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Comment by Powell Gammill
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This tit is dry.

The only thing I find more desperate than a writer who understandably complains his beloved creation wasn't given enough exposure on the front page is some clown who won't even bother to contribute otherwise squealing hollow threats over our allowing him to be exposed to someone else's ideas.  Ideas in this particular case that did not lack from review and criticism by more mature audience members.

As for the desire that I protect and shield your mind from the ideas of others, I ain't your mommy.  Seek to suckle on the comfort of someone else's teat, because this tits run dry!

Powell Gammill

Senior Editor

Freedom's Phoenix


Comment by Drew
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People still read? im just here for the 4409 youtubes and other great videos!!!

 Reading, LOL you old people just dont get it...


Comment by Ducatijeanne
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Hello to all,

Re: the disturbing (to me at least) submissions last week by "Sumcad": 

It brought to mind a blurb I recently saw announcing that the Fed Res. had hired some big buck, big reputation spindoctor public relations type firm to improve/slant/deceive further for the Fed.  

Oh, boy I thought here we go, expect tons of deceipt, spin, lies, character destroying, etc. to spew forth on the lamestream scam/media.  I have thought more than once; Heaven help the folks who still subscribe to that medium.  Please to give them the grace to decipher the truth. 

Respectfully,

Jeanne 

 

 


Comment by foundZero
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I'm still trying to figure out what  "boycott" would mean in context. Boycott Ernie Hanckock or the site? If Jon boycotts the site does that mean he won't come around anymore? Or does this mean that Jon will withdraw the considerable advertising dollars he spends which helps maintain this free public service?

Boycotting Ernie personally, wells, I've never seen him sell anything. I've just seen him give away a mountain of free t-shirts and yard signs. And bumper stickers. And monster-freeway roadsigns. Pins, DVDs, a few other things but I've never seen him sell a scrap of it.

I'm just trying to point out the apparent contradiction of boycotting a non-commercial entity. It's a mis-application of tactics.

I would therefore conclude that the site just lost a major sponsor but I'm willing to bet I've lost more. Major sponsors for the site that is. I'm kind competitive that way. So I never heard of Edwin Sumcad but I'm beginning to think by doing so I've missed a great opportunity.

But heck, better late than never. Who's winning so far? I'm going with the underdog. Everybody here has somebody on their side but Jon so what the heck.

Boycott them Jon. Boycott them until they come wringing their hands and begging you for forgiveness. Tell them you want to see sobbing public apologies here. Don't stop for nothing and remember, I totally support you all the way.


Comment by Brock
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Alright, Ernie, I'll be your Huckleberry.

The idea that any "debate" occurs on these pages is ludicrous.  How can there be a debate when no less than Barry Hess goes tragically to ad hominem attack as the first comment on a Sumcad article?  In the time it took Mr. Hess to write that comment, he could easily have penned a rejoinder with his unique laser-focus on human liberty.

How can there be a debate when Mr. Sumcad is so successful with an obvious troll every time?  Meanwhile, great minds and communicators like Christine Smith and now (awesome!) Larken Rose go unengaged.

The old guy who talks to himself keeps coming back to your shop because you keep giving him money.  Sumcad was so desperate for the troll's reward (attention), that he began talking to himself in the comment threads.  Is it a coincidence that Ricardo Valenzuela hasn't contributed any new content since about that time?

Then, there are the authors that don't necessarily contribute directly to Freedom's Phoenix (and, we're all the poorer for it) but nevertheless often have their work highlighted: Thomas Knapp, Vin Suprynowicz, Jacob Hornberger, Mike Shedlock, Becky Akers, Karen Kwiatkowski, and on and on.  But, if readers like Jon wish to focus their attention on the very parody of a stereotypical macroeconomist, or any of the rest of us local yokels for that matter, they are missing a big forest of pro-liberty communication every day.


