TravellerDB and Support moving forward

[Wargfn]

In 15 days TravellerDB will be permanently brought down and access to it will be removed. I have worked long and hard to promote TravellerCCG and support the creators of this game; however, due to recent political posts, I will no longer support either. You want to condemn violence, I agree. You want to purge an entire group of people as Nazis while endorsing Nazi behavior - FUCK YOU.

This isn't a discussion thread nor is it meant to be a forum, just an announcement that the site is going to go away.



https://drive.google.com/file/d/1KlbbB4 ... sp=sharing

[Cpt Ric]

This is quite sad. We have really spun out of control. Wargfn, I can’t disagree with you. That statement is rather horrible. Unfortunately this isn’t the first (and I assume far from the last) time this has been presented, in one fashion or another. Is that were we are? We disagree about something so the “other side” must be “purged”? I’ll still play the game but promoting it and buy new content will be difficult for me to do knowing this.

[Horizon Jeff]

In 15 days TravellerDB will be permanently brought down and access to it will be removed. I have worked long and hard to promote TravellerCCG and support the creators of this game; however, due to recent political posts, I will no longer support either. You want to condemn violence, I agree. You want to purge an entire group of people as Nazis while endorsing Nazi behavior - FUCK YOU.

This isn't a discussion thread nor is it meant to be a forum, just an announcement that the site is going to go away.



https://drive.google.com/file/d/1KlbbB4 ... sp=sharing

Your support and efforts on our behalf and in support of us and the Traveller CCG in general have been and always will be sincerely appreciated, even long after it has lapsed. Anyone in tabletop gaming knows the money to be made is mostly just "break even," so it's really about the community and sharing the enjoyment of a hobby that is open to anyone with a sense of imagination. And so we were absolutely thrilled when the Traveller CCG Database first came into being, as we have been with the opportunity to interact with people across the globe and share our love of the Far Future.

Your announcement and the forewarning to allow people to utilize its functions while it remains active, for instance to save deck lists they may not have preserved anywhere else, is kindly and I hope anyone needing to do so avails themselves of the chance.

I respect the conviction of your political principles, and as you said this isn't a discussion thread it's entirely possible you may never see this. But for the sake of clarity, I feel it's important to illustrate what I feel is an inaccurate interpretation of my remarks.

My choice of words was intentional. I said we must purge Trumpism, not conservatism. The two are not the same. It was Nancy Pelosi, of all people, who said America needs an effective, strong conservative party. And she's right. Conservative thought generally, and the GOP as its historical vehicle specifically, have contributed much to America in the past, has more to offer in the future, and is the school of thought adhered to and advanced by millions of well-meaning, patriotic and good Americans.

Trumpism is also not the mere support of the president. People may support the president because they believe, as a normative value, that Americans should support the Commander-in-Chief, and they would bring that dedication to anyone who occupies the Oval Office. People may support the president because they believe the conservative policies his administration has advanced are in the best interest of the nation (and possibly the world). Merely voting for Trump or for Republicans is not Trumpism. There are not 75 million Trumpists. Rather, Trumpism is a poisonous ideology created by an amoral opportunist whose only concern is personal aggrandizement. It is the denial of facts, the fueling of grievances not for their identification or resolution, but for their exploitation, and the cheap disregard of our shared national values.

Purging Trumpism is also not the same as purging Trumpists. One may purge cancer and not kill the patient. In fact, my most fervent hope for the country is that it is still possible to extricate those who have been plunged into bleak, lonely and completely unfounded conspiratorial depths before scenes like the Capitol insurrection are repeated at State Houses and other public spaces. As unhinged as the belief that a secret cabal of Satanic pedophiles running the government may be, the intense passion of its adherents, were it refocused to positive and fact-based political efforts (of any partisan inclination) and away from the blind adoration of an empty husk of ambition, could bring a wondrous flourishing of American society.

I also said we must purge it from our "civic life." I didn't say anything about violence to individuals. I didn't even say that I felt we need to eradicate Trumpism as a school of thought, if it can be referred to as such. Rather, I specifically said "civic life" because I believe that this dangerous ideology, which is dedicated to nothing other than the preservation of its cultic idol, must be removed from our politics.

Not only because of the tragic events at the Capitol, but due to his cruel and corrosive efforts to undermine the democratic system. His attempts at voter suppression and disenfranchisement. His repeated and false assertions of wide scale fraud. His willingness to set us against each other for no reason other than to harness the resulting passions. His persistent and brazen attempts to overturn a free-and-fair election, which have been resisted, in many instances, by Republican officials. People who no doubt share many of the president's policy goals, but who reject his willingness to subvert our constitutional republic.

Reasonable people can differ over tax policy, or the appropriate response to illegal immigration. They can disagree over how best to mitigate a warming climate, handle the national debt and what role the United States should play in world events and institutions. But all of that becomes much more difficult, if not impossible, if the democratic edifice in which we debate these issues is replaced by a garish, gold-plated temple to a demigod of lies.

I will miss you, Wargfn. I still recall fondly the game we got to play over Google Hangouts, which actually went much smoother than I expected (and despite my inability to aim a camera correctly). Your database is (and soon, was) thrilling to see, your ideas for the game have always been appreciated and your interactions on the forums made you a valued presence to many. I have nothing but good wishes for you, and if the fates allow, maybe we'll run into each other again on the Mains!

EDIT: I should also like to add that I feel my language was not only accurate but appropriate. "Purge" is a mainstream description of the total abrogation and rejection of an idea, and the attempt to banish it from a designated group or institution. For instance, see this article where John Bolton calls for "Purge the taint of Trumpism." Nobody actually believes that Bolton is calling for violence against almost 80 million Americans. I stand by the belief that Trumpism and liberal democracy are incompatible, and I do not apologize for desiring the triumph of my country over it. But while I think it takes a stretch to claim I'm advocating violence, just to be clear, I'm not.

[Traveller-Jake]

Politics. It seems to get into everything these days, doesn't it? Even card games that as far as I can tell are completely apolitical.

I'll just say that if I only listened, read, played, or watched works where the creators were 100% in agreement with my political views I would have an extremely small pool of songs, TV shows, films, games, video games, and artwork to enjoy.

No thank you.

[oshiricohn]

To Wargfn

Thank you for the announcement.

I simply want to say thank you for all the hard work you did on your site. It's helped me a great deal and I wish it would stick around.

Happy trails, and good health to you.