What's new

Has Tony Ortega always harshly censored dissenting opinion?

Enthetan

Master of Disaster
Someone has to call that out - whether it makes them popular or not.
Go do it, then.

I don't post there. Tony has the right to do as he pleases on his personally-paid-for forum. I have an equal and corresponding right to not bother spending time there.
 

Alanzo

Bardo Tulpa
Is this post a part of your "someone's gotta be the asshole around here" schpiel?

Still imported drama lama ding-dong!
Commenting on the state of Ex-Scientology, and the different environments for Ex-Scientologists to congregate in, is NOT "imported drama".

That is simply an excuse for shutting down discussion on the Ex-Scientologists Message Board.
 

Alanzo

Bardo Tulpa
Go do it, then.

I don't post there. Tony has the right to do as he pleases on his personally-paid-for forum. I have an equal and corresponding right to not bother spending time there.
The same thing that happened to the OP happened to me 5 years ago.

Tony has never allowed questioning and dissent from Exes.
 

Enthetan

Master of Disaster
The same thing that happened to the OP happened to me 5 years ago.

Tony has never allowed questioning and dissent from Exes.
Do like I do, then. Don't spend time there.

How's your blog doing? You can put out your own viewpoints there, and cultivate your own set of people who want to hear your opinions. Do not assume that others will necessarily have any interest in your opinions, though.

I say what I please. People can tolerate hearing me, or not. It doesn't matter much to me, I don't earn a living from my opinions about Scientology or politics.

There's other subjects where I DO get paid for what I think, but I keep that separate from my hobby opinions.
 

Alanzo

Bardo Tulpa
Do like I do, then. Don't spend time there.

How's your blog doing? You can put out your own viewpoints there, and cultivate your own set of people who want to hear your opinions. Do not assume that others will necessarily have any interest in your opinions, though.

I say what I please. People can tolerate hearing me, or not. It doesn't matter much to me, I don't earn a living from my opinions about Scientology or politics.
HEY!

I never thought of that!

THANKS!!!!
 

I told you I was trouble

Suspended animation
You've just described Tony Ortega and his Underground Bunker to a "T".

I don't have very much respect for that. Especially after seeing all the damage it does to Ex Scientologists to get stuck in such a nightmare-filled environment, filled with guilt and shame for having been a Scientologist. Tony Ortega continually creates this environment for them. And when you question it - like the OP has done, you get banned.

Someone has to call that out - whether it makes them popular or not.

You are the only person I've seen who is trying hard to fill exes with "guilt and shame" around here, every post you makes seems to have barbs attached ... some more obvious than others. Tony had every right to give you the boot.

I've never seen anything quite like the performance you are putting on, it's like watching someone with keyboard tourettes.

Somes exes may well go through a period of guilt or shame as they de-cult and that is their prerogative, it could be a very important stage of taking personal responsibility, how can that be a bad thing?


It isn't up to you to decide how people should or shouldn't feel.

Sort yourself out and mind your own business where others are concerned.

Seriously ... you are out of control.
 

Alanzo

Bardo Tulpa
You are the only person I've seen who is trying hard to fill exes with "guilt and shame" around here, every post you makes seems to have barbs attached ... some more obvious than others. Tony had every right to give you the boot.

I've never seen anything quite like the performance you are putting on, it's like watching someone with keyboard tourettes.

Somes exes may well go through a period of guilt or shame as they de-cult and that is their prerogative, it could be a very important stage of taking personal responsibility, how can that be a bad thing?

It isn't up to you to decide how people should or shouldn't feel.

Sort yourself out and mind your own business where others are concerned.

Seriously ... you are out of control.
And your posts are all filled with comfy beds of rose petals - all de-barbed and smelling sweet.

And you never tell Exes what they should think - like you are telling me what to think right here.

How many times do you need your hypocrisy pointed out to you before you'll finally see it?

'Cause I'm here for ya, baby.
 

He-man

Hero extraordinary
And your posts are all filled with comfy beds of rose petals - all de-barbed and smelling sweet.

And you never tell Exes what they should think - like you are telling me what to think right here.

How many times do you need your hypocrisy pointed out to you before you'll finally see it?
I think the answer is.

Seven.
 

Peter Soderqvist

Patron with Honors
I have been posting on Tony Ortega's Underground Bunker blog recently. Today I made a comment that was unpopular. A few of them. Tony's response was to BAN ME from commenting on his blog. Is it normal for a journalist to ban dissenting opinion on their blog? Do journalists run blogs? Is Tony a journalist or a blogger?

