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Fair Warning, Rogue Nation
#1
2007... the year I joined a small web forum named "ATS." 13 years ago, but so much has changed it might as well be 1300. I was driving a truck OTR, accessing the Internet on a little laptop when I could. I had my health (or so I thought). But I could feel things were just not right and about to get worse.

13 years later, I join a small web forum called "Rogue Nation." I'm retired on SS Disability now, piddling around as my health allows, threatening to do unspeakable horrors to my heart if it even thinks about going on strike again, and wishing I still had my health. The world has changed around me, in many ways so drastically that I could not even have envisioned it 13 years prior, but I am still here. And I can feel things are just not right and about to get worse.

So I make this thread, to give a simple warning to the friends I have made over those last 13 years:

They are coming for you, Rogue Nation!

I made a promise to ATS when I became a Staffer: to never talk about what happens behind the scenes. I will never break that vow; those conversations and happenings will follow me to the grave and beyond. However, what has happened is not something that happened behind the scenes. It happened in front of my very eyes, in the open, publicly, conspicuously even for those who chose to see. "They" came for ATS. "They" took ATS.

We live in a world at war. Oh, not two groups of armed men on a battlefield rushing headlong toward each other to slaughter and kill. That's the movies. War is not waged on the battlefield alone; it is waged in back rooms, filled with smoke. No war has ever been fought without propaganda leading the way. A war cannot be fought without propaganda, for no one sane enough to fight a war could believe the necessity of taking the lives of others wholesale without some serious conditioning first. So it is today, except that today the rules of propaganda have changed. Today, we have YouTube removing videos, hiding videos, even banning accounts over political speech. Today, Twitter, the end-all, be-all social networking site, operates as a check valve for politically incorrect speech or dangerous ideas. Today, FaceBook, where people go to keep in touch with old friends and loved ones, has become the arbiter of what may and may not be said openly. Social websites have replaced rallies and face-to-face conversations, and TPTB have taken full advantage of this fact. They now exercise unheard-of control of what people see and know and think... they control the propaganda.

Their goal is simple: they want power. As true as it may be that these shapers of history already have power, power is addictive. The more power over others one gets, the more one wants. It's no different than a junkie lying in a gutter, in pain and agony, still craves more of the very thing that is causing their pain and agony. To get more power requires more propaganda. ATS was a threat to that, a shining beacon of impartiality and free speech. So ATS had to die. It had to be attacked from within, it's reputation maligned, it's principles threatened, and it's finances shredded. It would take many years to accomplish the unthinkable 13 short years ago, but it was done.

Now it becomes Rogue Nation's turn to brave the winds of war. It hid in the shadows of ATS for many years, and now, when needed, it has become a haven for those who are fleeing the inevitable fall of ATS. As ATS falls, the shadows of obscurity clear and a new target is acquired. We will rise as ATS did, buoyed by the people who are desperately seeking a haven to speak freely. As we rise, we will be attacked by those who oppose all we hold dear.

As the attacks come, we will all have a choice to make: will we turn on each other, listen to the naysayers, cower behind silence? Or will we stand together, recognizing each other as being not an enemy but an opponent in a friendly battle to choose the best ideas for our shared future? Will we hear the propaganda and allow it to turn us against each other, or will we hear each other and turn against the propaganda?

Time will tell. Humans are funny critters sometimes: easily manipulated, freely herded, gladly controlled. But humans are also capable of rising up together, standing tall, and saying this time... this time... we will not be the pawns in this game.

Prepare yourself, Rogue Nation. Prepare yourselves, all ye rogues, rednecks, preppers, and general mal-contents dreaming of a better future. Keep your armor sound, your eyes open, and your powder dry. They will be needed. The enemy will come.

TheRedneck
#2
Interesting....

But not all that surprising, I think most of us here(there, ats) grasp the concept. 

It's sad, because power costs money and it seems like only one side has(or is willing to spend) the money to control every facet of communication. Honestly, in the end, I see "them" winning. The real battle will be the last, drug out in actual physical confrontation across every square inch of the nation. From burnt building to burnt building. At that point, the "victor" will have very little "spoils" of war, no matter who wins. 

That said, nice to see you around.
#3
(06-24-2020, 06:04 AM)TheRedneck Wrote: 2007... the year I joined a small web forum named "ATS." 13 years ago, but so much has changed it might as well be 1300. I was driving a truck OTR, accessing the Internet on a little laptop when I could. I had my health (or so I thought). But I could feel things were just not right and about to get worse.

