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Stefan, the SAD truth about why we respond to Greg and he is not banned from the discussion........


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For one thing he actually signed up and joined the site.
Perhaps Troy found that slightly commendable since most so-called conscious Black folks won't even make that commitment and would rather just drop a few posts as guest before dropping off the scene and not even bothering to stick around for the response!

But another sad fact is........
Racist or not, there are so few of OUR OWN people who are willing to (or capable of) engage in intelligent discussions on boards like this that sometimes even dialog with a TROLL is welcomed...lol.

It's an extreme analogy but, think of a person who has been in solitary confinement for years.
There only contact is with prison guards; so if someone comes to visit them, they're probably not going to be TOO picky about who that person is since any visitation and human communication is welcomed.

 

Another analogy would be how the biggest goofball who wouldn't get the time of day from the average woman will often get some conversation and even some play....and perhaps a bit more....from a rather ugly woman who is starving for the attention.

 


I remember you mentioned in another thread that anti-semites wouldn't be welcomed on the average Jewish platform.
While you're correct, most Jewish platforms probably have very high traffic of Jews who participate on a regular basis and engage in conversation.
A Jewish literary site the size of AALBC would probably have 50 or 60 REGULAR members engaged in routine dialog and debate on everything from the latest political issues to religious doctrine.  Not to mention many more infrequent members who add to the discussions.
There is simply no benefit what-so-ever to entertain a troll pestering the site.
 


I did quite a bit of non-professional social activism in the past, especially when it comes to fighting for the homeless, worker's rights, and fighting racial discrimination.
Low level activity, but it was enough for me to learn quite a few things about human nature in general and the behavior and thinking of our own people (AfroAmericans) in specific.  Especially what gets our attention and what the majority of us are attracted to.

One of the strangest things I noticed over the years was that no matter what social issue we were fighting for:

 Most Black people were uninterested in serious issues and were more interested in having a good time, even when those serious issues directly involved THEM like fighting for some basic shelter in the wintertime for them or keeping their jobs.
They didn't want to attend the meetings let alone sit in them for hours; infact most didn't care much for engaging in simple dialog over these issues.
Many found it too boring to hold their attention.

 

However.....

Most White people were the opposite and seemed VERY curious about our meetings and what we were fighting for and about, even when it didn't concern them directly.
If we held meetings, most of the participants were White people.
Even in a community that was majority Black....White people often made up a disproportionate number of the audience.

And they weren't shy about engaging in those meetings...asking questions, even offering money and other forms of support.

Even in racial discussions where I was unapologetically pro-Black I would often find more White people interested in dialog with me....even if they opposed my position...than many other Black people who simply were uninterested in what we had to say and wouldn't even show up.

The sad fact is, sometimes racist White trolls are more interesting to dialog with than many of your own people who obviously find intelligent and meaningful discussion about serious issues PAINFULLY BORING and will treat YOU like a troll for "bothering" them with shit they are uninterested in.

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18 minutes ago, Pioneer1 said:


For one thing he actually signed up and joined the site.
Perhaps Troy found that slightly commendable since most so-called conscious Black folks won't even make that commitment and would rather just drop a few posts as guest before dropping off the map.

But another sad fact is........
Racist or not, there are so few of OUR OWN people who are willing (or capable of) engaging in intelligent online discussions on boards like this that sometimes discussion with a TROLL is welcomed...lol.

It's an extreme analogy but, think of a person who has been in solitary confinement for years.
If someone comes to visit them, they're probably not going to be TOO picky about who that person is since any visitation and human communication is welcomed.

 

Another analogy would be how the biggest goofball who wouldn't get the time of day from the average woman will often get some conversation and even some play....and perhaps a bit more....from a rather ugly woman who is starving for the attention.

I remember you mentioned on another thread that anti-semites would be welcomed on the average Jewish platform.
While you're correct, most Jewish platforms probably have very high traffic of intelligent Jews who participate on a regular basis and engage in conversation and intelligent dialog and debate.
A Jewish literary site the size of AALBC would probably have 50 or 60 REGULAR participants engaged in routine dialog and debate on everything from the latest political issues to religious doctrine.  Not to mention the more infrequent members who pop in every now and then to add to the discussions.
There is simply no benefit what-so-ever to entertain a troll.
 