Review my comments below and let me know if you think these warrant being banned. None of these comments were to Tony specifically, they were responses to other commentators.

First comment
Overheard in the Freezone” looks like a way to ridicule people who believe in Scientology in contrast with focusing on the abuses of Scientology.
To each their own, and Scientology beliefs are certainly silly. But every now and then you make a post decrying the mainstream media’s lack of interest in picking up your stories. I believe the fact that you regularly ridicule Scientology and Scientologists for nothing more than what they believe in addition to occasionally covering abuses, like other journalists do, is why the mainstream media doesn’t pick up your stuff.
Straight-down-the-line journalism doesn’t ridicule, it reports. Maybe you have dug your own hole here.

Second comment
I’m sorry to rain on your ideological parade. Criticizing the abuses and deceptive practices of Scientology is legitimate journalism. Ridiculing and insulting Scientologists for what they believe goes beyond journalism. Ridiculing people who leave the church of Scientology and still believe parts of it goes even beyond that. I’m not saying it’s immoral to write about Scientology this way. I’m saying it’s not journalism. When Tony makes posts complaining that the mainstream media doesn’t pay attention to him I question why he doesn’t understand why. If a mainline journalist started a segment about “silly things I heard a Baptist say this week” (or any belief-group at all) they would be fired immediately. No media outlets want to be associated with that kind of bigoted writing.

Third comment
The basis of abuse is the contradictory doctrines and silly practices? So then you are saying there is abuse in the independent field similar to within the church of Scientology?
Tony could create a segment about crazy things said in the church of Scientology but he chose to make the segment about the Freezone.
This shows Tony isn’t just interested in calling out abuses in the church of Scientology. He is equally interested in ridiculing anyone who believes in Scientology even outside of the church where such abuses don’t exist.
Tony is just ridiculing people for what they believe. When it comes to a subject that has to do with spirituality and immortality any lazy bigoted person could create a blog doing the exact same thing to Christians or Jews or Muslims or any other religious group. You think it’s OK to do it to Scientologists because you think what they believe is uniquely silly. That’s what makes it bigoted. Do you think Christianity or Judaism or Islam are more believable than Scientology? That’s just silly. They are all equally silly. But would you support a blog that treated Christianity or Judaism the way Tony has chosen to treat independent Scientology? Again, you don’t care because you don’t like Scientologists.
This is what separates Tony from journalists who write about the subject. The journalists who write about Scientology might think Scientology is just a bunch of silly kooks but they wouldn’t write about it that way because they are journalists.

Fourth comment
I agree with you. I think Faith is silly. To me the local pastor or even Jesus is just another guru. But I think we all know Tony would be eviscerated if he did a segment about silly things Christians or Jews say. People around here put up with it because people around here don’t like Scientologists. The fact that there are a lot of abuses within the church of Scientology provides a legitimate reason to criticize, and then those who simply don’t like Scientologists piggyback on top of that to ridicule even independent Scientologists, where no such abuses exist. Unfortunately this blog and the comments section is a melting pot of those who object to abuse, and those who just like to be bigoted against people for what they believe.
I have been posting on Tony Ortega's Underground Bunker blog recently. Today I made a comment that was unpopular. A few of them. Tony's response was to BAN ME from commenting on his blog. Is it normal for a journalist to ban dissenting opinion on their blog? Do journalists run blogs? Is Tony a journalist or a blogger?

Review my comments below and let me know if you think these warrant being banned. None of these comments were to Tony specifically, they were responses to other commentators.

First comment
Overheard in the Freezone” looks like a way to ridicule people who believe in Scientology in contrast with focusing on the abuses of Scientology.
To each their own, and Scientology beliefs are certainly silly. But every now and then you make a post decrying the mainstream media’s lack of interest in picking up your stories. I believe the fact that you regularly ridicule Scientology and Scientologists for nothing more than what they believe in addition to occasionally covering abuses, like other journalists do, is why the mainstream media doesn’t pick up your stuff.
Straight-down-the-line journalism doesn’t ridicule, it reports. Maybe you have dug your own hole here.

Second comment
I’m sorry to rain on your ideological parade. Criticizing the abuses and deceptive practices of Scientology is legitimate journalism. Ridiculing and insulting Scientologists for what they believe goes beyond journalism. Ridiculing people who leave the church of Scientology and still believe parts of it goes even beyond that. I’m not saying it’s immoral to write about Scientology this way. I’m saying it’s not journalism. When Tony makes posts complaining that the mainstream media doesn’t pay attention to him I question why he doesn’t understand why. If a mainline journalist started a segment about “silly things I heard a Baptist say this week” (or any belief-group at all) they would be fired immediately. No media outlets want to be associated with that kind of bigoted writing.

