The Politicization of Letsrun

everybody has an opinion

King Gizzard wrote:

I am sure this has been said before, but this website is utterly exhausting. Every thread is a political take (see Strava and Saucony threads). Is it just a handful of people that spend there day spamming this website with political threads or is there that many people that feel the need to use this website as their political outlet? Is this just a pandemic thing or is this the new normal here?

Society at large is spammed by Left wing ideology every day - CNN, WaPo, NYT, MSNBC, NPR, other media outlets, Hollywood, Big Tech, academia, college/university, lower education, BLM, and, lately, corporate America.

It really makes you wonder how society would act/vote if they weren't covered in Left wing ideas every day.

I mean, really, think about that.

If it's true that this place more political than it was 20 years ago, then the answer is simple - because society is way more political than it used to be.

I think it's sad that society has become that way. Everything now is political. Hell we can't even play the national anthem without people fighting.

It used to be because that pop culture was designed to bring us together. There were only a few tv networks, etc so people designed something that would broadly appeal. Same thing with the news networks.

Now with cable tv and the Internet and the algorithms, people are pushed apart. You can go about life only hearing what you want to hear. If you are liberal you only have to hear what you want to hear as you get your news from the NY Times and MSNBC. If you are conservaitve, you've got fox news and talk radio.

That actually may make this place seem more political than it is. As people nowadays aren't even used to see the 'other side' of the argument. So when they read an argument here they aren't used to, they are triggered.

So I don't know if it's more political or if people just arent used to seeing arguments they dont' agree with.

Plus a lot of it is Covid. Let's be real. Covid is killing hundreds of thousands in this country but people have very different risk tolerances.

Upsala wrote:

King Gizzard wrote:

I am sure this has been said before, but this website is utterly exhausting. Every thread is a political take (see Strava and Saucony threads). Is it just a handful of people that spend there day spamming this website with political threads or is there that many people that feel the need to use this website as their political outlet? Is this just a pandemic thing or is this the new normal here?

It’s what Rojo, malmo and jamin want.

They run the site, I respect wejo more, he’s less driven by this nonsense.

i happen to know that to Rojo's credit, he values the site's unique ability for people of very differing viewpoints to converse, and do so in a world that has become very fractionalized, where each side get's its information in information silos and there is very little exposure to the other side. Think about it. Maybe it's exhausting because most of us don't get exposed to the other side's views anymore.

I think there's a lot of truth to that, and it makes me a lot more tolerant when i come across views and attitudes here that i don't like. At least i try to be that way....

*factionalized, not "fractionalized"

Rojo you and other mods routinely start political threads.

It’s actively encouraged here. Not saying that is wrong but you share some responsibility.

seattle prattle wrote:

Upsala wrote:

It’s what Rojo, malmo and jamin want.

They run the site, I respect wejo more, he’s less driven by this nonsense.

i happen to know that to Rojo's credit, he values the site's unique ability for people of very differing viewpoints to converse, and do so in a world that has become very fractionalized, where each side get's its information in information silos and there is very little exposure to the other side. Think about it. Maybe it's exhausting because most of us don't get exposed to the other side's views anymore.

I think there's a lot of truth to that, and it makes me a lot more tolerant when i come across views and attitudes here that i don't like. At least i try to be that way....

While I take your overall point, mods routinely delete comments and threads that go against their own personal politics.

Not a great way to get exposed to the other side.

rojo wrote:

So when they read an argument here they aren't used to, they are triggered.

You can say that again. You can thank Trump, the meetoo movement and some other things for creating a lot of nasty people, whether online or in real life.

Upsala wrote:

seattle prattle wrote:

i happen to know that to Rojo's credit, he values the site's unique ability for people of very differing viewpoints to converse, and do so in a world that has become very fractionalized, where each side get's its information in information silos and there is very little exposure to the other side. Think about it. Maybe it's exhausting because most of us don't get exposed to the other side's views anymore.

I think there's a lot of truth to that, and it makes me a lot more tolerant when i come across views and attitudes here that i don't like. At least i try to be that way....

While I take your overall point, mods routinely delete comments and threads that go against their own personal politics.

Not a great way to get exposed to the other side.

This is what makes them appear so insecure and weak.

Jimmio wrote:

Upsala wrote:

While I take your overall point, mods routinely delete comments and threads that go against their own personal politics.

Not a great way to get exposed to the other side.

This is what makes them appear so insecure and weak.

It’s very thin skinned and precious. I wish they’d be more open to different views.

Upsala wrote:

Greg wrote:

You can say that again. You can thank Trump, the meetoo movement and some other things for creating a lot of nasty people, whether online or in real life.

When the mods are triggered, they delete the post.

Sounds accurate. I saw a thread today deleted that was another poster stating how they liked a YouTube video of mine. Now of course I admit sometimes I do spam the board with my personal stuff and I try not to, but, I suspect the thread was removed because it's premise challenged the beliefs of a mod. That's my belief, however it could have been removed for another reason.

krispy kremlin._._._._. wrote:

Society at large is spammed by Left wing ideology every day - CNN, WaPo, NYT, MSNBC, NPR, other media outlets, Hollywood, Big Tech, academia, college/university, lower education, BLM, and, lately, corporate America.

It really makes you wonder how society would act/vote if they weren't covered in Left wing ideas every day.

