You will be assimilated.

[redguard2009]

Does assimilation in the OI really work?

There've been a few people who've been "turned" over the course of their duration in the OI. I'm talking more of those people who actively participated in discussion in the OI for long periods of time, not those who were tossed in here like so much garbage and then re-appear out of the blue a year later claiming they're "changed".

Looking at past posts it seems the CultofAbeLincoln guy is becoming more and more assimilated. It's subtle, but I think I've noticed it, and I wonder if he has, too.

In general there seems to be a little bit of a lull in the inherent hostility in OI. At times it becomes quite verbose with pro-capitalists making dozens of threads with titles like 'Why communism doesnt work' and "commies are dumb kids", and socialists making posts like "capitalists, answer this one" and "I think I've got you on this one!", in a never-ending banter. But lately theres more actual discussion about specific topics and much less attacks and hostility.

Maybe its just a phase. Doesnt seem like this soft period has lasted more than a couple months judging from past posts.

[534634634265]

you Maoists are dumb.:D

srsly tho, i've noticed an increase in the quality of discussion taking place here. its definitely a change from when i first started on this site. I think as the political climate around the world shifts this way and that, so too does popular opinion on various matters. No matter how reactionary/revolutionary, your conceptual map of what is good or bad is affected by changes all around you. or i hope it is anyway.

[ÑóẊîöʼn]

I think the reason is because all the kids have gone back to school.

[Qwerty Dvorak]

Remember that a few have gone the other way too, like LSD, Phalanx and myself. On a site where you discuss roughly the same topic over and over (albeit from different angles) you're bound to have a few people changing their minds. The standard of discussion and level of civility on here has definitely improved, due mainly to the fact that we have a better batch of OIers right now. We have less fly-by trolls and the ones who stay are less obnoxious, as are many of the leftists. The reactionary chatter thread has also helped things along.

[redguard2009]

I think the reason is because all the kids have gone back to school.

That's probably the answer.

[JimmyJazz]

Slightly off the topic of OI having gotten quieter lately, I don't think real assimilation--i.e., simply being convinced by the overwhelming number of arguments you are exposed to in favor of a proposition--happens to smart people. It's more like, amongst all the shit, you find a few arguments that aren't shit; diamonds in the rough as it were.

I know that's what happened to me when I became a socialist on another forum (it was a forum for "secular freethinkers"). It had quite a few socialists, most of whom were not particularly good at logic and arguing as far as I could see, but one or two who really stood out and eventually convinced me.

Whoever has the best arguments wins, I think. Unless you're under extreme psychological pressure to believe (Patty Hearst, Winston in 1984, a kid in a super-fundamentalist religious home), you never really become convinced because of the great quantity of arguments.

/serious business derail

More on topic, I miss the arguments that GeneCosta, Kwisatz and GPDP used to get into with OI libertarians. Where did the former two disappear to?

[Bud Struggle]

Slightly off the topic of OI having gotten quieter lately, I don't think real assimilation--i.e., simply being convinced by the overwhelming number of arguments you are exposed to in favor of a proposition--happens to smart people.

Well, if you want to believe that, fine. :rolleyes: But for the most part OIers have been people of reasonable understanding of events trying to give reasonable answers to reasonable questions--and for the most part we've been insulted off the board. We have tried to give interesting and informative answers to interesting questions and we've been met with personal invective.

All fine, and I have no problem with that, but it does your cause no good whatsoever. And as long you sideline reasonable Communists the world will continue as it has.

As a Capitalist I have no problem with ten thousand RevLefs and all it's posters spouting all the Communist (Marxist and otherwise) propaganda it could get a hold of. But I would fear ten Demogorgons or RGackys speaking their minds in private. They are dangerous people with dangerous common sense ideas.

We Capitalists didn't get where we are by not know who our real enemies are.

:)

[redguard2009]

For someone who's got over 3,000 posts in less than a year, all in the OI... I don't know how seriously we can take you.

I mean, you're essentially the OI troll at this point in time. I don't really know why the CC keeps you around, as you've long outlived your purpose. Maybe out of some desire to not seem too "heavy-handed". But I'd prefer the OI didn't degenerate into the troll's cave and was kept as a place where constructive conversation could take place with open-minded people -- which would generally leave you out (and, admittedly, a fair few leftists, but they've got the rest of the board to terrorize).

