I just got kicked out of the "American Bronies" group · 8:46pm Aug 16th, 2018
It's hardly the first time I've left a group, even in bad blood. But if I recall well (not the best memory anyways), this is the first time I got personally told to leave by a group's administrator. So why not mark the milestone in the blog?
You guys probably need the whole story. Also, I could use a different perspective on what I may have done wrong to not repeat it again.
Anyways, it all started on a thread about Pinochet, some weeks ago. It was a "he saved Chile from communism" kind of post, omitting the "by killing half of it" part. Naturally, as those who know me long enough, I entered the group to give the original poster a piece of my mind. I was thinking of leaving immediately after that, but I realized there were other Latinoamericans in the group, so I decided to keep my membership under the "America is a continent" principle.
Later, down that road, I got a less than savory interaction with a group's moderator whose identity will remain unspoken in this blog for privacy's sake. It wasn't anything that serious, really, but I did take note that they speak in the group's representation, so I decided to be more careful in our next encounter, as to not offend anyone.
Eventually, that next encounter happened when someone brought the subject of China. The tittle was "how do they keep on winning?", or to that effect. I interpreted it under the context of the current trade war. As I interviewed my country's chancellor in the People's Republic, I decided to add some insight from that source. Of course, again something I do end up doing naturally, in the follow up reply I added a more personal interpretation and opinion.
The same moderator came over, this time expressing a more clear rejection of my statement. Again, in view they're part of the forum's administration, and represent the group at large, I apologized for offending their sensibilities. Granted, I may have phrased it in the wrong way. I could blame the language bridge, but I think it was more of a cultural asymmetry, as I'm still not familiar with the group's inner hierarchy and idiosyncrasy.
Either way, in the following replies it was heavy implied that my opinions and comments containing them weren't wanted in the group. There was also a mention of being kicked out anyways, so I decided to leave by my own free will, of course (hey, a Dracula quote).
Strangely enough, I got kicked out not by a fault of my own, or at least I don't feel it that way. If anything, there's some sort of pride in being singled out by expressing one's principles than in being left alone for never speaking at all. But again, I may be in the wrong. Hence I here "Tell my tale to those who ask. Tell it truly - the ill deeds along with the good - and let me be judged accordingly."
(It probably is from Shakespeare, and shame on me for not being able to place it, but I'm more familiar with the Transformers, so that's what I'm quoting.)
Also, random thought: America is the name of the continent. Why only Unitedstaters alone call themselves Americans?
4920870
Because America is the only one with it in the name. If there was a Mexican Republic of America, I would agree, but that's just how it is.
4920870
Simple, because for the longest time most people could not read and right, and saying America is easier than saying the United States of America.
That and also the European Empires and the Ottoman Empire really only cared or noticed the United States because it was the wealthiest out of the countries in the North American Continent.
Basically, both the snobs at the top, and the idiots in the bottom preferred to use just America to refer to the United States.
4920870
I dunno, and I'm sorry that you got kicked of the group! At least you have a reason to possibly redeem yourself if you could.
4920899
I still see a problem. I mean, in Spanish we say "estadounidense", which roughly translates to "unitedstater", as a way to mark the difference between the country and the continent's gentilice.
4920902
Huh, at least there's a historical precedent. Too bad we, the other 34 countries in the continent got the short stick. Feels unfair, even.
4920912
Again, I still don't feel bad about it, but it is a new one. Also, redeem how? I'm not sure I'm following.
Personally I often say "American" just to to differentiate the fact that I'm Canadian (IE "I'm not American, I'm Canadian"). It's also easier to say than "person from the United States". Most of the time, when referring to someone from North America outside of the USA, one says the country they are from. If they're from South America, you say South American or the specific country. Also of note is the fact that in almost every public school in the US and Canada actively teaches that only the US and Canada are part of North America (and maybe Mexico, but not often). They tend to teach that other countries are part of "Central America", South America, the Caribbean, or not teach about them at all.
WRT the initial topic: Americans (that is, people from the USA) tend to have very "my way or the highway" mentalities, especially when it comes to politics, and even more especially when it comes to Communism and/or China. You don't seem to have done anything at all, aside from someone getting offended that you disagreed with their views (or as they say in most of the US, "you're an idiot or a Commie").