I did quite a bit of non-professional social activism in the past, especially when it comes to fighting for the homeless, worker's rights, and fighting racial discrimination.
Low level activity, but it was enough for me to learn quite a few things about human nature in general and the behavior and thinking of our own people (AfroAmericans) in specific.  Especially what gets our attention and what the majority of us are into and are attracted to.

One of the strangest things I noticed over the years was that no matter what social issue we were fighting for:

1. Most Black people were uninterested and were more interesting in having a good time, even when what we were fighting for were in THEIR immediate best interests like providign shelter or them if they were homeless or getting them jobs.
They didn't want to attend the meetings or be bothered engaging in simple dialog.
Many found it boring.

2. Most White people were the oppsite and seemed VERY curious about our meetings and what we were fighting for and about, even when it didn't concern them directly.
If we held meetings, most of the participants were White people.
Even in a community that was majority Black....White people often made up a disproportionate number of the audience.


Even in racist and racial discussions where I was unapologetically pro-Black I would often find more White people interested in dialog with me....even if they opposed my position...than other Black people who simply were uninterested.

The sad fact is, sometimes racist White trolls are more interesting to dialog with than many of your own people who obviously find intelligent and meaningful discussion about serious issues PAINFULLY BORING.

 

I have to admit, i admire Troy and think he is a gentleman. I am posting facts not just opinions on our community. The truth is hard to swallow at times but if we dont stop ignoring the truth, our community will never succeed. Deep down inside, we all know the true issues of the black community and its NOT racism, its self inflicted and irrespinsible decisons. The blame game does nothing but bolster a false sense of entitlement.

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3 hours ago, Greg said:

I have to admit, i admire Troy and think he is a gentleman. 


I share those same sentiments about Troy, however I have to wonder......

LOL....how do we know you REALLY feel that way about Troy and you're not just saying that to keep from being banned???
 

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Now that was a response I did not expect from Greg. 😆

 

Pioneer, I have no immediate plans to ban Greg, indeed I asked ya'll for your thoughts on the matter and no one wanted to ban Greg.  Indeed most enjoyed critiquing their arguments.  Shoot, Greg even inspired @Cynique to share her rapier wit and scathing critique which many of us miss.

 

Obviously, there are people who share Greg's worldview and some of them are Black.  The Uncle Ruckus archetype, which Greg epitomizes so well, was not created out of thin air by Aaron McGruder.

 

The reasons AALBC.com, at this point, does not enjoy being embraced by a much larger portion of the Black community are complex.  One is that is a book site and despite the antics on this forum it is a relatively serious one, not high brow (thought some feel that way), but not trying to appeal to the lowest common demotivator with the kind of content that you can see on tiktok.

 

@Pioneer1, the above speaks to your point about "...Black people were uninterested in serious issues and were more interested in having a good time..."  This of course is not universally true, but... it is the reason there is virtually no participation on the literary forum.  It is not like htey just dropped off the web, they are on Goodreads and Facebook discussing books.  which leads me to the another reason:

 

The white man's ice is still colder... It is a cliché, but it is one of the first lessons I learned as an entrepreneur...

 

That said this site does not survive without the support of others.  I end every newsletter with that message because it is true.  The site survives because of the support of people of all colors and at all levels.  If that ever ends the site id dead.

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Troy

 

I've met a few Black people who think and talk like Greg, but something still tells me he's not a Black man.
Perhaps maybe even bi-racial...but not "fully" Black.


As you know, I've contended over the years that the intelligent discussion has waned because the INTELLECT of our community has continued to wane over the past 50 years or so.


I remember back before 2000 when I would participate in the many Black discussion boards, there would be pages upon pages of dialog and debate....mostly with relatively intelligent and educated Black people who knew how to maneuver a computer and the internet and were knowledgeable enough of various subjects and MATURE enough to hold prolonged discussions on them.
 

Over a 20 year or so period I saw a steady decline in intellectual and civil discussion as it devolved into online beefs, petty emotionally driven arguments, threats, sexual harassment, ect...