13 years later, I join a small web forum called "Rogue Nation." I'm retired on SS Disability now, piddling around as my health allows, threatening to do unspeakable horrors to my heart if it even thinks about going on strike again, and wishing I still had my health. The world has changed around me, in many ways so drastically that I could not even have envisioned it 13 years prior, but I am still here. And I can feel things are just not right and about to get worse.

So I make this thread, to give a simple warning to the friends I have made over those last 13 years:

They are coming for you, Rogue Nation!

I made a promise to ATS when I became a Staffer: to never talk about what happens behind the scenes. I will never break that vow; those conversations and happenings will follow me to the grave and beyond. However, what has happened is not something that happened behind the scenes. It happened in front of my very eyes, in the open, publicly, conspicuously even for those who chose to see. "They" came for ATS. "They" took ATS.

We live in a world at war. Oh, not two groups of armed men on a battlefield rushing headlong toward each other to slaughter and kill. That's the movies. War is not waged on the battlefield alone; it is waged in back rooms, filled with smoke. No war has ever been fought without propaganda leading the way. A war cannot be fought without propaganda, for no one sane enough to fight a war could believe the necessity of taking the lives of others wholesale without some serious conditioning first. So it is today, except that today the rules of propaganda have changed. Today, we have YouTube removing videos, hiding videos, even banning accounts over political speech. Today, Twitter, the end-all, be-all social networking site, operates as a check valve for politically incorrect speech or dangerous ideas. Today, FaceBook, where people go to keep in touch with old friends and loved ones, has become the arbiter of what may and may not be said openly. Social websites have replaced rallies and face-to-face conversations, and TPTB have taken full advantage of this fact. They now exercise unheard-of control of what people see and know and think... they control the propaganda.

Their goal is simple: they want power. As true as it may be that these shapers of history already have power, power is addictive. The more power over others one gets, the more one wants. It's no different than a junkie lying in a gutter, in pain and agony, still craves more of the very thing that is causing their pain and agony. To get more power requires more propaganda. ATS was a threat to that, a shining beacon of impartiality and free speech. So ATS had to die. It had to be attacked from within, it's reputation maligned, it's principles threatened, and it's finances shredded. It would take many years to accomplish the unthinkable 13 short years ago, but it was done.

Now it becomes Rogue Nation's turn to brave the winds of war. It hid in the shadows of ATS for many years, and now, when needed, it has become a haven for those who are fleeing the inevitable fall of ATS. As ATS falls, the shadows of obscurity clear and a new target is acquired. We will rise as ATS did, buoyed by the people who are desperately seeking a haven to speak freely. As we rise, we will be attacked by those who oppose all we hold dear.

As the attacks come, we will all have a choice to make: will we turn on each other, listen to the naysayers, cower behind silence? Or will we stand together, recognizing each other as being not an enemy but an opponent in a friendly battle to choose the best ideas for our shared future? Will we hear the propaganda and allow it to turn us against each other, or will we hear each other and turn against the propaganda?

Time will tell. Humans are funny critters sometimes: easily manipulated, freely herded, gladly controlled. But humans are also capable of rising up together, standing tall, and saying this time... this time... we will not be the pawns in this game.

Prepare yourself, Rogue Nation. Prepare yourselves, all ye rogues, rednecks, preppers, and general mal-contents dreaming of a better future. Keep your armor sound, your eyes open, and your powder dry. They will be needed. The enemy will come.

TheRedneck

minusculebeercheers minusculeclap minusculeheadbanging
#4
@"TheRedneck"  Thank you for that.
That is a Fair Warning, Thank You and I'll keep that in the front of my mind, but I think the big difference between us and ATS is Monies and who pays for this site.
Totally paid for In-House and No Ads or Google and Your Content Will Never Be Sold.

Rogue nation is for our Members a place to get the Truth Out and Keep The Hungry Masses Inform and By Doing That, we Keep each other Informed.
I am very Proud that some many have accept Rogue Nation 3 as their New Home and by doing so, You and Everyone are now Family, You're Rogues!