I mean, really, think about that.

Bingo. Even Ben Shapiro said on his podcast the other day that their is a financial incentive to be extereme. I mean I imagine he took a big hit when a conservative pundit was anti trump in 2016.

Anyway. The perfect example of how everything is now political is shown in the following thread. Strava is now posting big posts about the Capitol riots. It's crazy. You can't escape politics anywhere.

krispy kremlin._._._._. wrote:

King Gizzard wrote:

I am sure this has been said before, but this website is utterly exhausting. Every thread is a political take (see Strava and Saucony threads). Is it just a handful of people that spend there day spamming this website with political threads or is there that many people that feel the need to use this website as their political outlet? Is this just a pandemic thing or is this the new normal here?

Society at large is spammed by Left wing ideology every day - CNN, WaPo, NYT, MSNBC, NPR, other media outlets, Hollywood, Big Tech, academia, college/university, lower education, BLM, and, lately, corporate America.

It really makes you wonder how society would act/vote if they weren't covered in Left wing ideas every day.

I mean, really, think about that.

All this left wing... dare I say, PROPAGANDA... and around 50% of the population still votes Republican. Pretty bonkers. Personally, I think it's absurd that a left winger can literally express themselves politically in any environment while a right winger or moderate walks on eggshells. This can't be leading anywhere good.

As for why LRC is so political, it has become a refuge for right wing commenters. Any other platform censors or disallows viewpoints that are not left wing so I think right wingers enjoy the ability to express themselves openly here. Left wingers who frequent the site then get baited into arguments . Personally, I've done my best to avoid left wing platforms as I can't stomach any of my money going into a left winger's pockets.

One good thing that might come of the end of Trump's presidency is that the MSM was in dire straits prior to his election and should viewers tune out and get back to their regular programming, the 21st century's Goebbels will be out of work which would be a victory for us all.

Greg wrote:

rojo wrote:

So when they read an argument here they aren't used to, they are triggered.

You can say that again. You can thank Trump, the meetoo movement and some other things for creating a lot of nasty people, whether online or in real life.

Greg, i think you should reconsider what you said about the me too movement.

"The #MeToo Movement can be defined as a social movement that is against sexual violence and sexual assault. It advocates for females who survived sexual violence to speak out about their experience."

Are they nasty people? Or are they people trying to deal with some unspeakably nasty things shoved upon them?

Again, please consider that.

Upsala wrote:

Rojo you and other mods routinely start political threads.

It’s actively encouraged here. Not saying that is wrong but you share some responsibility.

I find politics interesting. I have no problem starting an occasional thread on an important topic of the day as to me it's fun to debate. I 've always thought of the forum as a place where people posts things they would talk about on a long run with their teammates.

But what I think is absurd is I can't even use an app like Strava any more without making some sort of political statement.

rojo wrote:

krispy kremlin._._._._. wrote:

Society at large is spammed by Left wing ideology every day - CNN, WaPo, NYT, MSNBC, NPR, other media outlets, Hollywood, Big Tech, academia, college/university, lower education, BLM, and, lately, corporate America.

It really makes you wonder how society would act/vote if they weren't covered in Left wing ideas every day.

I mean, really, think about that.

Bingo. Even Ben Shapiro said on his podcast the other day that their is a financial incentive to be extereme. I mean I imagine he took a big hit when a conservative pundit was anti trump in 2016.

Anyway. The perfect example of how everything is now political is shown in the following thread. Strava is now posting big posts about the Capitol riots. It's crazy. You can't escape politics anywhere.

https://www.letsrun.com/forum/flat_read.php?thread=10395733

It’s not bingo at all. It’s an unbalanced poor me pile of drivel.

Fox News, OANN, Newsmax, Breitbart, Washington Times, NYP and Trump celebrities completely ignored to suit krispys poor me narrative.

rojo wrote:

Upsala wrote:

Rojo you and other mods routinely start political threads.

It’s actively encouraged here. Not saying that is wrong but you share some responsibility.

I find politics interesting. I have no problem starting an occasional thread on an important topic of the day as to me it's fun to debate. I 've always thought of the forum as a place where people posts things they would talk about on a long run with their teammates.

But what I think is absurd is I can't even use an app like Strava any more without making some sort of political statement.

I hope you see that by starting a discussion on this on YOUR website, you are doing exactly the same thing.

rojo wrote:

Upsala wrote:

Rojo you and other mods routinely start political threads.

It’s actively encouraged here. Not saying that is wrong but you share some responsibility.

I find politics interesting. I have no problem starting an occasional thread on an important topic of the day as to me it's fun to debate. I 've always thought of the forum as a place where people posts things they would talk about on a long run with their teammates.

But what I think is absurd is I can't even use an app like Strava any more without making some sort of political statement.

That’s fair.

But where it falls down is that the mods are not consistent. Political threads they don’t like get deleted. If you’re honest you’ll acknowledge that.

Take care.

seattle prattle wrote:

rojo wrote:

I find politics interesting. I have no problem starting an occasional thread on an important topic of the day as to me it's fun to debate. I 've always thought of the forum as a place where people posts things they would talk about on a long run with their teammates.

But what I think is absurd is I can't even use an app like Strava any more without making some sort of political statement.

I hope you see that by starting a discussion on this on YOUR website, you are doing exactly the same thing.

Now that is bingo.