Comment by Jet Lacey
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As someone who regularly "ramps up the drama" by engaging writers and commenters on this site (sometimes rudely but always honestly), I believe in the right of the individual to say whatever they wish to.  But, with freedom comes responsibility; for both your words and deeds.   That is the price of admission to “Shoot-your-fool-mouth-off-land”, aka Freedom’s Phoenix.  The biggest reason I bother to write comments at all is because of the general intelligence of the posters and readers of this site.  I appreciate that anyone can basically say whatever the hell they want to.  But, you had best be able to back up those words because if you get caught talking shit, running and crying to “Papa Ernie” and “Uncle Powell” usually gets you nowhere. 

Welcome to Losertown, Population: You.     

All this reminds me of when I was about five years old; when the bigger kids would pick on me at the park near my house, I would run and cry to my parents, hoping they would fight my battle for me.  Much to my surprise, my parents didn’t stick up for me; they admonished me, pushed me out the back door, locking it behind me, and sent me back to the park to ‘handle my own business.’  That’s one tough motherf*cker of a lesson, especially for a five year-old, but it is one that serves me to this day.

Boycott or don’t, post or don’t, comment or don’t; it doesn’t matter.  What does matter is the preservation of your right to do so.

Peace,

Jet

 

Comment by Jet Lacey
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Brock, 

While your comment is dead-on correct on one level, and I do understand where you're coming from, I think it misses something vitally important on another.  When you agree with someone's opinion, as I largely do with the people that post original content here, it serves to reinforce your own belief set but it doesn't illicit the same level of atavistic reaction that comes with reading an article that you believe to be complete bullshit.

I also wholeheartedly disagree that there is no debate to be found within the comment section.

Peace, 

 Jet

  


Comment by quasi-political
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Freudian slip there Chuck? Since the door has been opened and as I proceed in a semi-respectful tone here I would like to know what your point is being involved with this website? Some time ago you posted what was in my opinion a hateful childish homophobic article followed by another article about some guy who was physically assaulted for his vebal critisism of a person. And apparently in your opinion and choice of words the moral of that story was if you don't want to get your ass beat you better keep your dick-sucker shut, is that right? Just in case you haven't noticed, the people who frequent this website could care less about sensationalized garbage gossip and by far do they share your opinion about free speech. I don't see how you can't be aware of this but I guess someone should tell you, this site is anti people like you. So in summation, you annoy the shit out of me and I just wanted to let you know. Thanks for listening.


Comment by foundZero
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No serious debate? Shut up! I so don't want to hear this. End of discussion.


Comment by Jet Lacey
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"the moral of that story was if you don't want to get your ass beat you better keep your dick-sucker shut, is that right?"

That is hi-fu*king-larious.  Can I take poetic license?  That line's a keeper; a real keeper.


Comment by Brock
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Ha!  Find one.

The last one I can remember was the last time Sumcad successfully trolled Freedom's Phoenix.  Plus, with the Freedom Forum gone, they disappear down the memory hole within a couple of hours anyway.

There is more substantive (and accessible) debate in the comment threads of the AZ Republic, LVRJ, and Sac Bee, which is to say none.

As for the first part, we don't disagree.  In fact, that's the point I made last time this issue came up.


Comment by Ernest Hancock
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The Freedom Forum will be back... someday.

There is a clitch in the code that causes the whole site to lock up. When Tyger gets done with some of the stuff he is doing I'll get him to focus on it.

I have also been toying with the idea that we can start a libertarian discuss list that was soooo helpful to me in the early days of the Internet before the trolls took over all of the open discussions.

 

The only way for it to work as an immediate and very resourceful medium that doesn't get taken over by destroyers of all that is holy, is to moderate it to some degree.

I'm thinking about how best to do that. I (as in me myself ) get to have total arbitrary power to ban anyone for any amount of time for any reason I want (likely start with a one day then one week then one month then forfreakingever ban) that would leave the Discuss list to flourish as _I_ want :)

(because I can)

We'll also be incorporating live chat into the radio show starting in July.

I've been down this road before and _know_ what is going to happen. This is why FreedomsPhoenix has been structured the way it has,... but we are always making changes and adding features that cause complications in the code and I now have three people working on it to get us caught up.

Tyger says he will be finished with the new Sales Desk (stuff you don't see but we need) by tomorrow and can then focus on the Freedom Forum, Live Chat and Email/Blog/Discuss list that we will be developing to suit all of _my_ desires and needs.

