixed feelings about this. On one hand, I have felt annoyed, but, at the same time, felt glad that people have even logged into threads which I have written because they are my biggest contact with other people and the real world.

So, I see my participation with the site as being a potential source of stress, but also the best means I have of communication with other people. I will juggle this in my choice about engaging on this site on a longer term. I am here for critical analysis, but get put off when it gets so petty, but try to rise beyond this.

this forum does have a left-wing bias, — Apollodorus

I'd like to think this forum has a reason, rational, philosophic bias. Something that I wish several posters here would reflect upon, theirs partaking too much of rant, unreason, the irrational and unphilosophic. Free speech, after all, is never so free as some people seem to think it is. And while it can create a parlor, it cannot make one of a pigsty.

And it's a forum, which means that a few work and pay while others play. And that all of us who participate should just say, "Thank you!" - at least once in a while.

And it's a forum, which means that a few work and pay while others play. And that all of us who participate should just say, "Thank you!" - at least once in a while. — tim wood

I can't disagree with that. However, I think people might be more inclined to say "thank you" if they're allowed to criticize any system including Marxist political philosophy without being branded "Nazis" or "idiots". I don't think that would lower the intellectual level in any way. On the contrary, it might stimulate analytical thought even on the left.

I am here for critical analysis, but get put off when it gets so petty, but try to rise beyond this — Jack Cummins

I'm afraid rising beyond it is the only way. With a bit of luck it toughens you up and makes you more philosophical, too.

To be quite honest, the impression I got soon after joining was that this forum does have a left-wing bias, just from the way I was attacked for pointing out inconsistencies in Marxist theory. I thought that was rather strange on a philosophy forum. And it does list marxists.org under "Other sites we like". — Apollodorus

The forum is left-leaning and all woke and stuff from the top down. It wears it's heart on it's sleeve. It doesn't try to hide it. That does lead to certain subjects being resisted, which sometimes bothers me. I don't spend much time on political subjects anyway. People love to talk politics here, but discussions of real political philosophy are rare.

There doesn't seem to be much political balance there. — Apollodorus

Discussion subjects are generally chosen by members, not administrators or moderators, so it's not policy, it's the voice of the people. I haven't been impressed with the quality of the more conservative political discussion here, but I can say the same of political discussions in general on the forum.

To my estimation, the political debate is often more in the vein of political science than political philosophy. I'm mostly interested in relatively obscure theory, and, so, that's probably a reason, but people don't often seem too interested in talking about actual political philosophy. There's that and that it often amounts to kind of a lot of venting.

Sometimes, it's pretty good, though.

So, I see my participation with the site as being a potential source of stress, but also the best means I have of communication with other people. I will juggle this in my choice about engaging on this site on a longer term. I am here for critical analysis, but get put off when it gets so petty, but try to rise beyond this. — Jack Cummins

Your discussions are some of the best on the forum. I like the way they are all connected and, taken as a whole, paint a pretty clear picture of the things that matter to you. A consistent intellectual vision which includes a strong dose of curiosity is an effective tool.

As for squabbles, you may find them frustrating, but I think your threads have fewer than most. You should take that as a sign you are doing something right.

I don't know you're on about. Everyone agreed with you in that discussion about the SPD's alliance with the German military. Besides, no one here knows anything about the far-Left and everyone just takes my idiosyncratic theories for psychobabble.

Though @Jack Cummins is right that I ought to stop griping about hipsters and the ostensive intellectual superiority of left-wing obscurants, it does make sense that I do as they took over the movement that I was formerly a part of.

Though I do, personally, feel slighted by that cut throat politics have been taken for Egoism and that any person whatsoever is let to engage in them via a rather vapid chic, in order to have any place whatsoever in any politics that I agree with, I don't really have any other options but to critique them in such a manner that admonishes the social capital in they have secured.

Being said, there's no real reason for me to go on about it here, though. I'm just kind of avoiding the mensa mind game it would take to get this across to r/Anarchism or r/CriticalTheory, as The Anarchist Library is, to some extent, their kin, if you will, along with Anarchist News.

I don't know you're on about. Everyone agreed with you in that discussion about the SPD's alliance with the German military. Besides, no one here knows anything about the far-Left and everyone just takes my idiosyncratic theories for psychobabble. — thewonder

I'm not talking about the SPD's alliance with the German military at all.

I'm talking about this:

Marxism - philosophy or hoax?

But I do agree that much of what you're saying sounds very much like psychobabble. Whether it's intentional or not I cannot tell.

My thread on that ramble from Nihilist Communism may be fairly arcane, but there is actual theory. I actually kind of make a fairly conscious attempt at being somewhat explicitly clear. It's kind of funny to me.

The good old days of PF are dead and gone, they're in the grave with Blue Blood.

Here's the thing:

YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE HERE.

Your participation here is not obligatory.

