# Let me be real clear: this message board does NOT need conservatives **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [July 28, 2021, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-me-be-real-clear-this-message-board-does-not-need-conservatives/947474 "2021-07-28T02:12:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 15
**Author:** ![scudsucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scudsucker/32/14101_2.png) [@scudsucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scudsucker)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2021, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-me-be-real-clear-this-message-board-does-not-need-conservatives/947474/281 "2021-07-29T17:46:56Z")
While true in spirit, this seems to be inaccurate in reality. @DemonTree is a TERF, which is absolutely a minority. A sad, small bigoted minority, but a minority nonetheless. ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2021, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-me-be-real-clear-this-message-board-does-not-need-conservatives/947474/282 "2021-07-29T17:52:01Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > Earnest question for the folks who have all the objectively right answers in their grasp: I don’t think anyone has all the objectively right answers in their grasp, and I’ve never heard anyone other than a fanatic claim to. > [@](#): > > Have you never in your life been wrong about something that mattered? Yes, I used to be all kinds of uncomfortable about homosexuality or transgender topics. I used to think that, when left alone, the free market optimizes outcomes for all involved. And I used to think there was legitimate evidence for the existence of God. Oh, and I used to think there was a real debate going on about whether human-caused climate change exists or not. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2021, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-me-be-real-clear-this-message-board-does-not-need-conservatives/947474/283 "2021-07-29T17:52:04Z")
> [@scudsucker](#): > > @DemonTree is a TERF, which is absolutely a minority. I’m not convinced she’s a radical _anything_. A transphobe, sure, she is that, but they’re hardly a minority. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2021, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-me-be-real-clear-this-message-board-does-not-need-conservatives/947474/284 "2021-07-29T17:55:08Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > I generally try not to use the word anymore, but I’ll make an exception for you - you really, really are a giant cunt. The fucking nerve of you. Fuck that. Saving the bigoted epithets for folks who are really awful means you use the bigoted epithets. It was a shit move when ZPG\_Zealot did it, and it’s a shit move now. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2021, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-me-be-real-clear-this-message-board-does-not-need-conservatives/947474/285 "2021-07-29T18:01:08Z")
You’re right. It was a shit move. And she’s not worth the karma. Oh, well, _mea culpa_. I’ll donate an extra grand to the [Triangle Project](https://triangle.org.za/) this month to make up for it. ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2021, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-me-be-real-clear-this-message-board-does-not-need-conservatives/947474/286 "2021-07-29T18:05:58Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > Fuck that. Saving the bigoted epithets for folks who are really awful means you use the bigoted epithets. It was a shit move when ZPG\_Zealot did it, and it’s a shit move now. You are right. Add that to the list of things I was wrong about - if you’d have asked me a while back if people who are vile enough deserve that sort of insult, I’d probably have said yes, but LHOD makes a very good point here. Whatever DT deserves, there’s no reason to attack other women too. ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2021, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-me-be-real-clear-this-message-board-does-not-need-conservatives/947474/287 "2021-07-29T18:06:04Z")
Yeah, gotta use more creative insults. Preferably ones that make no sense. That way when they get complained about in the various ATMB threads some of us can laugh at the attempt to turn the personal into the general! ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2021, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-me-be-real-clear-this-message-board-does-not-need-conservatives/947474/288 "2021-07-29T18:12:58Z")
And this is what you don’t see conservatives do around here: call each other out for bad behavior and then have that person admit they were in the wrong. ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2021, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-me-be-real-clear-this-message-board-does-not-need-conservatives/947474/289 "2021-07-29T18:23:11Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > Have you never in your life been wrong about something that mattered? I’m wrong all the time. I try to accept the correction and not get all snarky and defensive when I’m wrong about something. I’m sure I don’t always get it right. For example, if I were pigheadedly opposed to putting adjectives in my signature line, and multiple posters patiently explained why it’s a tiny thing for me to deal with but could make a real difference to LGBTQ folks, I’d like to hope that I would realize my error and not complain that no one asked me about the change and I hope I wouldn’t say why bother since transsexuals are such a small, weird, other minority. Why do you ask? ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2021, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-me-be-real-clear-this-message-board-does-not-need-conservatives/947474/290 "2021-07-29T18:26:39Z")
> [@madmonk28](#): > > And this is what you don’t see conservatives do around here: call each other out for bad behavior No. Even if you [explicitly point out](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/equity-comes-to-schools-in-vancouver/944533/165) bad behaviour to them (oh, sorry, not conservatives, “liberals”), they’re suddenly all Mariah Carey… [![](https://media.tenor.com/images/461a73f5683767821cba688b9399a45a/tenor.gif) ](https://media.tenor.com/images/461a73f5683767821cba688b9399a45a/tenor.gif) and “not the language police” ---
**Author:** ![Saintly\_Loser](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saintly_loser/32/4045_2.png) [@Saintly\_Loser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saintly_Loser)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2021, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-me-be-real-clear-this-message-board-does-not-need-conservatives/947474/291 "2021-07-29T18:40:35Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > I generally try not to use the word anymore, but I’ll make an exception for you - you really, really are a giant […]. I thought we weren’t using that word anymore around here. You know, 'cause it’s pretty much in the same category as other words we quite rightly wouldn’t tolerate around here. ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2021, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-me-be-real-clear-this-message-board-does-not-need-conservatives/947474/292 "2021-07-29T18:44:05Z")
> [@Saintly\_Loser](#): > > I thought we weren’t using that word anymore around here. You know, 'cause it’s pretty much in the same category as other words we quite rightly wouldn’t tolerate around here That’s right, which is why MrDribble got called out, at which point he apologized. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2021, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-me-be-real-clear-this-message-board-does-not-need-conservatives/947474/293 "2021-07-29T18:46:10Z")
