We're the good guys, they're the bad guys. Isn't it?
this post was submitted on 22 Sep 2023
251 points (79.7% liked)
Memes
45902 readers
1388 users here now
Rules:
- Be civil and nice.
- Try not to excessively repost, as a rule of thumb, wait at least 2 months to do it if you have to.
founded 5 years ago
MODERATORS
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
view the rest of the comments
God nothing is more annoying than brain damaged American progressives who think they're intellectuals. Even if we ignore your strawman, the very idea that there are people who are close minded enough to actually actively refuse to even be exposed to any ideas that they might dislike or disagree with is insane. Keep in mind, the tolerance paradox says that intolerant ideas shouldn't be tolerated, it doesn't say that you should go full 1984 censoring and controlling information and turning authoritarian on anything you deem intolerant. The whole point of the paradox is to demonstrate that if a society wants to remain free and democratic, then it needs to oppose intolerance and authoritarianism in all its forms... via democratic processes. Otherwise, it's another society that has become corrupted. The principles of liberty and democracy, as well as their universality, should never be abandoned.
I hate you. I despise you so deeply that I will use all my capital to move the democratic process. I am going to use the freedom you have given me to manipulate everyone into thinking you are the scum of the earth, unworthy of existence. I will demonize your actions on every turn. I will destroy you, your culture, and your very existentce. I just have to yell it long and hard enough and people will flock to my voice that I have been given on your platforms. And you will do nothing about it, even when you manage to expose my lies. It is you that is the cause of all our problems we face. Soon enough people just repeat what I say and believe me over anything you might utter. I have just convinced people of what you truly are. And their vote will sign your death warrant.
My point still stands. You can't use hate, ignorance, and authoritarianism to defeat hate, ignorance, and authoritarianism. The only thing that will end up happening is you turning hateful, ignorant, and authoritarian. We have already seen this happen time and time again. It's time for people to learn from history for once instead of just repeating it. Censorship NEVER works, authoritarianism NEVER works. The very reason why the people you described ever get into power is because of people like you who fall into a brainless cycle of purity tests, arrogance, and exploitation of power. You want to see bigots stop being bigots? Try talking to them. Not talk down to them, not convince them of anything, just try to understand why they think the way they do, how they came to be, and how they perceive the world. By understanding them you can find some common ground and from there you can introduce to them alternative ideas like tolerance, justice, coexistence, and peace. You can't ban bigots, you can't censor them, you can't genocide them, and no amount of power abused will make them go away. Talking them is the only way. Keep mind talking to them isn't a sign of weakness or a concession. Virtue signaling means fuck all when it makes things worse. Talking to people, having them exposed to new ideas and views, and treating people you don't like (even if they're vile) as humans is how a black man in the US managed to convince dozens of KKK klansmen into giving up their robes.
wrong
Because those people who gave up their robes saw that they were misguided and were open to new ideas. But some still have kept their hearts closed because some are just unwilling to have their convictions changed. KKK is still a thing, after all that talking. Raceism is still an issue, even when we tried giving them space.
Sometimes it is more than misguidence. Sometimes people just hate, and grudge. And when these people are given power they are able to spread their hate and misguide once more. And then we might have another Nazi Germany, where it will take a war to have it corrected. We didn't get the Nazi's to stop with just words. Are we able to have China stop doing it now, with just words? Are words helping in Palestina?
And in this day and age of the internet, even when we show those people the world that they can access. Show them how misguided their hatred is. They still choose to hate.
These words I wrote are in their hearts. Outside they tell sweet veiled words like 'we must protect our children' and 'they are taking your jobs'. They will convince people against all facts, that the others chose this. That something genetic, is chosen. Never will they tell in those clear words what they truly want, because any sane moral person would see it for what it is.
At some point they manage to convince their followers that they are the truth, that anyone trying to guide them away to sanity is lying to them. And then the cycle completes and new unchangable hate-ist is born to spread the infection. See anti-vaxxers, see Q, see any conspiracy group that convinces their members everyone else is lying.
So, would you rather have a tyranny where people are allowed to just be. But where ideas of raceism and exclusion is censored.
Or a tyranny of the hateful that will one day knock on your door for telling the lies of inclusion?