Thank You @"TheRedneck" for being here with us and looking out for our future, that means a lot. minusculebeercheers

I hope I have not stepped on anyone's toes or upset anyone. If so I apologize.  :smalleyeroll:
Once A Rogue, Always A Rogue!
[Image: attachment.php?aid=936]
#5
#6
(06-24-2020, 08:05 AM)727Sky Wrote:

Yes, I had watched that, Very Cool!
Once A Rogue, Always A Rogue!
[Image: attachment.php?aid=936]
#7
Perhaps the only thing that killed ATS was human nature. Perhaps they started to believe there own propaganda. ATS was never at the cutting edge, fighting dark forces and under attack. It was the owner and MODs who killed ATS. There was illness at the top or near it, the illness spread and the end result was the mess that ATS became.
I was shown some texts written by MODs  and in my opinion they were starting to become detached from reality. No dark evil forces (governments)  secret meeting behind locked doors on how to keep fighting the "things" that were out to destroy ATS, its own madness killed it.
Advertisement firms watch very carefully where they advertise, the madness was seen and they started to pull away. This only fed the illness at ATS, 
"We have secret knowledge, this is why the "government" is trying to destroy us" It can never be ATS fault always some one elses.
Bad management, paranoia the need to be important, human nature, and mental illness killed ATS.
Thats what I think happened, but its only what I think, its no more valid or non valid than anyone's else.
#8
(06-24-2020, 09:23 AM)Wallfire Wrote: Perhaps the only thing that killed ATS was human nature. Perhaps they started to believe there own propaganda. ATS was never at the cutting edge, fighting dark forces and under attack. It was the owner and MODs who killed ATS. There was illness at the top or near it, the illness spread and the end result was the mess that ATS became.
I was shown some texts written by MODs  and in my opinion they were starting to become detached from reality. No dark evil forces (governments)  secret meeting behind locked doors on how to keep fighting the "things" that were out to destroy ATS, its own madness killed it.
Advertisement firms watch very carefully where they advertise, the madness was seen and they started to pull away. This only fed the illness at ATS, 
"We have secret knowledge, this is why the "government" is trying to destroy us" It can never be ATS fault always some one elses.
Bad management, paranoia the need to be important, human nature, and mental illness killed ATS.
Thats what I think happened, but its only what I think, its no more valid or non valid than anyone's else.

I believe it, what they eventually became "slaves" to, is the algorithm.
#9
(06-24-2020, 06:04 AM)TheRedneck Wrote: Prepare yourself, Rogue Nation. Prepare yourselves, all ye rogues, rednecks, preppers, and general mal-contents dreaming of a better future. Keep your armor sound, your eyes open, and your powder dry. They will be needed. The enemy will come.

TheRedneck


Thank you for the advice and sound warning. I hear you.


Hopefully, I won't offend anybody here by saying that ATS had always been a deep love of mine. I loved the camaraderie, the wow factor of certain threads, the intelligence of members, the friendliness of the staff. My heart sank when Billy passed away and even though I could log in, I wasn't able to post, not being able to say goodbye. That killed it for me, as far as ATS management went. Yet, I never held a grudge and have always respected the ATS core even though I started seeing Rogue Nation as a little corner of the internet where things could be done and said differently - as a management point of view - than ATS.

It is sad that they've come for them and will be sad if they eventually come for us. Censorship of free speech will one day get to this door. I'm well aware of that but in the meantime, I continue to enjoy the camaraderie, the intelligence and the friendliness of everyone here.

Titles here have little to no meaning as no power grabs or games are at play. Big difference. And that will make one hell of a shield when they do show up at the door. We are united, in the way we think, the way we act and the way we express ourselves. That is our armor.

Huge respect, @"TheRedneck"

.
~ Today is the youngest you'll ever be again ~
#10
(06-24-2020, 09:23 AM)Wallfire Wrote: Perhaps the only thing that killed ATS was human nature. Perhaps they started to believe there own propaganda. ATS was never at the cutting edge, fighting dark forces and under attack. It was the owner and MODs who killed ATS. There was illness at the top or near it, the illness spread and the end result was the mess that ATS became.
I was shown some texts written by MODs  and in my opinion they were starting to become detached from reality. No dark evil forces (governments)  secret meeting behind locked doors on how to keep fighting the "things" that were out to destroy ATS, its own madness killed it.
Advertisement firms watch very carefully where they advertise, the madness was seen and they started to pull away. This only fed the illness at ATS, 
"We have secret knowledge, this is why the "government" is trying to destroy us" It can never be ATS fault always some one elses.
Bad management, paranoia the need to be important, human nature, and mental illness killed ATS.
Thats what I think happened, but its only what I think, its no more valid or non valid than anyone's else.
Human nature was the weapon they wielded. A powerful weapon it is, when wielded properly.