Then we'll start having some interactive (spend all of our time on FreedomsPhoenix) fun.

 


Comment by Chuck G.
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I KNEW that lil' article was going to stir the shit pot!! I wanted, so BADLY to say something to that NeoCON, but I'm glad I waited. 

Although I’m fairly new to the realization that 97.2% of the man-made world is comprised solely of lies and greed, I am learning that Mr. Hancock's unique style always finishes leaving us wiser than before. I now understand why you give some perps-or-peeps the microphone and spotlight, realizing that the valued controversy is a huge catalyst that fuels the freedom vehicle.

Now that I'm all pumped up on the truth, I just can't seem to get enough of it! Sadly, I see some of myself in the 'slacktivest' shadowy column and I know I could be doing more to help wake this hellish world up from its sleepy death. Still, I have to smile and thank God for putting people like the Truther's of Freedoms Phoenix in my life because to be quite honest, my life didn't have much meaning with all that 'american dream' swimming around in my sleepy noggin, sloshing around with all of the deceit, contradictions and endless confusion.

Thank you, Mr. 'H', and to the minion of wise who gravitate around your watch for helping to reveal what is REALLY going on in the world. We all recognize 'style worthwhile' when we see it, (thank God!) and pray for the continued success of Freedoms Phoenix.

Blessings to all you Truthers, (and prayers for all you knuckle-heads who just don't get it ;)


Comment by Brock
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Wait, Ernie's got the truth??!!??  That son of a motherless dog told me Ed had the truth and was holding it back just to screw with Shelton and the Toms! 


Comment by Ernest Hancock
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(the last aphorism on this list applies to this discussion - This article was written over 5 years ago before FreedomsPhoenix was begun. I use to write a weekly column for a local newspaper... for $10 an article just for the principle of being paid :)

By Ernest Hancock

Freedom activism 101

The following aphorisms are the work of libertarian novelist L. Neil Smith. They have been the bedrock for libertarian activism in Arizona for the last 10 years and are the best explanation I can provide for the tactics of our past/future.  Enjoy.

  • Never soft-peddle the truth. It’s seldom self-evident and almost never sells itself, because there’s less sales resistance to a glib and comforting lie.

  • Understand from the minute the fight begins that you’re going to take damage. Accept it. (You’ll always suffer more from the idiots and cowards on your own side than from any enemy.) Keep your overall goal in mind above all. Those who swerve to avoid a few cuts and bruises defeat themselves.

  • If you’re not a little bit uncomfortable with your position, it isn’t radical enough. How can you be too principled? Take the most extreme position you can. You’re claiming territory you won’t have to fight for later, mostly against your “allies.”

  • Go straight to the heart of the enemy’s greatest strength. Break that and you break him. You can always mop up the flanks and stragglers later, and they may even surrender, saving you a lot of effort.

  • Know, down to the last cell in your body, that the other guy started it. He’s the one who put things in an ethical context where considerations like decency and mercy have no referent. The less pity moves you now, the sooner you can go back to being a nice guy.

  • If you lose, go down fighting. It costs nothing extra, and now and again ...

  • Remain the judge of your own actions. Never surrender that position by default. When the enemy screams “Foul!” the loudest, you know you’re doing him the most damage. Those who help him scream are also the enemy.

  • Second thoughts, failures of confidence, nervous last-minute course-changes are all detours and recipes for defeat. The time to think is before the battle - if possible, before the war - not in the heat of it.

  • It is moral weakness, rather than villainy, that accounts for most of the evil in the universe – and feeble-hearted allies, far rather than your most powerful enemies, who are likeliest to do you an injury you cannot recover from.

  • Know, otherhandwise, that the easiest, most humiliating path to defeat is thinking that to beat the enemy you must be like him. Avoid the temptation to set your values aside “for the duration.” What’s the point of fighting if you give up what you’re fighting for? If remaining consistent with your values leads to defeat, you chose the wrong values to begin with.

  • Never aim at anything but total achievement of your goal: the utter capitulation of the enemy. Every effort involves inertia and mechanical losses, so adopting any lesser objective means partial defeat. Total victory means you don’t have to fight the same fight again tomorrow.

