Game forum posters leftist?

[Thanatos]

I'm not sure if this is a real trend or not, but it does seem real to me.

I've been posting on numerous game BBS forums for years, and I've come to notice that a quantifiable majority of the posters are liberal, or at least more left-leaning.

I'm curious as to the reason for this.

[Kscott]

http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=79834

eh not so sure.

And as your profile says, your from America. On forums like this you have alot of Europeans who are generally much more liberal than what your used to in America.

[green tea]

Or, from a europeans view: what is called "left" in USA (democrats), seems from a european view more like the "right" parties in europe.

(so better dont ask what many european people might think about the republicans)

[Gwendylyn]

More young people self identify as liberal.
More young people visit game forums.

It shouldn't be a surprise, then, that there is a tendancy for game forum posters to be liberal.

[turd]

Well, first you have to identify what is "Left" and what is "Right".

Leftists usually want high taxation, heavy welfare programs, high government control and subsequently less freedom of speech and less individual responsibility. This strand of thought has hatched such lovely ideologies as the KKK, Nazis and Communists.
Rightists usually want a smaller government, less taxation and less government intrusion into their lives.

Now, because most gamers still are very young and do not earn their own money and don't like being called names or in general, nasty words, they tend to be what you'd call a "leftist". Grown ups then, who work hard to get their paycheck generally want to spend most of it themselves instead of being robbed of 50% of it and that money given to worthless, lazy bums.

That's my take on it, anyway.

[DarkGhost89]

Well, first you have to identify what is "Left" and what is "Right".

Leftists usually want high taxation, heavy welfare programs, high government control and subsequently less freedom of speech and less individual responsibility. This strand of thought has hatched such lovely ideologies as the KKK, Nazis and Communists.
Rightists usually want a smaller government, less taxation and less government intrusion into their lives.

Now, because most gamers still are very young and do not earn their own money and don't like being called names or in general, nasty words, they tend to be what you'd call a "leftist". Grown ups then, who work hard to get their paycheck generally want to spend most of it themselves instead of being robbed of 50% of it and that money given to worthless, lazy bums.

That's my take on it, anyway.

I can also see the biasness of that statement to the max... Now liberals do NOT want less freedom of speech or individual responsibility, nor did they spawn the KKK or Nazis. Hell aren't the KKK conservative? I don't think Nazis have a place on either end of the spectrume. Communism was created on a very nice idea of equality (also originally it was closer to the socialism of today), unfortunately it was based on some assumptions that made it not possible to work. Leftist wish for the welfare for as many people as possible, that means that leftist looks to the government to help less fortunate people. What you call "heavy welfare programs" and "high government control" can many times mean food for not "worthless, lazy bums" but for hardworking families that need help to pay for all the resources needed to survive. Like what? O... Iono maybe free lunch for low income students? It is true that many of our tax dollars don't go to the place we hope it would, but many times, many of the dollars to "leftest" programs do go help a family somewhere or help pay rent to a family that otherwise will not be able to pay it with other expenses. Let not forget many times all the "governmental intrusion" can also mean regulation that if left alone, someone would take massive unfair advantage at the expense of other people (like all the licenses for contractors to do buissiness). Imperfect filters is better than none.

Though I do understand, there must be a balance, paying 50% of a person's hard earned income only for 70% of that to crap isn't worth it. However, I do see the idealistic value that leftist wish to follow, and it is NOT Nazis, KKK, and massive governmental intrusion.

[danzig]

I can also see the biasness of that statement to the max... Now liberals do NOT want less freedom of speech or individual responsibility, nor did they spawn the KKK or Nazis. Hell aren't the KKK conservative?

Actually no, the KKK is deeply rooted in Democratic party of the south and actually quite progressive if you remove the hanging of people from trees and burning of crosses on people's lawns. They WERE actually a left wing group.

Though I do understand, there must be a balance, paying 50% of a person's hard earned income only for 70% of that to crap isn't worth it. However, I do see the idealistic value that leftist wish to follow, and it is NOT Nazis, KKK, and massive governmental intrusion.

And there is an idealistic value that 'rightist' wish to follow that doesnt involve killing an ethnic minority but it doesn't change the fact that was such a group in history anymore then it changes the fact that there were many similiar leftist groups that promoted governmental intrusion. Case in point Hugo Chavez for a current example of it, help the poor on one hand all while supressing opposition with the other hand. On paper alot of things look good, the problem is people themselves and implementing it all whether a 'right wing' or 'left wing' agenda.