[Bilan]

I r ur enemy.

[Killfacer]

OI has been a bit quiet of late... Where are pusher and the other regular contributers, hell even tom is posting less.

[Pirate turtle the 11th]

Anyone remember the guy who used to go on about things such as how he was going to be in jail or dead and thats why could not post anyomore and also about how he wrecked his bosses trailer.

What was his name and what happened to him?

[danyboy27]

OI has been a bit quiet of late... Where are pusher and the other regular contributers, hell even tom is posting less.

i think that people post less in the OI mainly beccause during a fews month hardened commie have been playing the goon in the OI, the resuly is a large decrease of people posting.

that one of the reason why i post less, i mean, what the use of posting that will be tracked down anyway by bobkindle, or dean, or gacky, with people like that smashing every bits of your thread, you kind of decide to let it go.

i tend to believe that when there is too much people posting in the OI some extreme revlefter band together and start attacking peoples opinion and idea, accusing them to belillogic, mad stupid etc.

i seen this in action many times: the OI is empty, someone post something that is questioning communism or marxism or hat ever, then after 30 min, section is full of high rank commie club member and a fews restricted goon shoving lenin quotes or accuse the poster of being irrational, or an assole.

[Qwerty Dvorak]

The way in which debate is conducted is also rather tired unless you have a very specific interest in it. Most debates tend to revolve around 2 or 3 people quoting off classical works to each other ad infinitum. There is also a tendency amongst the leftists to focus primarily on attacking anarcho-capitalism because it's the easiest target. This frustrates people like pusher who aren't anarcho-capitalists which is probably why he left.

[Ele'ill]

Does assimilation in the OI really work?

There've been a few people who've been "turned" over the course of their duration in the OI.

Did anyone else find this opening to be really creepy?

I consider myself to be a free thinking human being. Revleft thinks i'm a primitivist anarcho capitalist astronaut. I've been called fuzzy before by someone on here although I cannot recall who it was. Peaches are fuzzy you know, and they are so sweet and yummy.

Its easy to get caught up in who is what and who believes what when and why. I think life is bigger than this. If I had to spend thirty minutes with my arch nemesis I'd ask them what their favorite season is. Do they like the snow and possibly walking for long periods of time in it. What is their favorite bird? What's their favorite childhood memory?

[ÑóẊîöʼn]

Since when was OI for "assimilation"? Are we the fucking Borg now or something?

Debating with capitalists of any stripe is bloody boring to me.

[Qwerty Dvorak]

Since when was OI for "assimilation"? Are we the fucking Borg now or something?

Debating with capitalists of any stripe is bloody boring to me.
And yet you continue to post here.

[Plagueround]

Well, if you want to believe that, fine. :rolleyes: But for the most part OIers have been people of reasonable understanding of events trying to give reasonable answers to reasonable questions--and for the most part we've been insulted off the board. We have tried to give interesting and informative answers to interesting questions and we've been met with personal invective.


I think the venom you were met with was due to your rather trollish and unrealistic assessment of Greece, and I'm almost certain you did it to rile people up.

If you notice, most regulars that respond to the OIers tend to reply with the same type of posts they are presented with.

[TheCultofAbeLincoln]

watch?v=YDiZefRj78g

[TheCultofAbeLincoln]

YDiZefRj78g

[JimmyJazz]

Slightly off the topic of OI having gotten quieter lately, I don't think real assimilation--i.e., simply being convinced by the overwhelming number of arguments you are exposed to in favor of a proposition--happens to smart people.

Well, if you want to believe that, fine. :rolleyes: But for the most part OIers have been people of reasonable understanding of events trying to give reasonable answers to reasonable questions--and for the most part we've been insulted off the board. We have tried to give interesting and informative answers to interesting questions and we've been met with personal invective.

All fine, and I have no problem with that, but it does your cause no good whatsoever. And as long you sideline reasonable Communists the world will continue as it has.

As a Capitalist I have no problem with ten thousand RevLefs and all it's posters spouting all the Communist (Marxist and otherwise) propaganda it could get a hold of. But I would fear ten Demogorgons or RGackys speaking their minds in private. They are dangerous people with dangerous common sense ideas.

We Capitalists didn't get where we are by not know who our real enemies are.

:)

what?


essentially the OI troll at this point in time

Heh. Tom you should make this your user title.