This is a perfect--if subtle--example of doublethink.

Robert's Rules of Order also limits people's right to speak in the service of a more productive discussion overall.  As does virtually every other set of rules, formal or informal, governing democratic deliberations, including rules governing legislative and judicial proceedures, within formal sessions, in adjunct proceedings, and in gathering testimony.

But, of course I would point out such obvious real-world parallels, seeing that I'm a part of the reality-based community.

I was highly sceptical regarding the comments rating system employed at scoop sites at first. Now I like them very much. I think community policing is the best way to go. I am very much a libertarian in my views on free speech and the like. I do not agree with some of the decisions that have been made regarding banning or deletion of posts/diaries whatever. However, I respect the right of the people that actually run these sites to do so as they see fit. I have no idea why youu may have been banned before so I can say nothing about that. What I can say is that all sorts of people come and go here and say all sorts of things from all sorts of different points of view.

You say you see hypocrisy here and that it is the same as what is happening at right wing sites that don't allow comments at all. Have you stated your complaints over there too? Accused them of hypocrisy as well? Probably not since their sites don't allow you to comment at all.

The fact of the matter is that the right wing doesn't believe in the Bill of Rights (except that part about guns which they believe in a manner different from what is actually written). The fact of the matter is they don't believe in free speech. The fact of the matter is that one of the prime tactics of the far right is the O-Reilly/Limbaugh approach of shouting down and blocking out any and all oppossing views.

Why in the world should we on the left allow our sites to be overrun by the far right wing, Constitution hating, freedom hating, totalitarians by allowing them to freely post and shout and scream and rant and rave their b.s. all over the place? That's wacko all by itself. Some degree of policing is required. Free does not mean anarchy.

The trick is in tredding that fine line between policing, decorum, sanity, and inhibiting free speech. It is not a simple job nor clear cut. And this is why I made the comment about black and white thinking. It simply isn't. It's kind of like the Supreme Court not defining pornography but saying they know it when they see it. Absolutely right. While I may not always agree with the decisions that Jerome and Markos make I applaud them for taking on a tough job and doing the best they can with it.

I also think your criticism, along with that of many others, is an important part of that process. Our free and open society is a balancing act. I don't want people cussing and making sexual comments in public where my granddaughter might be exposed to such things before she is ready. I don't want criminals and terrorists walking free and unimpeded with unrestricted access to weapons. Reasonable limits and reasonable procautions must and ought to be maintained. At the same time I do not want my freedom's limited beyond warrent and I do not want to be treated as a potential criminal or terrorist just because one in one hundred thousand actually is one. It is a balancing act. I disagree strongly with much of the so-called patriot act for this very reason. When in doubt lean in the direction of free and open. Reasonable procautions are neceeary. Giving up our free and open society is not.

This stuff is not simple nor always clear cut. Anyone that says it is and declares black and white answers for all time on such issues has not spent much time thinking it all through.

I'm not criticizing anyone for not having comments, but rather offering one possible explanation for they they do not have comments. Paul Rosenberg offered a very clear explination for why we use a moderated Scoop system--I'm offering an explanation for why they don't have comments at all. Thus the title of the post "Why Right-Wing Blogs Do Not Have Comments." I haven't argued here why they should have comments. I am also pointing out what their general lack of comments hides. When a crack in the matrix appears, I'm all for exposing it far and wide.

When this day comes people like me on the left will take the fight to those freeper shits and give them hell to pay. The blue states have most of the resources -- it won't be like the Civil War. It will end quickly and the red states will be subdued. We even have Canada and Mexico who will surely side with us...Canada being liberal and Mexico pissed about anti-immigration policies by the Right.

And I'm not going to let the rest of the posters here forget or ignore it either.  No sirree.