[maxiumus_pooh]

[QUOTE=danzig;1459986]Actually no, the KKK is deeply rooted in Democratic party of the south and actually quite progressive if you remove the hanging of people from trees and burning of crosses on people's lawns. They WERE actually a left wing group.

The KKK was founded by a character named Albert Pike, a Civil War general whose statue still stands in Washington today. You won't see any social elite crying to have it torn down, however, because Pike was also a 34 degree freemason who wrote their bible, entitled "Morals and Dogma". So no, if we must believe in a right and a left, the KKK is definitely not left. Though Pike was neither right nor left. He is one of the latter progenitors of what will become a global government, as per his own morals and dogma, and transcripts written to other globalist luminaries.
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[Erik]

Actually no, the KKK is deeply rooted in Democratic party of the south and actually quite progressive if you remove the hanging of people from trees and burning of crosses on people's lawns. They WERE actually a left wing group.

Wasn't the Democratic party of the south a more right-wing party back then?
I remember something about the GOP and Democrats switching places on the political spectrum.

In any case it's just silly to associate the (mainly European) left-wing community with the American KKK.
In Europe the left-wing is most definitely the least racist.

But then again such childish behavior can only be expected from the right-wing

About the original question: it's mainly because Europeans are much more left-wing that Americans.
Compared to most European countries this forum is very much right-wing.
Young people are generally more left-wing too, but this mostly applies to students (ie the 18-30 age group), not younger people because they usually copy the orientation of their parents.

[ForgottenImmortal]

Wasn't the Democratic party of the south a more right-wing party back then?
I remember something about the GOP and Democrats switching places on the political spectrum.

In any case it's just silly to associate the (mainly European) left-wing community with the American KKK.
In Europe the left-wing is most definitely the least racist.

But then again such childish behavior can only be expected from the right-wing

About the original question: it's mainly because Europeans are much more left-wing that Americans.
Compared to most European countries this forum is very much right-wing.
Young people are generally more left-wing too, but this mostly applies to students (ie the 18-30 age group), not younger people because they usually copy the orientation of their parents.

You're right in all assumptions, indeed the Democratic party was the party of the south and conversatism. Remember, radical republicans? Republican party started as a freesoil party. Infact Strong Thurmond, a racist was apart of the democratic party till switching in the 50s. The presidencies of FDR and Truman lead many of the democratic south astray and the democrats moved their base to the industrial north and west.

[Legio XX Valeria Victrix]

Actually no, the KKK is deeply rooted in Democratic party of the south and actually quite progressive if you remove the hanging of people from trees and burning of crosses on people's lawns. They WERE actually a left wing group.

Well, they were deeply rooted in the Democratic Party, that is true, but left wing? I don't think so.

Until 1964 the Dems had a stranglehold on the South. It was the Civil Rights Act of the Johnson administration in 1964 that sent the South (i.e. southern whites) into the Republican ranks. There's still a few holdouts, like Zell Miller, but the vast majority of the South goes with whoever is less left-leaning, racially speaking.

The Democrats of the 19th Century were the conservatives. The Republicans started as the liberals in American politics. Kind of amazing that a century later they would completely swap places with one another. So, as far as the KKK goes, they are a conservative group, which by definition is not left wing, but when they were formed, the Democratic Party wasn't left wing at all, the Republicans were.

That's why all this "Party of Lincoln" crap is just that, it ceased to be the party of Lincoln in 1964, when they went against the Civil Rights Act and the political parties pulled a switcheroo.

[General Dissaray]

Well, first you have to identify what is "Left" and what is "Right".

Leftists usually want high taxation, heavy welfare programs, high government control and subsequently less freedom of speech and less individual responsibility. This strand of thought has hatched such lovely ideologies as the KKK, Nazis and Communists.
Rightists usually want a smaller government, less taxation and less government intrusion into their lives.

Now, because most gamers still are very young and do not earn their own money and don't like being called names or in general, nasty words, they tend to be what you'd call a "leftist". Grown ups then, who work hard to get their paycheck generally want to spend most of it themselves instead of being robbed of 50% of it and that money given to worthless, lazy bums.

That's my take on it, anyway.

I can't begin to tell you what is wrong with that statment but DG made a nice start. May be you should look into things a little more befor defineing what groops stand for. If this were about 100 years ago and you replace your left and right with Dem and Rep you would be right. But the left and right have swiched parties some time in the last 100 years and now you look like a fool.