Now much of the online dialog between Black people takes place in SOCIAL MEDIA in chatrooms like Youtube or Twitter.  And these discussions don't consist of structured dialog so much as they consist of highly individualized posts made up of 20 words or less and half of THAT is usually emoji...lol.
These social media platforms are also usually HEAVILY moderated and HEAVILY biased preventing alternative opinions to be expressed.
 

The intellectual decline is real.

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9 hours ago, Troy said:

I have no immediate plans to ban Greg, indeed I asked ya'll for your thoughts on the matter and no one wanted to ban Greg.  Indeed most enjoyed critiquing their arguments.  Shoot, Greg even inspired @Cynique to share her rapier wit and scathing critique which many o

@TroyTo me, when it comes to Greg, who may or or may not be a troll,  it's not so much his anti-black litany, as it is the stilted persona he projects. He is too sterile and, in  a word,  has no soul, - a requirement for any black spokesman who wants to be taken seriously. There's nothing about Greg that brings to a mind a "brutha", a homie who wants to pull your coat and hip you to what's really happening. He pales in comparison to such types partly because he lacks flow and only sees things in black or white; black is bad and white is good.  He ignores the subtle area where it would behoove him to give blacks credit where credit is due, and acknowledge that white is far from perfect. Add this to the fact  that he is a Trump-approving, right wing conservative and, as such, a Republican, and that voids his legitimacy in my book.

 

What Greg further represents is a mind-set that would rather condemn than empathize with the black race and that, if given a choice, would prefer to be white - which he might be.  If not,  he's just a typical black conservative who has decided that acting white - beats being black.

 

For me, he remains just a blip on my radar.

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4 hours ago, Cynique said:

He pales in comparison

He is pale in comparison with the other members, yet he is beyond the pale. In addition he is impaled by Cynique's rapier.

Cynique 

Cynic - the name of the gymnasium where Antisthenes ( the founder of the school of philosophy) taught 

Unique - since the core meaning of unique is "being the only one of its kind it is logically impossible to modify it by adverbs such as really and quite.

 

Definitions courtesy of OED.

 

SLAYING and creating an appellation that is both descriptive and a warning not heeded by fools. 

 

I don't think she nice, I know she nice.

Paraphrasing Flava Flav (I had to make this parenthetical statement, otherwise the prior sentence fragment...)

Or phonetically Sin Nique. Roughly translated the original sin.

 

@Cynique

 

 

 

 

 

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The person who calls himself "Greg" definitely dislikes Black people.

I don't believe Nels is Black. About the poster who calls himself "Greg," I could care less. I blocked him immediately.

And for those wondering why there is little interaction on this Discussion Board, look at the threads. The overwhelming majority of INFORMED Black people do not care about Republicans or their policies. They also do not engage in insulting each other or denying obvious truths. 

It's almost as if many on this forum make a concerted effort to avoid offending those who degrade us. 

Why someone is permitted to stalk these forums freely flinging putdown after putdown of Black people does not mean divergent opinions are tolerated. It probably means there's wide support for such negative views of Blacks. 

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@StefanThere is nothing more disrespectful than indifference or ridicule, which is the reaction Greg now invokes in most of the regulars on this board. He doesn't merit being taken seriously and to do so, helps him accomplish what he sets out to do.  His narrative is so blatantly anti-black and one-sided that he incriminates himself.  I find him ludicrous and will continue to tweak his nose.  

 

I'll leave the anger and indignation to those who fall into his trap. 

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@Cynique

You don't think other matters warrant our attention? Such as the demolition of the teaching of our history by certain Republican Governors?

The spirited defense of Freedom, Voting and Women's Health Rights by California Governor Gavin Newsom?

The continued amplification of vile attacks on Black Man and Womanhood by Right Wing politicians?

I'm asking these questions because he's got you caught in his trap. While you are conjuring up witty retorts to his foolishness his distractions are working quite well.

Always ask this question: Who benefits?

 

Black Trump supporters.png

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2 hours ago, Stefan said:

Why someone is permitted to stalk these forums freely flinging putdown after putdown of Black people does not mean divergent opinions are tolerated

That is exactly what that means. And some of us are big enough that we can handle it. But you keep doing you. But don't be disappointed that nobody takes your well meaning intentions to heart.

