New Site Comment Policy and Change in Site Administration

A Note from newestbeginning 

Many may have seen SteelPirate's farewell announcement last night.  He has left the site and disqus.  

SP opened the site several months ago and was the 'owner". He invited me to be his partner as we had shared a vision of the need for a Leftist Political site for several years.  It has been a privilege to work with him to make that site a reality. 

But life happens and things change.  SteelPirate transferred full ownership and operation of the site to me.  I am grateful to him for going to the work needed to transfer ownership and preserve the work here.  I hope that his life will be full of worthwhile things.

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What will this change mean to you?  It means that I will be asking for your cooperation and help in a few areas.

I ask for your help in trying to stay on topic in the comments, to stop the personal vendettas and diversions into personalities, old antagonisms and right wing propaganda.  Please check out the site often and participate in discussions.

I also ask for your help in "other related duties". Offering suggestions, and supporting the work here. .  Dmorista and Collectivist have taken the challenge and the plunge to write original essays for us.  Kudos and many thanks for your work guys!!

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This site is for leftist political discussion, not to prosecute personal feuds.  State and defend your political opinions - it is not about your subjective personal "feelings".  This is a site primarily for leftist OPeds and LEFTIST discourse of various stripes. Rightwing commentary will not predominate discussions; there are plenty of other venues to pursue these conversations.  What we deem to be conspiracy theories will be confined to a Conspiracy thread if we need to put one up.  

Not every idea is "equal" and those which endorse the rule of capital and the interests of the ruling class are not "equal" to those which consider the interests of the bulk of humanity; the poor and working classes.

Now about moderation...  No one wants to moderate or censor, but it has become necessary on our site because of patterns of abuse that were allowed to disrupt discussions.  We have gone back and forth about how to manage the escalating problem with vicious flame wars, and right wing infiltration of the site, and tried various approaches.  

Personal feuds and flame wars have come to predominate the political discussions, as well as other forms of right wing disruption of threads, and that is going to stop.

Formerly, the site was lenient with disruptors.  That is changing as of now.  Posters who have an antagonistic history here and who return to test our limits will be banned.  We have a  skeleton "staff" and will deal quickly in these situations.  No one is “entitled” to post here, and we do not owe anyone anything.

I am happy to welcome both Collectivist and dmorista as moderators.  Thanks for putting yourselves out there with me, men.  

Moderation decisions will be final and whining on the threads about moderation will be treated like other disruptions and will be deleted.  If you need to appeal moderation decisions, use this email that will be checked irregularly - leftistpolicscontact@gmail.com  

Thanks for bringing your best commentary to bear, comrades. 

Welcome to Leftist Politics!