> [@Babale](#): > > I don’t think anyone has all the objectively right answers in their grasp, and I’ve never heard anyone other than a fanatic claim to. I think it’s pretty much happened in this thread; it’s what this thread is about; being right about stuff, shutting out the people who are wrong. > [@RitterSport](#): > > Why do you ask? Kind of a golden rule thing going on in my head. I know I’ve been wrong. I know that when that happened, it was better for everyone that the people who were right didn’t just slam the door in my face. I’m probably wrong about some stuff now and I will probably be freshly wrong about other stuff in the future. How I would wish to be treated over my own being-wrongness, is how I think we should be treating the people who we believe are wrong now. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2021, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-me-be-real-clear-this-message-board-does-not-need-conservatives/947474/294 "2021-07-29T18:48:16Z")
> [@The\_Librarian](#): > > It does save an enormous amount of time and denies the other side a platform. > > The alt-right/Q/nutjob/climate denier/anti-vax side has been hugely successful in shifting the Overton window away from rationality and decency. This is largely because the side of rational thought and decency is continuing to “debate” them, as if there is anything to debate. Let’s stop doing that. So, SDMB: stopped fighting ignorance since 2021 - _ **You’re Only Making It Worse!** _ ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2021, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-me-be-real-clear-this-message-board-does-not-need-conservatives/947474/295 "2021-07-29T18:50:13Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > I think it’s pretty much happened in this thread; it’s what this thread is about; being right about stuff, shutting out the people who are wrong. This thread is NOT about people who are wrong. It is about people who, and I quote, > [@asahi](#): > > are committed to anti-intellectualism and deliberately undermining good faith discussion. If you don’t see the difference between being “wrong” and being “committed to anti-intellectualism and deliberately undermining good faith discussion” I’m not sure I can help you. > [@Mangetout](#): > > How I would wish to be treated over my own being-wrongness, is how I think we should be treating the people who we believe are wrong now. I would want people to point out why I am wrong and make their case as to why they are right. Which is what we’re all doing here. ---
**Author:** ![TheCuse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thecuse/32/2854_2.png) [@TheCuse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheCuse)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2021, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-me-be-real-clear-this-message-board-does-not-need-conservatives/947474/296 "2021-07-29T18:51:22Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > So while you or I might not consider them forums, if you refer to their comment sections as forums you’re at least using their own terminology. Thanks ---
**Author:** ![TheCuse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thecuse/32/2854_2.png) [@TheCuse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheCuse)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2021, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-me-be-real-clear-this-message-board-does-not-need-conservatives/947474/297 "2021-07-29T18:52:34Z")
> [@Knowed\_Out](#): > > Sigh… that wasn’t the point. Fox News watchers are overwhelmingly conservative, so their forums would be full of like-thinkers, which is the definition of a “hive mind.” Sigh… I was only asking a question. Sigh… ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2021, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-me-be-real-clear-this-message-board-does-not-need-conservatives/947474/298 "2021-07-29T18:55:14Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > who thinks we should put conservatives in reeducation camps I know what that’s referencing and ouch. 🤕 ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2021, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-me-be-real-clear-this-message-board-does-not-need-conservatives/947474/299 "2021-07-29T19:26:12Z")
> [@Deeg](#): > > There are lots of liberal Dopers who argue like this as well. One difference is that they aren’t followed by tens of posts calling them out on it. On my old conservative board people like asahi would be hammered until he just gave up. This is just false. @asahi does not post like @octopus. Sure, @asahi gets emotional, and sometimes says stupid things. But he’s not disingenuous. He doesn’t deny science and facts. He doesn’t act like dismissing bad science and false facts is somehow an attack on freedom of speech. He doesn’t push talking point narratives from his preferred media. In fact, he often takes a position that is out of step with the media, and has to be told why it’s dumb. And, then—get this—he listens. He doesn’t attack everyone who tells him why he’s wrong, unlike @octopus. You are engaging in false equivalence. It’s as if you think being moderate means you have to be always in the direct center. You have to pretend “both sides” on everything. It’s like it’s important to your identity that both sides be equally wrong and bad. The same is true when you bring up Cuomo to challenge stuff about Gaetz. As we continually point out, Democrats want Cuomo to resign, but he won’t. Republicans, no the other hand, always stick up for their guy until they can’t anymore. If you compare the way Democrats and Republicans deal with this stuff, it’s clearly different. But you act like it’s the same. No, Democrats aren’t perfect. But playing _tu quoque_ or whataboutism is exactly the shit we hate. The whole problem that the OP said we have with conservatives is how they engage in a disingenuous manner. Finally, something everyone seems to miss: @asahi didn’t say that conservatives need to leave the board. He said we don’t need them. He’s arguing against the position that we need to have conservatives to have diversity of ideas on this board. And, then, in the post proper, he explains the problem is with those like **D\_Anconia** who are “committed to anti-intellectualism and deliberately undermining good faith discussion.” And then he argues that those who who push “egregious misinformation”—i.e. things that have been fact checked as being false—should get topic bans. He’s arguing that he’s tired of trying to preserve posters who engage in bad faith debate merely because they are conservative and thus offer a different viewpoint. I do not get why this controversial. ---
**Author:** ![octopus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/octopus/32/3716_2.png) [@octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/octopus)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2021, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-me-be-real-clear-this-message-board-does-not-need-conservatives/947474/300 "2021-07-29T19:29:06Z")
You are right I don’t post like asahi. I don’t advocate eradicating ideological opponents. If you were honest instead of a demented and damaged loon you’d admit that. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-me-be-real-clear-this-message-board-does-not-need-conservatives/947474.md?page=14) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-me-be-real-clear-this-message-board-does-not-need-conservatives/947474.md?page=16)