[Sadreddine]

Well, first you have to identify what is "Left" and what is "Right".

Leftists usually want high taxation, heavy welfare programs, high government control and subsequently less freedom of speech and less individual responsibility. This strand of thought has hatched such lovely ideologies as the KKK, Nazis and Communists.
Rightists usually want a smaller government, less taxation and less government intrusion into their lives.

I like that logic, appropiate for a 10 years old kid when trying to convince his mother that his older brother has beaten him. "What would you prefer to be, a bloody devilish leftist that eats children for breakfast, or a lovely, patriotic and honourable rightist who would give his life to make this world a better place to live in?"

Seriously turd, each new post of yours I read lowers more your credibility, to the point I can´t take you seriously anymore.

[maxiumus_pooh]

It may seem one way or the other, but there is an even distribution of those who call themselves 'left' and those 'right', across the board, and depending on which thread we are in, they make themselves known quite clearly. If you're from North America, then it's time to wake up, because there is no difference at all. You should not be identifying with "left" or "right". These are nonsense paradigms that are put in place to control you. To keep you from focusing on the real issues. Notice that a bunch of so-called "leftists" were voted in House, with the likes of Pelosi, yet they still are pushing to send 20,000 more troops to Iraq, just like their supposed arch enemies, the conservative neo-cons. They used 'pull out of iraq' as a platform, but once in they are sending more boys to the meat grinder.
You should be neither left nor right, but thinking of yourselves as Constitutionalists. You see, there is no left or right, but an Us and Them. Them, being the social elite (as they refer to themselves) and us being the 'bewildered herd' (According to Walter Lipmann), or the mindless sheeple (Kissinger). I encourage all to research themselves, not the heavily make-uped, collagen-lipped whores on CNN and Fox, but alternative media. You must read between the lines to see that daily our freedoms are being destroyed, not by liberals or conservatives, but by Them. A lot of money is going into our social conditioning, and you must break away from it now. They do not have our best interests in mind.
Do not ask me for proof, do not ask to be spoon fed. Be independant. Be proud and a free thinker. Do the research and see where it leads you, but be ever cautious of the mainstream media, and who owns them. Good luck.
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[Tom Paine]

To quote Churchill:
"If you're not a liberal when you're 25, you have no heart. If you're not a conservative by the time you're 35, you have no brain."
Now, as game forums are generally frequented by the younger generation (mainly under-25), the majority are liberal. If one was to look at a cross section of society, a game forum would probably show up as rather odd. (Of course, quoting Churchill isn't all that great... he crossed the floor repeatedly, from Conservative to Liberal and back. After 35)

[the Black Prince]

in this community at least, i think there's a good equality. the bulk of our members are either left or right, in equal spread, and we have the odd far right facist, a couple of communists, and at least 1 anarchist as well.

despite being a member of the British Conservative Party, i wouldn't call myself rightwing at all... i'm very much a Centrist. Haunting the middle ground since 2003

[burrek]

I'm not sure if this is a real trend or not, but it does seem real to me.

I've been posting on numerous game BBS forums for years, and I've come to notice that a quantifiable majority of the posters are liberal, or at least more left-leaning.

I'm curious as to the reason for this.

Liberals are usually more progressive and are more likely to use the internet. They also feel much more at liberty to debate the ideas and join in internet forums.

Not all conservative and right-wing individuals are older, dogmatic, religious folk that would not touch a computer with a 4 foot pole but the fact that they do make up for a percentage of the conservative population makes up for the dis balance on internet forums.

[Hansa]

I think this has to do with Americans being far more conservative than anyone else. Take the democrats for instance, on the traditional sosio-economic left-right axis, they are a party to the right. I find that people on these forums at least are far more conservative than I am used to. Frankly, I can think of about as many frequent leftist posters in the pit, as I have fingers. Liberals, and liberalism is not a leftist ideology. Its centre, the left starts with centre-leftist such as social liberals moves on (still centre left) to the social democrats, then you have democratic socialists, socialists, communists of different sorts (Trotskyists, Leninists, Stalinists, Maoists etc).

[JP226]

Wasn't the Democratic party of the south a more right-wing party back then?
I remember something about the GOP and Democrats switching places on the political spectrum.

No, the dems used to be more aggressive militarily, but as far as being on the right, no.

[turd]

Here's the latest attempt by democrats to stifle free speech in the U.S.
Shot down by the republicans, as per usual. The ones FOR freedom of expression. Leftists want stupid limitations like "hate speech laws" and such garbage.