Dang, my group "Unsafe Space" has more toxicity than what you showed (if it can even be called toxicity or even whatever that moderator saw) and I mean this level of toxicity (and even so, that's very tame compared to other occasions) and I find it weird that you got in problems with the moderators for that stuff when other users has done worse.
I wonder if they have also been subjected to it and its why they moved to the Unsafe Space?
Whatever, you have my condolences.
4920929
Sorry, I mean if you were let back into the group or you had a chance to, you could "redeem yourself" and be able to stay in XD sorry for not clarifying.
4921033
Okay, now that one makes more sense.
On the topic, I refuse to believe the gringos are homogeneously like that. But recent experience has taught me that you do have a point there. Like you say, their way or the highway. It seems ingrained in the US culture that one's personal freedom overruns anyone else's. When YouTube actively takes down channels of trans people or reviewers for no reason, it's just the market. But if Alex Jones gets banned for issuing death threats, it's censorship. What does surprise me is the hair-trigger sensibility about it. I didn't even talk about communism, and I don't follow it.
4921076
Yeah, I'm done with the anti-PC groups anyways. As stupid as it sounds, they're even more draconian than PC groups. At least the latter get to explain down what they find offensive and why. Ann all the irony, "politically incorrect" groups in general often are just safe spaces for people who don't want to be held accountable for what they say.
4921436
If you think people don't held accountable on those groups, I recommend you to see the "Ban List" thread on Unsafe Space, where its layed out what kind of attitude is what gets you banned, because we have banned and we have made [most] trolls get "calm" in there.
But I highly disagree with you on calling those places "Safe Spaces for people who don't want to be held accountable" when nobody in either side of the political spectrum gets mercy in there (at the exchange of many of them getting very close of getting banned).
4921493
Okay, I phrased that one wrong. I meant, those groups attract people who want to say anything regardless of consequences, not unlike 4chan. I may be generalizing, but either way, the main use of those groups is fighting for the sake of fighting. Not constructive argument, fighting. The fact that your description of fairness is "no one gets mercy" really should be a red flag at this point.
You may want to convince me otherwise, but there's really no point if I don't want to join. I'm really, really tired of political arguments. I honestly don't know why I even care at this point, it's just emotionally taxing and overall stressing for no real reason anyways. Next time I have something to say, for the blog and that's it. You win.
4921553
"win"? I was [subtly] inviting you to the Unsafe Space because there are more people leaning your way and because you wouldn't be even close to be among the worst (I personally see you on a positive note) and you refused. That's not a win.
Still, I hope you get a good rest.
4921592
Okay, cards on the table. We may be friends, but we're also as politically far as we can get. I always got the impression you didn't want me around in a discussion. That may not be the intention, but it is the message you leave each time we get to argue. On that grounds, I expected you to be free of me as a win. I interpreted it wrong.
Also, let's be honest. I may be tired of doing it, but there's a finite number of "capitalist right good, everything else bad" posts I can see before jumping in and going all over again. It's not something I want to keep doing. No matter how much rest I get afterwards. I have to deal with it and then I'll get back at you later on joining or not.
4921609
You cannot grow if you live on a chamber of people that says yes to anything you claim. You may have a far different opinion than I, but it doesn't invalidates you neither means that your opinion or statement is completely wrong because it came from you. Besides, of all the people I've met with a similar ideology of yours, you are among the few so far that doesn't mock a person or outright insults them if they don't agree or have no answer to a contrarian opinion.
I also have my limits for the amount of people that still defend Maduro (trust me, there still are) or that claims that a military invasion is the only solution to this but if I shut up then they become the only voice that will be listened and that scares me even more.
4921660
True. But there's a difference in "standing up for what's right" and "getting into fights each odd post". whatever I'm currently doing, it feels a hell lot more like the later. I'd love to be like Hunter S. Thompson or Ricardo Lagos, putting the truth on display and not letting anything else go on. But in reality, I'm feeling more like Don Quijote, charging against windmills while calling them giants. Why go on if my heart won't be on it, and my mind may not even be pointing at a direction at all?
4921677
To that, all I can counsel is to be aware of what fights to pick. Not every fight is worth doing.
4921678
Yeah, that's part of the problem.
Trust me, dude. You're better off staying far away from that group.
4926686
Seems like it. Thanks for the support.