Is it just me, or was the breaking of the NSA/Snowden story a big turning point...

[Silent3]

...on DU where a crazy, CT-oriented, hair-on-fire, foaming-at-the-mouth brigade (an element that's always been here to some degree) took over?

I personally do think the NSA has overstepped its bounds, I'm not happy with Obama on other issues myself, like the idea of attacking Syria... but for baby Jesus' sake, I don't think that makes Obama either Bush or Hitler. I can easily allow for the possibility of honest non-conspiratorial differences in opinion leading to policies I don't like.

While DU has always been a somewhat frenzied place, there had still been plenty of calm, rational voices here as well. They seem mostly drowned out these days. A lot of blind anti-Obama rage on one side, only countered by occasional toadying Obama support on the other.

And today I see 9/11 CT being happily lapped up and praised. I can't even be bothered to argue against it anymore. It would be pissing into the wind in the current DU climate.

I used to think that DU was much, much better than simply a left-wing antithesis of Free Republic. Of late, I think it's only a little better than that.

[lamp_shade]

1. First rec.

[trotsky]

2. I think you're right.

But I believe the pump has been primed for while. What really started it was the election of President Obama. We see this all the time - when Bush was our common enemy, we could agree on more. Once a Democrat was in the Oval Office, we turn more to infighting. And the loudest, most paranoid voices shout everyone else out.

You are right about the unfortunate increasing resemblance to FR, too.

[Sanddog42]

3. Fairly new here, so I couldn't say

But I joined DU to gently caution against an insidious logical fallacy that come up as a result of a Google search.

In retrospect, maybe I should have taken the time to make small talk before saying anything of consequence, because I was immediately set upon and condemned.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/12624470

I was stunned and saddened. I had expected DU to be a place to refine our arguments, to make them stronger.

They're still convinced I'm a pro-gun infiltrator.

(see http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1262&pid=4573)

Question: What does "CT" mean?

[EvolveOrConvolve]

5. CT = conspiracy theory

Unfortunately, there are a lot of CTers at DU. In the past they were relegated to a specific forum, but the woo-ery has crept into GD quite a bit since the inception of DU3.

[skepticscott]

4. Frankly, I've always felt there was a lot more passion

than smarts on DU. Many, many people here are not conducive to rational and dispassionate thinking when they have a notion fixed in their heads.

[muriel_volestrangler]

6. I think there is a great deal of toadying Obama support from a significant group

Last edited Sat Sep 14, 2013, 10:01 AM - Edit history (1)

and one of their main tactics is to create conspiracy theories about Glenn Greenwald and Edward Snowden. Hence the endless accusations that they have done all this to bring down Obama, that Snowden is a spy for Russia, that Greenwald is doing all this so he can write a book (that is, I think, the most ignorant, anti-intellectual claim I've see DUers dare to make - as if books are a bad thing written by bad people), or that The Guardian is a secret front for the British intelligence services, who are trying to hurt Obama (yes, that really has been put forward by a DUer). When Morales' plane was force to land, they came up with endless accusations that it was all made up by Morales, and Tarheel_Dem revealed himself as a racist who hates Latin Americans in general.

Seriously, the unbelievable conspiracy theories are put forward by the Obama-can-do-no-wrong brigade. The down-with-the-NSA brigade are just repeating a realistic military-industrial-complex story, which has been highly credible since President Eisenhower stated it over 50 years ago.

9/11 CTs have had significant DU support since both you and I have been here, and it is most obvious every Sept 11th. Just like the theories about who killed JFK come out every November, and will be especially prominent this 50th anniversary.

[uriel1972]

7. I have not been visiting DU as much anymore, partly because of this...

I think it all started when I learned my dislike of The President's policies was because I was a frothing at the mouth, Romney supporting, anti-American racist.

[Silent3]

8. "Dislike" takes many forms.

Some people "dislike" Obama's policies in the same way that some people who talk like they're pretty damned certain the Twin Towers were rigged with explosives are "just asking questions".

I have no particular opinion on whatever degree and form of dislike you in particular have expressed.

[uriel1972]

9. On second thought dislike is probably too ambiguous...

I don't agree with some policies such as extrajudicial killings by drone strike, I think it's wrong to kill civilians even when you are at war with their country. That's just me.
I don't spend my days ranting and raving about President Obama. I think he's probably a nice guy, very capable and trying to do the right thing. I disagree with what he seems to think is the right thing to do is.
I use qualifiers, because I've never met him. I only know him through the image he presents on screen and his actions.