Free Republic's target audience:

[Atticus]

The July 13th edition of The Nation features an excellent article in their "Books & the Arts" section. Written by Benjamin Lytel, it chronicles the career of German author "Hans Fallada", who remained in Germany through WWII and had his work personally editted by Goebbels. About half way through the piece, I came upon a character description that just seems to fit RimJob's frantic fans.

"---Pinneberg was a type---the salaried worker of the Weimar era who, lacking the strong unions of the proletariat or the wealth of the bourgeoisie, took unemployment and inflation on the chin, and turned to Hitler sooner and in greater numbers than any other class."

I know we're a long way from the "Weimar era", but the rest sure seems to fit the loudest,vilest, most reactionary segment of our population. Whether they are freepers, dittoheads, citizens of the Savage Nation or disciples of Hannity, O'Reilly or Randall Terry, they have been herded into jobs which just barely let them get by. They don't get overtime, have no job security and don't get health insurance that's worth a damn. And, they think that's the way it should be. They are proud of "not needing no damn union" and they consider themselves middle class because they don't use food stamps and patriots because they support the people who are screwing them 100% of the time no matter how painful or ridiculous that support may be.

A large proportion of these folks own multiple firearms. This is important because Mr. Terry and others are recently stopping just short of telling their followers to "get ready to kill some of these baby-killing, homosexual, gun-grabbing, socialist liberals!" In Germany 75 years ago, people of this mind-set were told by Hitler that they were losing their jobs and their homes and their dignity to the Jews. Today, Hate Radio et al are telling those taking it "on the chin" in this economy that it's us---and our socialism and our unions and our concern for the environment, etc., etc, ad nauseum---that are responsible for their pain.

If the other party had a similar problem, they'd be planning duplicate Guantanamos to house these loose cannons. Since we don't behave that way, we'd best be figuring out how to reach them and persuade them that there is a better way to work through this than locking and loading.

[Kievan Rus]

1. Sounds a lot like Klan members

Seriously.

After some of the racist comments they've had over in Freeperland, I wouldn't be shocked if some posters there are members of the K.K.K. or other skinhead and neo-Nazi groups.

[ZombieHorde]

2. K&R nt

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

3. These guys maybe?

Maybe they look too good and not inbred enough to be Freepers, though.

[47of74]

5. I think of the guy on the left hand side of this picture

I think of the guy on the left hand side of the above picture when I think of Freepers.

[tnlefty]

6. I have to ask

Why are you letting the woman on the right off of the hook? She's a willing accomplice and there are women involved in these hate groups.

I view FreakRepublic as the more polite, if you will, front to Stormfront.

[47of74]

7. Good point...

Wasn't my intent to let the woman off the hook, there's probably plenty of female freepers out there too.

[tnlefty]

9. Ah, but it's not just freepers...

there are women arayan(sp?) sites out there, as there are women who are members of the klan, etc.

[Chulanowa]

8. Who ARE those guys?

Is there actually a story behind that picture? Or is it just too random guys with large necks and funky ears?

[47of74]

4. Stopping short?

Nope, it's already happened where RimJob's band of idiots have turned words into deeds.