But no, the issue was not solely with management. To some degree, certainly, as all management everywhere is composed of humans and humans are imperfect critters. But the attack came from within the membership. We turned on each other instead of turning on those weaponizing our own human nature against us. The issues you saw with management was an ultimately impotent attempt to maintain some sort of order.

That is the danger I warn of. We are conspiracists. Our very nature is to distrust the official reports. We question where the mundanes accept blindly. That gives us a deeper insight into reality, IMO, but it also serves to keep us separated and suspicious of each other.

It was the virtual equivalent of the rioting mobs we see today. People become angry and at some point they rebel. There are two responses to such a rebellion: North Korea, for instance, would simply execute people until the rebellion was squashed. Seattle surrendered without a fight and allowed an area of their city to descend into chaos. Neither works. There is a lline of balance between those two extremes, and that line is terribly difficult to find. Each person will have their own personal preference to where that line is drawn, and they will not all be the same. That, then, in turn fuels the concern over fairness and equity, leading to more unrest.

In the end, more traditional forces can be used to destroy the target. The resistance is no longer there because the defenses are not unified.

AIDS/HIV almost never kills the host. But AIDS/HIV destroys the hosts ability to defend itself. Once that is done, a slight cold can kill. Don't worry about the cold, though... worry about the AIDS/HIV. It may not kill, but it makes it easy for anything else to do so.

TheRedneck
#11
The only thing RN needs to be careful of is people trying to make this place ATS2. No strange powers no dark forces, just the illness of people.
#12
(06-24-2020, 11:32 AM)Sol Wrote: Titles here have little to no meaning as no power grabs or games are at play. Big difference. And that will make one hell of a shield when they do show up at the door. We are united, in the way we think, the way we act and the way we express ourselves. That is our armor.
Perhaps that will be our ace in the hole. As long as we stay united in our desire to learn the truths that are hidden in plain sight, we will stand. No power on earth can shatter a united front. Perhaps, if we can continue to resist the urge to find an oppressor, even where none exist, we can survive the attacks.

Here's a little secret: the titles at ATS, for the most part, held little meaning for those who wore them. They held meaning only in the mind of those who did not. That is why many who received titles quit posting as regularly: they did not want the power that other members gave them and felt as though they were no longer a part of the membership. I fought that myself. Maybe I was just not smart enough to let that win.

As Rogue Nation grows, some moderation will become necessary. There will be those who will come in to create chaos. The key will be in those with the titles defining themselves as a member, while acting as moderation. We, the membership in general, will need to realize that you are not our overlords as much as our friends acting in our best interests in ways we cannot.


I pray that works here. I see differences in the way moderation is approached. May those differences be enough.

TheRedneck
#13
This is probably one of the most important topics of today.

Being funded internally reduces the vectors of attack.. But war is waged on our minds and has been for quite some time.

I believe it started in earnest in 2012

Theres a lot to say about the methods of manipulation and what it works towards.. But, from a systems approach, the way to begin truly fighting back is relatively simple:

Be cognizant of becoming addicted to extreme emotions, and take particular note of the sources that take advantage of this wittingly or unwittingly (fear porn, doom porn, outrage, virtue signaling, etc.).

Be patient with others. Try to understand that the other person isnt some archetype that solely exists in our heads. The danger lies within actually becoming a preprogrammed archetype ourselves through such cultivated categorization.

And my own little pet notions: Get self-sufficient in our homes. Solar/hydro/wind power, aquaponics, and 3d printing & CNC could change the world.

Its all a bit like a finger trap. Trying to "fight back" traditionally just tightens the grip. Have to look at ways outside of the presented situation, since the game is straight up rigged.
#14
A very thought provoking thread, Redneck. (Glad to see you)

While I'm not as tech savey as most, I don't use things like twitter, and such, even I can see the writing on the wall, as far as free speach on the internet.
It is becoming less tolerated.  It is very sad that more people are not outraged over this.

I was taught growing up, it was a fundimental right.  Do they even teach that in school anymore?
tinycrying
#15
All I know is that I have a whole lot of bookmarks that I won’t need much longer...

(You might need to be a mod to get that joke.)
#16
(06-24-2020, 04:12 PM)TheRedneck Wrote: [quote='Sol' pid='39850' dateline='1592994751']


As Rogue Nation grows, some moderation will become necessary. There will be those who will come in to create chaos. The key will be in those with the titles defining themselves as a member, while acting as moderation. We, the membership in general, will need to realize that you are not our overlords as much as our friends acting in our best interests in ways we cannot.


I pray that works here. I see differences in the way moderation is approached. May those differences be enough.

