Little-e, that's a fair question. And of course, the answer 'depends'.
Sure, some of the folks I've 'talked' to on TFL are not my cup of tea - wouldn't want to take them home to meet my wife and kids. OTOH,
most of these folks are
very high quality human beings - they think, they consider other opinions, they know why they believe what they believe, they know their subject, they use a reasonable historical perspective, they have courage, and ... they give a damn. Which is much more than I can say for the majority of the 275mm souls who currently inhabit the U.S.
Consider also that, generally, what we post here stays on TFL a very long time. And, what we've posted may not reflect that we may have been in a very foul, or perhaps a very 'up' mood. Unless you edit your words, they are what you felt at the time.
But more to your point, I will echo what Lucas said. On some issues I am convinced of certain 'truths'. For example, do our 'friends' at HCI and other groups intend to 'take away the guns' someday? You bet your sweet AR-15 they do! Why do I believe that so strongly? Because, often with the help of many folks here, I have been able to witness their strategy by perusing hundreds of web sites that document the destruction of this freedom. Everything from Congressional web sites, to anti-self defense sites, personal RKBA sites, the NRA, and on and on. Add to that reading many books, court cases, and many, many personal discussions with people on both sides of the firearms' debate. After a while, it would take an idiot to fail to connect all of those dots. Remember ... you're not paranoid if they really are after you!
My boss once told me that when you're 20, and your gut tells you something ... it's probably better to ignore it. But, when you're 40 and your gut tells you something ... well, then you'd better listen. I'm over 40, and I have a very, very strong feeling in my gut that the RKBA is in dire straits. And, that the RKBA may indeed be a, and perhaps 'the' linch pin for America's freedoms. Lose the RKBA, and everything else we hold dear may very well be at risk.
No, I'm not interested in joining a militia. At least, not this weekend, anyway.
And, I also find some of the remarks on this board a bit strong sometimes. Or at least, perhaps intemperate on the Internet. But, I don't find many of them to be as radical as I might have before I had read everything I've read and considered over the past year.
It is easier to adapt to the future, and sometimes to see it coming, if one is not too judgmental about the possibilities. The inconceivable sometimes becomes real, and the historical events we can't imagine repeating ... have a nasty habit of coming around again.
Good luck with your investigation of these philosophies. It is a worthwhile stretch.
Regards from AZ.