Dirty Liberals Convert RedState to WelfareState

[JollyRoger]

Got an email from Redstate.com. Since they banned me, I assumed it was an apology and an invitation to again enlighten them with my wisdom. Needless to say, I was shocked at its panhandling and awed in the defeatist attitude.

In an email soliciting handouts so they could improve the website, the following paragraphs stood out:

The bad news: our liberal "friends" - you know, the ones who believe so strongly in free speech and open debate - have done what they can to prevent us from making these improvements, so that our influence will be minimized just as we head into the 2008 presidential primary season.

No, our Blue State buddies haven't succeeded in stopping us from improving our website. But they've made it more difficult and more expensive - which is why I'm coming to you for help.

If we’d been a liberal website, we would have been able to fix the problem quickly and relatively cheaply. The online left loves Scoop. Unfortunately, there weren’t really any conservative Scoop developers out there to help us.

After being schooled by the free market solves everything wisdom espoused here, my immediate thoughts were similar to this guy's:

I'm an infrequent visitor to this website. Today though, I received an email from Red State saying that they need donations and my hard earned money because they cannot afford to run their website.

Now I'm a free market loving, do it yourself kind of guy. Are we really going to socialize our forum? Is the free market not able to handle our websites needs, and thus we need to be begging and praying? (Sorry, I'm an economic conservative, but I could do without the overtly God-inducing rhetoric)

Sorry, I just kind of thought we could do better than that. I see advertisements, I know people come through here. Is the site being monetized well enough?

I don't know, but I can say that if radical left wing sites like DailyKos and OpenLeft (I hear they have ex-Clinton operatives running that site) can monetize without begging their members for money, surely us conservatives can put our college economically superior heads together and figure out a better way than begging and praying for donations.

http://www.redstate.com/blogs/justangry/2008/jan/07/socialized_internets

So what should I think here? That the free market doesn't solve everything? That there are no conservative programmers or at least none willing to do the charity work that the corporate-owned RedState is entitled to? Isn't there a way that the site could pull itself up by its bootstraps through some sort of faith-based intelligent design? Am I no longer a trusted member of the vast left wing conspiracy since I didn't get the memo that we were interfering with RedState's sense of personal responsibility? Should I turn in my ACLU card since I still can't figure out how the VLWC did it and am therefore no longer worthy?

Anyway, I'm donating in-the-RedState a random mix of 0's and 1's in hopes that they can assemble some sort of binary (or is it heteronary?) solution. I wouldn't want the 2008 election decided because of liberal sabatoge preventing the half dozen or so unbanned RedState members from enjoying the best that handouts can offer. Please do your part in saving free speech and democracy.

That is all.

 

[Bill3000]

The free market would solve everything here. But he's asking for charity, which has teh free rider problem.

If the site can't afford to stay up, then quite frankly, it deserves it.

And the best part is that I'm not being sarcastic here.

 

[bhsup]

Republicans were the blue states in the glory days of Reagan. I have never liked the switch.

 

[Merkinball]

I'm sorry, but charity and philanthropy is one of the backbones of conservatism. Sorry you didn't get that memo...

 

[warpus]

Maybe the site just doesn't generate much traffic, thus not producing enough ad revenue?

 

[Godwynn]

That the free market doesn't solve everything?

I think it is working perfectly here.

Anyway, I'm donating in-the-RedState a random mix of 0's and 1's in hopes that they can assemble some sort of binary (or is it heteronary?) solution.

I lol'd.

 

[Merkinball]

In all seriousness, to call it "the welfare state." That's just really, really ******** JR.

Asking people for donations is hardly the definition of social welfare...

I mean...wow...

 

[JollyRoger]

I'm sorry, but charity and philanthropy is one of the backbones of conservatism. Sorry you didn't get that memo...

Why is a website worthy of it when other similar sites can prosper by utilizing successful business models? (Keeping in mind, that even a bunch of leftist commies successfuly executed such business models)

Also, did you get the memo on how this is the leftists fault? I'm on double secret probation, so I'm sure the email only outlined the generalities of a highly detailed scheme.

 

[amadeus]

In all seriousness, to call it "the welfare state." That's just really, really ******** JR.

Asking people for donations is hardly the definition of social welfare...

I mean...wow...

Merk, nothing is more collectivist than asking for private donations.

I mean, what says "socialism" more than voluntarily offering money to a service that you use and enjoy?

 

[Bill3000]

I mean, what says "socialism" more than voluntarily offering money to a service that you use and enjoy?

easy, anarchism

 

[Elrohir]

Asking for donations =/= socialism.

 

[JollyRoger]

No. It's just panhandling.

 

[Elrohir]

No. It's just panhandling.