I feel as if you fail to understand my paradox. Because there was nowhere else to do so, I had to use the forum to leave a set of points out there for someone on the internet to find. Having done so, I've been trying to figure out how not to have my entirely sensible ideas appraised negatively so that I can leave. That half of this forum intentionally produces a somewhat hostile social environment for me in an attempt to convince me is precisely what keeps me here. If the general attitude towards my person within the field of Philosophy online expresses a certain degree of animosity, it is likely for such sentiments to carry over into the real world. You can always just destroy my life and career because of that I was critical of an intellectual trend, though.

I feel as if you fail to understand my paradox. — thewonder

You want recognition for what you think are obvious truths, fluently expressed. You assumed folk who were attracted to a site like this would agree with you, but instead found them contrary and difficult; they had the effrontery to critique your wonderful, erudite opinions.

Same as ever other member.

Because there was nowhere else to do so, I had to use the forum to leave a set of points out there for someone on the internet to find. — thewonder

Well, that amounts to an admission that you're using the forum for your own agendas like you did with some of my threads.

As for you "leaving a set of points out there", you needn't bother because most of that stuff is totally incoherent and hardly makes sense to anyone. No offense, but you seem to have issues that can't be resolved on an online forum.

Well, that amounts to an admission that you're using the forum for your own agendas like you did with some of my threads. — Apollodorus

Fuck sake, who's agenda do you expect folk to follow?

As for you "leaving a set of points out there", you needn't bother because most of that stuff is totally incoherent and hardly makes sense to anyone. No offense, but you seem to have issues that can't be resolved on an online forum. — Apollodorus

I have a need to put information out there in the world. I have information that needs to somehow get to some other people in the world out there somewhere. It's out there now, and, so, I don't really care.

You want recognition for what you think are obvious truths, fluently expressed. You assumed folk who were attracted to a site like this would agree with you, but instead found them contrary and difficult; they had the effrontery to critique your wonderful, erudite opinions. — Banno

What is an absurd demand of any community is to expect for it to let you cultivate social capital via a set of social ploys or whatever. What is not an absurd demand is for it not to intentionally produce an environment that is hostile to you. No one here knows anything about the far-Left, anyways.

The Anarchist movement would not have let me moved on with my life without my having created a record of my reasons for leaving it. Though doing so has been an implicit purpose of my commenting here, I have made a conscious attempt to stay within the relevance of the original posts, though, have only do so successfully, being honest with myself or with everyone else. Despite what nuisance this may have been, having been already done, I'm just trying to leave well so that I can engage in my creative pursuits. Inevitably, I will eventually just bail, but it could be preferable for everyone otherwise.

I apologize for hi-jacking your thread to talk about crypto-vanguardism within the Communization current. As I thought it was actually about political conspiracy, I did genuinely think that my doing so was within its topic.

It's all good. I'm kind of just trying to take things easy now.

The Anarchist movement would not have let me moved on with my life without my having created a record of my reasons for leaving it. — thewonder

So... to leave the anarchists you have to play by the anarchist's rules.

That makes sense.

In the beaten way of an explanation, I will try to explain this again.

The Anarchist Library, regardless as to how well written or theorized anything that I put forth is, will just simply not publish me. The Anarchist movement has been making a conscious and deliberate attempt to cover-up what my ideas are because those who, at least, attempt to arbitrate it, believe for them to run counter to their own ideas. They have also been making a conscious and deliberate attempt to cover-up my reasons for leaving it. Even though I would prefer to be able to let them save face in the eyes of the world, I can not let them play spin control as they have, as it often relies upon spreading rumors about me that are detrimental to my person.

I have been institutionalized twice and diagnosed with psychosis, and, so, I may only imagine that some of these things are happening. In so far that they have been, however, I do have to alleviate what plights they have created for me.

Were I to post on r/Anarchism, should I put any of this well, my thread will merely be buried, and, should I do so otherwise, I will merely incur a certain degree of wrath. I have already attempted to do that.
In order to get what set of points across that I have to on r/CriticalTheory, I will have to encode the information that I have to get out there as theory, thereby defeating the purpose of doing so, as it is information that I need to be commonly understood.

That has left me with only this forum. Though I have, to some extent, attempted to remain on-topic, @Apollodorus is correct to assume that I do have another purpose. I already have the record that I need, though, and, so, what I have been trying to explain is that I have no reason to continue to engage in such things and would just kind of like to leave well now, since not too many people seem to be too terribly interested in chatting it up about my other ideas.

Apologies or whatever. I think that everything ought to be able to go well now, though. I don't know. It's not really all that much of a deal for anyone but me.

I apologize for hi-jacking your thread to talk about crypto-vanguardism within the Communization current. — thewonder

It's no big deal. I was just trying to help you because your statements seemed to display some psychotic or manic features apart from the fact that they distort and misinterpret historical facts. That's why I told you that you need to understand yourself (and your issues) before you understand others.