  • The most dangerous and successful conspiracies take place in public, in plain sight, under the clear, bright light of day – usually with TV cameras focused on them.

  • Ever notice how those who believe in animal rights generally don’t believe in human rights?

  • The function of government is to provide you with service; the function of the media is to supply the Vaseline.

  • “Wake up America ,” you demand? America doesn’t need to “wake up” – by which of course, you mean pay attention to whatever you think is important. If America weren’t already awake, paying attention to what each individual thinks is important, your milk wouldn’t have gotten delivered this morning, and you wouldn’t have any electricity this afternoon.

  • You cannot force me to agree with you. You can force me to act as though I agree with you – but then you’ll have to watch your back. All the time.

  • You may never convince the other guy, but it’s often worthwhile to keep arguing for the effect it has on bystanders, especially his allies.

Ernest Hancock can be heard weeknights on KFNX 1100am’s “Declare Your Independence with Ernest Hancock” from 6 to 8 p.m. Ernest can be reached at 602-717-5900, http://ernesthancock.com and ernesthancock@cox.net.

For a full list of quotes by L. Neil Smith go to http://lneilsmith.com/tactical. 



Comment by foundZero
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It never hurts to remember the Art Of War. Be formless and you cannot be struck. Never allow opposition to dictate the field of battle. Use all environmental factors to your advantage. You don't need to slay an enemy, only render him ineffective.


Comment by James Higginbotham
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Howdy.

the time for debate is OVER, all debating has gotten us is a TORN UP AND ALMOST DESTROYED NATION.

its now time for ACTION, and i mean REVOLUTION.

Semper Fi.

jim.

 


Comment by Noneya Business
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This is Jon, from the article published by Ernest Hancock titled “Freedom is the Answer,... What is the Question?

 

First of all, thank you for taking the tone of my email as license to express yourself in anyway you see fit. After all, it IS your website and you can do whatever you want to on it. I DO understand that. Also understand that I can choose to come to your site, send new people to your site, etc etc or NOT do so. I did not expect (contrary to some supporters beliefs) that the world would stop spinning if I did so.

 

I wasn't initially going to respond because I felt like I was being attacked merely for disagreeing with your content. I decided to after the fact because I whole-heartedly disagree with some of the things you accused me of and some of the other things yourself and your staff has remarked upon.

Re: I am sick and tired of those that would take the time to criticize those that would allow for a controversial debate instead of taking the time to engage in it. So you may understand why I would ask myself, 'of what use you are to the freedom movement' (c’mon, you know you want to engage me now more than you do Edwin Sumcad… think about that for a moment).

 

I didn't know that when I started reading your site that I was entered into some kind of weird “debate or shut up” website. I thought that I could express my displeasure with your publishing of blatant false information with a simple email and not come back if you chose to ignore said complaint. I also love how “my use” to the freedom movement is in question because I chose to question you on this matter. Doesn't sound like being open minded to me.....

 

I need NeoConned Net Trolls like Edwin Sumcad to slap your thought processes into activity. Make better arguments than "This article is so chock full of dis-info...". What dis-info? Be specific, others have been to the point that Edwin comes whinning to me to make it stop. In fact my criticism of his detractors is that they need to be more specific.

 

Actually, you don't need trolls like Mr. Sumcad to “slap my thought processes into activity.” The fact that my thought processes are actively running is why I called foul on you publishing FALSE information. You can claim it is for the spirit of debate all you want, and you can personally attack me all you want (even though you know nothing about me, other than I disagreed with your publishing of LIES). “Be specific?” I thought you would know of the reasons I objected to the article, and since it was sent in a private email, what use to write a treatise about it?

 

Well, you don’t have the power to stop the spewing of Edwin Sumcad’s bullshit. But of special note: I know I can’t either. But what I can do is provide a tool that allows ACTIVISTS to engage him on an equal field. Edwin Sumcad is just a symptom/side effect/tool of a much larger force we have to contend with.

 

 

Not having the power to stop something and promoting it are two different things. Wherever he spews his misinformation, usually there is a way to engage him. Please don't try to act like you are the lone bastion of sites that allow feedback.