But your title isn't "Liberals make Redstate panhandle for cash". It reads "Dirty Liberals Convert RedState to WelfareState". It's clearly inaccurate.

Why does this warrant a thread? I'm a conservative, and I don't care about Redstate. I wouldn't care if this was the Huffington Post on the left, either. This is just dumb, and is a non-issue.

 

[Merkinball]

Merk, nothing is more collectivist than asking for private donations.

I mean, what says "socialism" more than voluntarily offering money to a service that you use and enjoy? - amadeus

What is your point? That is why the notions of socialism being termed as such is utterly insulting. Socialism, state run social welfare destroys the very notions of social society. It fosters isolationism. Whereas, donations and charity through private philanthropy and private charity is direct meaningful outreach. I really don't understand. Am I supposed to be insulted or something? Websites ask for donations all the time. As if every web community is supposed to be financially solvent.

Why is a website worthy of it when other similar sites can prosper by utilizing successful business models? (Keeping in mind, that even a bunch of leftist commies successfuly executed such business models) - JollyRoger

I don't see what your point is. This is one conservative website that's asking for handouts. So what? What is your point? That conservative internet media or conservative media on the whole isn't bad? Is it somehow indicative of hypocricy? Hey, what about PBS? What about Air America? I have no problem with organizations of any kind asking for private donations. And it's really insulting that you will sit here and twist and contort private philanthropy into some sort of welfare scheme.

Also, did you get the memo on how this is the leftists fault? I'm on double secret probation, so I'm sure the email only outlined the generalities of a highly detailed scheme. - JollyRoger

This aspect seems absolutely irrelevant to me...

 

[JollyRoger]

And it's really insulting that you will sit here and twist and contort private philanthropy into some sort of welfare scheme.

Any comment on the unfounded insults lobbied against leftists in their email?

 

[Merkinball]

Any comment on the unfounded insults lobbied against leftists in their email?

I know absolutely nothing about it, so why would I comment on it. And quite frankly, that has absolutely nothing to do with your gross mischaracterizations and ignorant smear tactics.

 

[JollyRoger]

I know absolutely nothing about it, so why would I comment on it. And quite frankly, that has absolutely nothing to do with your gross mischaracterizations and ignorant smear tactics.

So you no nothing about how one should take responsibility for one's precarious situation rather than heave the blame at somebody not even involved? I'm sure there is a free market for developers and that the left has no ability to corner the market. Maybe some leftist sites are able to afford the going rate, but that still doesn't prevent RedState from securing programming talent of their own.

 

[Merkinball]

So you no nothing about how one should take responsibility for one's precarious situation rather than heave the blame at somebody not even involved? I'm sure there is a free market for developers and that the left has no ability to corner the market. Maybe some leftist sites are able to afford the going rate, but that still doesn't prevent RedState from securing programming talent of their own.

I'm still trying to figure what your mess of comments regarding this has to do with welfare...

Look, it's really easy. The free market isn't supporting their site as much as needed to maintain it to the level they want. They don't have enough advertisers. So they are asking their subscribers to donate a few bucks to keep the site a quality site in their eyes. What's the problem here, and how does that translate into welfare.

How they arrive at that point is totally irrelevant. Pretty much like this entire thread.

 

[JollyRoger]

I'm still trying to figure what your mess of comments regarding this has to do with welfare...

Look, it's really easy. The free market isn't supporting their site as much as needed to maintain it to the level they want. They don't have enough advertisers. So they are asking their subscribers to donate a few bucks to keep the site a quality site in their eyes. What's the problem here, and how does that translate into welfare.

How they arrive at that point is totally irrelevant. Pretty much like this entire thread.

Well, actually, the problem here is that they don't even see why their business model is failing. They were purchased by a publishing company last year with promises of support, but obviously the corporation is not coming through and they are having to beg. The business model would rely on advertising dollars which means the site needs eyeballs. Unfortunately, they are quick on the banning trigger ("blam" is their term for it) and many reasonable people that don't toe the editors' line get banned very quickly. The funny thing is, they shouldn't have banned the Ron Paul supporters. Those guys are notorious for sending money over the internets and could have helped the site out of their crisis.

They promote up-by-your-bootstraps, yet nobody there has bothered to become competent in site maintenance, so they have to go begging for $25k. I'll concede that welfare is not the right word for it, but their email shows how they have failed on so many right-wing talking points, yet their response is to blame somebody else. I think it was pretty entertaining myself. Sure, my thread title is over-the-top, but if a website is going to send out a mass email with a crazed victim mentality, a little mockery should be expected.

 

[Amin001]

I think they consider ron paul liberal there too. lol