this post was submitted on 20 May 2024
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[–] [email protected] 117 points 5 months ago (3 children)

Genocide is definitely politics, but should definitely be talked about.

[–] [email protected] 92 points 5 months ago (2 children)

Restrictions on “politics” always and forever mean restrictions on heterodox political positions, while allowing orthodox views.

[–] [email protected] 42 points 5 months ago

1000% this. I live in the bible belt and am a big burly bearded bastard so people "quiet part out loud" at me with supersonic speed (1). I'd almost make a mortgage payment if I had a buck for every time someone said some ridiculous shit then I got in trouble for "getting political" aka politely and calmly engaging with the statement just made directly to me.

I didn't make it political. The person saying trans folk should "wear the right clothing" made it political. I believe the word you're looking for is "uncomfortable," and if you don't want it to get uncomfortable maybe tell HIM not to get political. If he says it, I have a right to respond - and silencing my speech but not his is an explicit endorsement of his speech.

(1) It has literally happened in like 5 sentences or less between even me and a stranger multiple times. "Hey what's up" "nothing much started a new job" "cool, I haven't worked in a bit but I worked at target for a bit" "why? Target funds ANTIFA TERRORISTS"

[–] [email protected] 0 points 5 months ago

That's true to an extent. It's more about avoiding arguments, though, and less about whether the view is orthodox.

For example, some views are so out there and unaligned that people will just think it's a joke and not fault you unless you start seriously arguing for it, like if you say murder should be legal.

On the other hand, some orthodox views would still get restricted because they're contentious. Like if you start talking about how you believe in equal rights, that's something most people agree with (at least in principle,) and it shouldn't be political. But it's going to ruffle some feathers anyways (especially if you get any more specific than that,) so it'd be restricted.

So basically, it either has to be so out there that people won't think you're serious, or so commonplace that people won't even consider that it could result in arguments.

[–] [email protected] 43 points 5 months ago (3 children)

Everything is political. And yes, genocide should be talked about, especially ongoing genocides.

[–] [email protected] -4 points 5 months ago

Technically, yes, everything is political if you make it political. But you have to make it political first. Petting your cat isn't inherently political unless you bring up the government policies and economical structures that allow you to own the cat in the first place, or compare your attitude towards the cat to a political stance, or something else of that ilk.

In the same way, everything is scientific if you study it scientifically, and everything is theological if you consider it from a theological perspective. It's technically true, but that doesn't make it useful. It says more about the way you think than the nature of reality, especially as politics are a social construct.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 5 months ago

Well it depends on the definition. What I mean is that it's not about opinions, it's about facts

[–] [email protected] 66 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Both of those statements are categorically false.

[–] [email protected] 30 points 5 months ago (1 children)

In Sweden they seem to be trying to make the first one true. A university made it forbidden to have 'any conversation that may be interpreted as political to a passer-by' anywhere on campus. It was celebrated by the minister for higher education (liberal party member) as a brilliant step against "wokeness". It was retracted, because it is not possible to enforce. But the government is doing an investigation against universities to root out "wokeness".

[–] [email protected] 1 points 5 months ago

But the government is doing an investigation against universities to root out “wokeness”.

Which is a course of action rooted in politics.

Specifically, fascism.

[–] [email protected] 55 points 5 months ago (2 children)

In Germany it's normal to discuss politics in school, is even part of the curriculum. It's just highly prohibited to discuss parties.

[–] [email protected] 28 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Discuss politics for 40 hours without mentioning a party

The American mind cannot comprehend this

[–] [email protected] 6 points 5 months ago

You are allowed to mention them and explain what they officially stand for, we even made roleplays, to simulate how the parliament works (the class was distributed into parties according to the distribution of Parliament at that time and everybody tried to pass a law), it's too tricky for me to explain the fineprint in english , sorry ;)

[–] [email protected] 18 points 5 months ago (1 children)

It is in America too. I had to debate shit like gay marriage in high school. We even have mandatory civics classes that teach you how the government works and my teacher told us how jury nullification works and why you should never talk to cops

[–] [email protected] 10 points 5 months ago

We sure do NOT have universally mandatory civics, not anymore. I graduated in 09 and my school district didn't teach anyone anything beyond the basics of the voting system.

[–] [email protected] 41 points 5 months ago

Also university is exactly where politics is best discussed.

[–] [email protected] 21 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Wait... y'all have restrictions about that? In my school, only the teachers aren't allowed to be biased (they are, still tho)

[–] [email protected] 9 points 5 months ago

Not official restrictions. I heard this from other students actually

[–] [email protected] 4 points 5 months ago (3 children)

Everything is politics, and should be talked about.

Also this would've been much more fitting with the Luhansk or Donetsk flags instead of the Kiev regime's, since the post-2014 coup government did commit a genocide in Eastern Ukraine.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 5 months ago

Or use the Ukraine flag since Russia is currently committing genocide with forced relocations including children. Russification is not great.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 5 months ago

You'd have to be completely out of your mind to call the Donbas war a genocide. And that's coming from Russian national who frequently calls out Ukraine government for being the same sort of garbage as Russian, if not much worse.

So unless this is some form of high level meta-sarcasm and/or trolling, I'd advise you and everyone who upvoted this to seek therapy.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 5 months ago

Yes. It's a screenshot of our template for the r/place. I included Ukraine because some people disliked it too