TheRedneck


I like your common sense, Sir !

Admins, Super Mods or members, friendliness comes first and foremost. In those years here, I think we've temporarily post banned one individual (which was way over the top) once and have never used the ban hammer.

If a war comes to our door to implement a debate on our freedom of speech policies, unity should make the difference, no matter what the title is.

But we must realize that discussion forums may already have a target on their back. Big or small. Future will tell. :)
~ Today is the youngest you'll ever be again ~
#17
(06-24-2020, 10:34 PM)Sol Wrote:
(06-24-2020, 04:12 PM)TheRedneck Wrote:
(06-24-2020, 11:32 AM)Sol Wrote: As Rogue Nation grows, some moderation will become necessary. There will be those who will come in to create chaos. The key will be in those with the titles defining themselves as a member, while acting as moderation. We, the membership in general, will need to realize that you are not our overlords as much as our friends acting in our best interests in ways we cannot.


I pray that works here. I see differences in the way moderation is approached. May those differences be enough.

TheRedneck


I like your common sense, Sir !

Admins, Super Mods or members, friendliness comes first and foremost. In those years here, I think we've temporarily post banned one individual (which was way over the top) once and have never used the ban hammer.

If a war comes to our door to implement a debate on our freedom of speech policies, unity should make the difference, no matter what the title is.

But we must realize that discussion forums may already have a target on their back. Big or small. Future will tell. :)
Very Well Said Sir's @"Sol"  and  @"TheRedneck"
Once A Rogue, Always A Rogue!
[Image: attachment.php?aid=936]
#18
(06-24-2020, 03:57 PM)TheRedneck Wrote: There is a lline of balance between those two extremes, and that line is terribly difficult to find. Each person will have their own personal preference to where that line is drawn, and they will not all be the same. That, then, in turn fuels the concern over fairness and equity, leading to more unrest.

In the end, more traditional forces can be used to destroy the target. The resistance is no longer there because the defenses are not unified.

AIDS/HIV almost never kills the host. But AIDS/HIV destroys the hosts ability to defend itself. Once that is done, a slight cold can kill. Don't worry about the cold, though... worry about the AIDS/HIV. It may not kill, but it makes it easy for anything else to do so.

TheRedneck

To steal and bastardize a line from "The Handmaid's Tale". "Fair never means fair for everyone. It always means it will not be fair, for some." We are led to believe that everything is supposed to be fair. Yet the concern for fairness usually only becomes a problem when one feels they are the ones being treated unfairly. Or one is intuitive enough to realize that particular unfair actions will one day come to visit if not addressed.

We are indeed highly predictable. This makes us easily manipulated and controlled. We like to think we are smart enough to combat those that wish to enslave us, by using fore knowledge and intelligence. But intelligence does not prevent us from falling victim to basic human emotions, especially those emotions attached to primordial and instinctive reactions.

We are creatures of habit established by generations of conditioning. There are those that will be able to successfully fight back, but the numbers will be few.

In my humble opinion.

For every one person that read this post. About 7.99 billion have not. 

Yet I still post.  tinyinlove
  • minusculebeercheers 


#19
(06-24-2020, 10:34 PM)Sol Wrote:
(06-24-2020, 04:12 PM)TheRedneck Wrote:
(06-24-2020, 11:32 AM)Sol Wrote: As Rogue Nation grows, some moderation will become necessary. There will be those who will come in to create chaos. The key will be in those with the titles defining themselves as a member, while acting as moderation. We, the membership in general, will need to realize that you are not our overlords as much as our friends acting in our best interests in ways we cannot.


I pray that works here. I see differences in the way moderation is approached. May those differences be enough.

TheRedneck


I like your common sense, Sir !

Admins, Super Mods or members, friendliness comes first and foremost. In those years here, I think we've temporarily post banned one individual (which was way over the top) once and have never used the ban hammer.

If a war comes to our door to implement a debate on our freedom of speech policies, unity should make the difference, no matter what the title is.

But we must realize that discussion forums may already have a target on their back. Big or small. Future will tell. :)
Damnit @sol ! You're killing my "I was banned and couldn't post" excuse for getting tied up at work for a month.  tinylaughing
#20
(06-24-2020, 11:38 PM)DuckforcoveR Wrote: Damnit @sol ! You're killing my "I was banned and couldn't post" excuse for getting tied up at work for a month.  tinylaughing

Haha..sorry 'bout that. Nothing personal ! tinylaughing
~ Today is the youngest you'll ever be again ~


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