Third comment
The basis of abuse is the contradictory doctrines and silly practices? So then you are saying there is abuse in the independent field similar to within the church of Scientology?
Tony could create a segment about crazy things said in the church of Scientology but he chose to make the segment about the Freezone.
This shows Tony isn’t just interested in calling out abuses in the church of Scientology. He is equally interested in ridiculing anyone who believes in Scientology even outside of the church where such abuses don’t exist.
Tony is just ridiculing people for what they believe. When it comes to a subject that has to do with spirituality and immortality any lazy bigoted person could create a blog doing the exact same thing to Christians or Jews or Muslims or any other religious group. You think it’s OK to do it to Scientologists because you think what they believe is uniquely silly. That’s what makes it bigoted. Do you think Christianity or Judaism or Islam are more believable than Scientology? That’s just silly. They are all equally silly. But would you support a blog that treated Christianity or Judaism the way Tony has chosen to treat independent Scientology? Again, you don’t care because you don’t like Scientologists.
This is what separates Tony from journalists who write about the subject. The journalists who write about Scientology might think Scientology is just a bunch of silly kooks but they wouldn’t write about it that way because they are journalists.

Fourth comment
I agree with you. I think Faith is silly. To me the local pastor or even Jesus is just another guru. But I think we all know Tony would be eviscerated if he did a segment about silly things Christians or Jews say. People around here put up with it because people around here don’t like Scientologists. The fact that there are a lot of abuses within the church of Scientology provides a legitimate reason to criticize, and then those who simply don’t like Scientologists piggyback on top of that to ridicule even independent Scientologists, where no such abuses exist. Unfortunately this blog and the comments section is a melting pot of those who object to abuse, and those who just like to be bigoted against people for what they believe.
Its simple!
The Underground Bunker is a Blog, and Tony does as he pleases!
If He was a Journalist at CNN he would probably do like Anderson Cooper!
 

Alanzo

Bardo Tulpa
Its simple!
The Underground Bunker is a Blog, and Tony does as he pleases!
If He was a Journalist at CNN he would probably do like Anderson Cooper!
And he would have to adhere to much higher standards for what stories he chooses to write about, and how he presents them.

Hello, Peter, long time no see.
 

He-man

Hero extraordinary
Fuck it. I'm calling the Squirrel Patrol in on this one, I can't deal with this level of antagonism any more.

*"Ring...ring..."*

"Hello?
...
Yes it's me.
...
No he isn't letting it go.
...
Can ye please come over and sort this out now for me will ye, please?
...
OK thanks."

*"Click"*

Screw you guys. I'm out of here.

Good luck with the SP's! I'd run and hide if I was ye!

sp.jpg

:hide: :hide: :hide: :hide: :hide: :hide: :hide: :hide:
 

strativarius

Inveterate gnashnab & snoutband
I wrote this several days ago but decided not to post it, but now, whenever I open this thread, there it is at the bottom of the screen, so I've decided to post it anyway since nothing I do seems to delete it and it's annoying the f**k out of me.

I'm not really saying he imposed on my free speech. I'm saying real journalists don't go in for censorship of dissenting opinion.

In an ideal world that would be true, but in today's media, bias is there for all to see, take Fox News vs CNN for starters.

In your first sentence in your OP you said his platform was a blog. If that's the case I suppose he has the right to promote what he wants to promote and negate what he doesn't. I don't know where the line between being a blogger and being a journalist lies, so perhaps I'm talking out of turn, but that's the way I see it.
 
Last edited:

I told you I was trouble

Suspended animation
I wrote this several days ago but decided not to post it, but now, whenever I open this thread, there it is at the bottom of the screen, so I've decided to post it anyway since nothing I do seems to delete it and it's annoying the f**k out of me.



In an ideal world that would be true, but in today's media, bias is there for all to see, take Fox News vs CNN for starters.

In your first sentence in your OP you said his platform was a blog. If that's the case I suppose he has the right to promote what he wants to promote and negate what he doesn't. I don't know where the line between being a blogger and being a journalist lies, so perhaps I'm talking out of turn but that's the way I see it.


To permanently delete something that keeps reappearing hit the 5th from the left button on the top row of the writing pad (restore last draft) then actually delete the post yourself and last of all hit the 'delete draft' button that appears when you hit "restore last draft".
 
Top