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8 hours ago, Stefan said:

ou don't think other matters warrant our attention? Such as the demolition of the teaching of our history by certain Republican Governors?

The spirited defense of Freedom, Voting and Women's Health Rights by California Governor Gavin Newsom?

The continued amplification of vile attacks on Black Man and Womanhood by Right Wing politicians?

I'm asking these questions because he's got you caught in his trap. While you are conjuring up witty retorts to his foolishness his distractions are working quite well.

Always ask this question: Who benefits?

@StefanTell me, where is it written that a forum referred to  as "Culture, Race and Economy"  must be limited to the discussion of politics?  Other subjects fall under that umbrella which are equally interesting and stimulating and in some cases provide comic relief from the gloom and doom of the black plague. Not to mention there is the option of scrolling  past what doesn't interest you. We are not all cut from the same cloth here and that, more than anything, is what makes this a provocative site, as opposed to only being a platform for long winded pontificators.  

 

Also, if you wonder why the productive exchanges have declined here, could be because it's a waste of time debating with folks incapable of admitting they might possibly be wrong about something. 

 

BTW, what's preventing you from starting threads on all of those subjects you mentioned above?? And I disagree that Greg isn't refuted on a regular basis. Who here is being influenced by what he parrots? In answer to "who benefits?"  You seem to be the only one pouting. 

 

Unlike you, I'm not here to educate adults. I'm just biding my time, ruffling feathers of those competing for "the cock of the walk" title. My prerogative. Surely you know how to ignore pests. And If the menu here doesn't serve what you want to consume because your are on a restricted diet, then you should be able to figure out that you're in the wrong place. 

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2 hours ago, Cynique said:

 

I'll leave the anger and indignation to those who fall into his trap. 

Not everyone is so discerning.

58 minutes ago, Cynique said:

Unlike you, I'm not here to educate adults. I'm just biding my time, ruffling feathers of those competing for "the cock of the walk" title. My prerogative. Surely you know how to ignore pests. And If the menu here doesn't serve what you want to consume because your are on a limited diet, then you should be able to figure out that you're in the wrong place. 

One would think. Or perhaps we can refashion the forum and indeed the world to Ne fats

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15 hours ago, Cynique said:

In a way, you are the anti-thesis of Greg. A free spirit who has a third eye. 👁️

 

This is high praise indeed. 

 

11 hours ago, Stefan said:

And for those wondering why there is little interaction on this Discussion Board, look at the threads. The overwhelming majority of INFORMED Black people do not care about Republicans or their policies.

 

Nah that is not it.  Anyone who have been online for as long as I have knows it is not as simple as that. A review of this forum's archives will tell you that.

 

11 hours ago, Stefan said:

It probably means there's wide support for such negative views of Blacks. 

 

Oh brother... come on now.  My allowing this statement and many others you have made should tell you otherwise...

 

But to @Stefan's point.  One of the well know strategies of the Republicans is to overwhelm the media with lies.  Apparently it doesn't even matter if the lies are not believed. Just getting them out there is enough to benefit the Republicans.  The fact that this site is a target of such a campaign simply means it is, presumably, significant enough to make a difference.  

 

Personally, I agree with Cynique overall assessment of Greg, and I think I and others have offered adequate responses to their posts.  

 

If there were 50 Greg's bum rushing the forums with the same type of posts I'd have to do something, and that means better understanding the nature of the posts, where they are coming from, are the using a VPN, are the accounts used elsewhere, etc.?

 

 

 

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@Troy

Since you continued to deny White Supremacy and made it a point of labeling me a troll every chance you got, I tend to disbelieve you.

Trolls are usually piss poor writers. 

I ignore posters who make little sense. That dude is an apt example of such an individual. 

 

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On 7/6/2022 at 11:30 PM, Stefan said:

Since you continued to deny White Supremacy and made it a point of labeling me a troll every chance you got, I tend to disbelieve you.

 

Says the Troll...

 

Trolls also contiguously repeat false even absurd statements (ex Troy denies the existence of white racism).  As far as labeling you a troll.  Any one who has been here more than 5 minutes knows calling someone a troll is not something I do lightly.  I call 'em as I see 'em.

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