 

Soooo, Jon, you are the problem, not Edwin Sumcad.There will always be Edwin Sumcads out there without the informed opposition linked directly to their propaganda and “dis-information”, FreedomsPhoenix has given you a perfect opportunity to be relevant and effective in countering this infection and you would rather bitch about having the opportunity to challenge the very ideas that you oppose.

 

Wow, so objecting to publishing of false information makes ME the PROBLEM? Did I read that right? I guess if I dont whore out articles for you, I am less relevant than Mr. Sumcad who spews false information. But hey, its all in the interest of debate right? I mean, we wouldn't want any “young” truth seekers coming to your site and finding out the truth would we? Lets have them read Mr. Sumcads articles, yeah that sounds good. Sorry I didn't fall into your plan for your site and immediately engage Mr. Sumcad in a war of the comments section. The nerve of me!

 

Please allow me to share with you what the young people I work with call such a person… a “Slacktivist”. That may mean little to our generations but to the young they know when someone is being a “slacker”. Claiming to be a ‘patriot’ while taking the time to criticize an open opportunity to directly engage the very enemy you oppose is very… I’m sure the young have a term for such behavior. I just call it lazy and typical of the behavior that allowed this country to get to where it is now.

 

 

Yes, now I am the problem not the answer. I am a slacker because I objected you to publishing false information when I should have taken it for an opportunity for a debate! Are you kidding me? Its one thing to say, “Jon, you missed an opportunity here with this,” and quite another to say “Jon, you ARE THE PROBLEM,” because you chose not to debate the editorial staff on this. Give me a break.

 

Oh yeah, I’m coming down hard on you Jon. You need it. And others that want/need/expect others to do their fighting for them should take note as well.

 

When did I ever expect others to do my fighting for me? What in the world did I say that ever gave you that impression? This is a complete BS sentence. I guess because I don't want your website to lead others astray I now expect you to fight for me? I don't remember asking you for a thing except publishing the truth.

FreedomsPhoenix is a very powerful and effective tool for ACTIVISTS.

There are at least half a dozen of our posters that I know have little value to me as a reader. After two articles from Edwin Sumcad I knew what he was and how he would serve the interests of other Activists. If you really want to punish yourself you can go to Edwin Sumcad’s writer page where all of his (Edwin Sumcad’s) material is http://www.freedomsphoenix.com/Writer-Bio-Page.htm?EditNo=156 . Now think for a moment how a concentrated effort to comment on every single one of his contributions in great and reasoned detail might have an effect on Edwin Sumcad’s ability to shape public policy in the manner he seems to desire. Edwin Sumcad's writings become a tool for freedom advocates. GET IT?!!!

 

Nope, all I see is bad information being published on your site. You can do what you want, but I wont be a part of it.

 

No, I don’t read Edwin Sumcad’s crap,… I know better. But I do read the comments and take the opportunity to use the controversy to share these thoughts when appropriate to emphasize our editorial policies (which can change anytime I want them to) and for personal satisfaction (thanks Jon, I’m feeling better already :)

 

Funny how you say you don't read his crap, because you “know better”. What about the people that don't know better? That right there is the whole basis for my beef with your policies. By the way, I am glad you are feeling better! Attacking people looking out for the greater good always feel great doesn't it?

 

So Jon, I hope you have a better understanding of how this information war is going to be won. We have a very wide spectrum of contributors, with their own following, that are exposed to FreedomsPhoenix and the input of our readers. This was the plan from the beginning. We are libertarians and are NOT AFRAID to discuss anything with anyone. In fact it is the control of what can be debated that has reduced the populace’s mind to that of a child full of fear and doubt.

 

Actually, I do have a better understanding of how the info war will be won. It wont happen by sending people to YOUR site to read Edwin Sumcads articles about how the Federal Reserve is a government entity. Like I said, I will refrain from this site from now on. Implying that I am afraid of information is ludicrous, again, you don't know me. But when you are doing the job of CBS, ABC, NBC, CNN, FOX NEWS, etc etc in the name of debate I DO DISAGREE WITH YOU AND WONT SUPPORT YOU.

 
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